We Can Do It: Hillary For President

Posted on by breyannatripp

Double-Up on The Clintons

 

Hillary Clinton officially announced she will be running for president in 2016. Call me ignorant, but I thought America kind of already knew she was. A few weeks ago, I was speaking to my mom about her running for president and how America needs a woman president. My mother made a good point and said we may be a bit too emotional to run a country. But once again I say, maybe that is what we need. Someone who can think more emotionally and then consider the thoughts in their head. It is a bit odd we have not had a woman president because it isn’t like men have done the greatest job.

As of right now, I do not have a strong opinion about Clinton’s campaign. Her announcement was great on social media and was probably a way to target Millennials. At this point, you are probably wondering why I am writing a post about Hillary Clinton. We cannot ignore the fact that this woman was one of the greatest First Ladies and also an influential woman in the 90s. I have general knowledge of the work she has done, but there is no way people can continue to ignore that she may deserve a chance at presidency. Now that we have had an African-American serve as president, America can now accept a woman president.

Women in the Workforce

On Jan. 30, 1996, an article titled “‘Women’s Work’ In The ‘90s Has Few Boundaries” was published in the Chicago Tribune. Carol Kleiman, the author of this article, examined the role of women in the workforce and the percentages of women compared to men in certain sectors. Something that stuck out to me was when Kleiman said, “President of the United States: Here’s another job that for too long has been filled only by men. I believe that any woman who can get through the supermarket without crying can run any country in the world. I advise women to get on the political bandwagon and go for it!”

But how can we expect the American people to vote for a female as president when gender disparity is alive and well ?

According to a report by the White House, “full-time women workers’ earning are only about 77 percent of their male counterparts’ earnings. President Obama has been working to address and fix the issue of the gender pay gap.

This gender gap is nothing new. Women in the 90s also faced this problem. A study released by Stanford University found that in 1998 41.1 percent of the reasoning for the wage differences between men and women could not be explained. Education, race and labor force experience were also taken into account but yet almost half could not be explained. As a female college student about to enter the workforce, this scares me. If my education can’t even serve as reason for you to actually pay me what I deserve, then what is the point of selling false hope?

I do not identify as a feminist. I am a woman who cares about the issues women face. What are your thoughts about gender inequality? Comment below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love Thy Millennials

Posted on by breyannatripp

As a product of the 90s, researchers have decided to identify us as part of the Millennial Cohort. There is no doubt that we are the future, but there is a lack of faith in us. The workforce was not ready and is not ready for the more than 80 million millennials. There are so many perceptions of us, so I decided to share a few in an infographic, along with some commentary.  As college students prepare for their summer internships and as employers work to find a place for us, we need to reach a middle-ground.

Millennial Infographic

What do you think is another common perception of Millennials? Leave a comment 🙂

90s Shows We Loved

Posted on by breyannatripp

 

Impact on the Black Community

I had the opportunity to speak with a couple of inspiring people on Kent State’s campus. Traci E. Williams, an associate lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, who specializes in film and television, opens up about her love for the black sitcom A Different World and closes out about the lack of character development in television shows today. I also had a chance to speak with Marvin Logan, the executive director of the Undergraduate Student Government. Both of their passion for 90s television truly reflects in this conversation.

 

 

A Few of my Favorite Parts

0:38 Me: What was your favorite television show in the 90s and why?

 

0:45 Traci: A Different World because it was a show about African-Americans. It dealt with African-American issues, but it wasn’t per say considered like a Black show, if that makes any sense. It was about students having student issues. It just happened to be that the students were African-American characters. That’s something that’s like rarely done. I don’t think there has been a show like that since. It was fun to watch. It made me excited about going to college.

 

2:20 Me: What do you think is missing in television now?

 

2:25 Traci: We only see one type of character or very limited types of characters on television right now. If it is an African-American character, you have the educated Black b****. You have the musical thug…It’s just the same thing. It is a very one-dimensional character when it is an African-American.

 

4:28 Traci: I’m actually really into right now Orange is the New Black. This is another show when you have women of all different background, but it’s about women’s issues. It’s not this is a Black issue, this is a White issue, this is a Hispanic issue, this is a female issue.

 

5:34 Marvin: You had shows like Martin and The Jamie Foxx Show that really reinforced things about the Black culture. You know sometimes it was some not so positive stereotypes but other times it was about supporting black business, supporting historically black colleges and universities

 

6:12 Me: How do you feel about television shows now and how they portray the black culture?

 

6:20 Marvin: I think TV itself and media started to change after the 1996 with the passing of Telecommunications Act. You see a lot more or a lot less diversity. Not just diversity in terms of color but you see a lot less variety in programs. It’s a very narrow point of view you see on television, not to say they are not good programs, but certainly not the caliber of programming we saw in the 90s.

 

 

 

 

Sidenote: The music in this podcast is called Be Nice by Jahzzar.

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Posted on by breyannatripp

I was waiting for the right moment to talk about police brutality. This is a serious issue, but it is an issue I had to think long and hard about my opinion. It is easy to say the police target African-American men because that is how it looks but at the same time this is a deeper issue. Why are they targeting these men? Why has the outcome been death lately? Then I sit here and wonder if police are taught how to defend themselves without killing someone, which sounds like common sense.

This was an issue in the 90s and long before then.

From Mike Brown in Ferguson, to Tamir Rice in Cleveland, I am really worried about the future. As an African-American woman, if I were to have kids, I don’t want to give them a speech on how to not come across as a threat to police. Lately, a threat can be as easy as just walking across the street at night.

The Civil Rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice investigated the Ferguson Police Department and their municipal court and found their “practices both reflect and exacerbate existing racial bias, including racial stereotypes.” The report also said their racial disparities clearly impact African-Americans.

Police misusing their power is more than just a problem for blacks because it can happen to anyone and it has happened to people, regardless of their race.

My generation, such as millenials, is starting to speak up against things they do not believe in. The protests resulting from the police brutality that continues to take place are admirable. Some of them may be violent, but there are a lot of peaceful ones. To see people from all over the world speak up about this issue shows that this is an universal issue that needs to be handled.

In 1991, Rodney King was almost beaten to death by Los Angeles police, following a car chase and it was all caught on camera. The jury acquitted the police officers and people all over the world was in uproar. President George H.W. Bush ordered the Justice Department to begin a civil rights investigation after the trial.

The riots in Los Angeles resulted in about 50 deaths and more than 2,000 injuries. The damages from fires and people destroying buildings cost about $1 billion. The governor even issued a state of emergency.

My mother was living in Los Angeles during the riots following the Rodney King trial. She remembers exactly what she was doing because she feared for her life. Everyone was so angry, which is expected. But here we are again.

There is proof of Rodney King being beaten by police. There is proof that 12-year-old Tamir Rice was murdered by police. There is proof African-Americans are targeted by the Ferguson Police Department.

For all of my “Scandal” fans, there is a reason why Shonda Rhimes created an episode about a young, African-American male shot and killed by police. If you haven’t seen this episode, I highly suggest you check it out.

What are your thoughts on police brutality?

 

 

Confessions of a College Student

Posted on by breyannatripp

Attending college is not for the weak. The decision to attend immediately after high school sounds great at the time, until you actually think about the pros and cons. In this era, it seems as if the bad outweighs the good. As a college student, I have to remind myself everyday that it is worth it to be here. With that being said, I examined some facts about how it was to be a college student in the 90s. These are their stories (“Law & Order SVU” pun).

Student Debt

I am not going to go too in-depth about student debt because there is not much I can say to make you feel better about paying for school. The student loan balance increased about $77 billion from one year ago, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The government is working on finding ways to make college affordable, but I am a little worried this will never happen.

The average student debt for college graduates in 1992 was $12,434, according to the Pew Research Center. For the class of 2013, the average debt was $28,400, according to Institute for College Access and Success. That is about a $15,000 increase in about 20 years. Student debt was an issue back then and still is now.

Textbooks

College Board estimates students will spend $1,225 on books and supplies at a public four-year institution during the 2014-2015 academic school year. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average tuition for full-year undergraduates at a public two-year institution increased from $1,100 to $1,500 between 1989-90 and 1999-2000. In other words, the costs of my textbooks could pay for majority of my tuition at a two-year institution in the 90s.

The Student Public Interests Research Group, a group of state student advocacy organizations, recently released data in support of making textbooks free online for college students. This sounds like a great idea to me. According to their findings, the more than 11 million full-time undergraduates in the U.S. could save 1 billion a year!

Job Market

The thought of being unemployed after college crosses every student’s head at least once. In my opinion, underemployment is more heart wrenching. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the underemployment rate for college students during the 1990-91 recession was 46 percent; 44 percent in 2012 resulting from the 2001 and 2007-09 recessions. About one in three college graduates work a job that does not require a college degree. As I stay up late studying, I wonder if going to college to receive a good job should have been my ultimatum.

On the bright side, the National Association of Colleges and Employers surveyed the class of 2014 college graduates and found about 53 percent with a bachelor’s degree are employed full-time.

A lot of numbers in this post, but we have to face the facts. How does this make you feel? I am anxious to know. Leave a comment !

50 Shades of Wang

Posted on by breyannatripp

It would be crazy for me to not talk about New York Fashion Week or to not throw in a “50 Shades of Grey” pun with its release this past weekend. Fashion week is one of the biggest moments in fashion. I was anxiously waiting for media coverage and watching Snapchat to see the collections for this upcoming fall.

I don’t know who came up with the idea of showing collections about two seasons ahead, but they are a pure genius. It gives broke college students (me) enough time to gather our coins and somewhat incorporate the looks into our everyday fashion.

According to a study by The Intelligence Group, about 50 percent of Millennials regularly browse for items they don’t plan on buying. This is true because there is no way I can afford most of the items shown at fashion week, but a girl can dream right?

Even though Alexander Wang and Vera Wang are completely unrelated, they both tapped into 90s Goth with their Ready-to-Wear fall collections. Coincidence? Not sure. I don’t know if this was a late Christmas gift from Santa or what, but I will not question it.

I examined their collection because their interpretation of 90s Goth was different. This is in no particular order. Maybe subconsciously…

Vera Wang

Black clothing wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea until last year. It is a lot easier to shop for and to make it your own. This could also be because I am starting to enjoy black as a fashion statement, instead of associating negative connotations with it.

Ms. Wang made me fall in love even more. From the oversized blazer to the leather vest, she knew exactly what I needed. Sometimes black can be boring, but she managed to create a variety of different looks.

In her interview with The Associated Press, she said, “I think there’s too much black in contemporary, and I love black. … but I think to make black look elevated is a much bigger challenge because there is so much black clothing, particularly for fall.”

I think she achieved her goal because she made me feel I could wear black for the rest of my life and never run out of ideas. Her interpretation of 90s Goth was softer than Alexander Wang’s, which I’ll get into a little later. Vera’s collection is for the everyday-woman.

Alexander Wang

In an interview with AP, Wang said “There’s always a musical component to my collections, and we loved the idea of AC/DC and Kiss and Led Zeppelin.”

90s Goth was heavily influenced by these artists. “KISS” is known for their hardcore looks. In my opinion, he did not try to soften up. He went exactly for what it was.

The platform boots were probably the best part of his collection. They are versatile and I can imagine mixing them with a variety of looks. I feel alone on this opinion because a lot of my friends found the boots to be their least favorite.

As far as wearing the clothes, it is still a little too much for me to wear casually.
I did thoroughly enjoy his use of studs and chains. I am still not a fan of the stringy, gelled hair. Thank you Wang for going all in though. Us 90s kids appreciate it.

What were your favorite looks from New York Fashion Week?

Give Me Death or Give Me Music

Posted on by breyannatripp

Music Defined

According to Merriam-Webster, music is defined as “the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity.”

In my opinion, this definition states that music creates unity through relationships. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs states love and belonging comes after physiological and safety needs are met. All in all, we can’t live without music. Music is a way we can connect with each other. It can make those huge differences so small. For me, music makes me feel less alone.

I wish I could listen to those oldie but goodies all the time, but I have realized I have to know some of the newer songs that are out. Is it my fault artists are still influenced by those 90s sounds?

Here are my favorite 90s inspired artists:

Ariana Grande

My number one will forever be Ariana Grande. I have loved her since she was “Cat” on “Victorious”. I will never forget the day my friend showed me her cover of Mariah Carey’s 1991 hit, “Emotions”. It was as if Ariana’s voice descended from heaven to bless all of us. Call it what you want, but it was fate when her first album came out on my birthday in 2013. “Yours Truly” debuted number one on Billboard the first week. The whole album screams 1990s R&B from the harmonies to the Whitney Houston inspired runs. Ariana knew what she was doing when she decided to work with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, who helped produced so many successful artists’ number one hits in the 90s. Her second album has less of this influence, but she still managed to give us her 90s vocals even through pop songs.

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Teyana Taylor

Teyana Taylor exceeded expectations with her debut studio album “VII“. She released toward the end of 2014 and it gets five stars in my book. I have not heard a real, pure R&B album in a long time. It is evident she studied the vocal techniques of every black 90s girls’ idol, Brandy and Aaliyah. She perfectly blended their sound and created her own. From her melodies to the perfect storytelling, VII is an album I can play without skipping any songs.

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Nicki Minaj

This list would not be complete without the Queen of Hip-Hop. Nicki Minaj finally blessed our lives with the sound she started off the game with. I stopped listening to Nicki after she became mainstream. Her music turned into more of a pop sound, which I don’t have anything against. I was so hesitant to listen to her new album, especially after her first single was “Pills n Potions”, but I like to give second chances. “The Pinkprint” just made my top five albums of 2014. I was late listening to it, but I am glad I did. It is evident she took her time with the album and wanted to share a story. That is what made 90s music so enjoyable. Artists told stories and made us believe they were living that life even if they were not. My favorite song on this album is “Four Door Aventador”.

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These women give me hope that dreams do come true: 90s are forever.