apr 06-07 - James B. Conant High School

April
21, 2006
February
10, 2005
Editors Christophe Chong and Marie Graver
Do your friends, family, or the music you listen to influence the way you dress?
Why TriPod?
(The Artist)- For the most part, I try to be original. I’ll look through magazines, and if an outfit catches my eye, I’ll try
to recreate it. I basically dress in what I feel is fun and comfy. Sometimes I put stuff together that probably should never
ever go together, and sometimes I dress normally. It kind of depends on my mood for the day.
The iPod is a magnificent invention in many respects. The largest iPods are now around
half an inch in width, and with just over 4 inches in height they are capable of holding a ridiculous
amount of music. In fact with some iPods, you would have to listen to it continuously and recharge
it about 5 times just to get though the full capacity of songs, which translates into four days of music.
Unfortunately, iPods come with substandard headphones, and the only way to charge it now is
through your computer (unless you wish to purchase a cradle separately). Because of minor faults like these,
I was not convinced of the quality of iPods. I often see the terrors a faulty iPod can unleash on an unsuspecting user. Junior Nick Charmelo said, “It has frozen so many times that I’ve actually thrown it at the wall.”
But despite its faults, over the past few months I have experienced the awesome power
that is the Apple iPod. I would still check out other devices used for music playing. In fact, the Creative Zen, the Toshiba Gigabeat, and the iRiver H10 are all fine Mp3 players if you are dead set
against having an iPod. The battery of the ipod is not as long lasting as many other players (especially limited with videos), and there are some problems with iTunes formatting, but for the most
part ipod offers the best operating system, the smallest size, and the largest range of products.
(The Princess)- Obviously it’s not just my friends or family, but magazines, people I see at school,
or anything that catches my eye. I like my clothes to be different, but at the same time I like wearing flattering clothes that make me feel confident. My family has influence over my wardrobe...
they won’t let me go walking out of the house looking trashy, which I wouldn’t want to do anyways.
1st Generation
(The Athlete)- My friends probably impact the way I dress more than anything else.
2nd Generation
3rd Generation
4th Generation
5th Generation
(The Nerd)- Well, in the past, I guess I would try to mimic my friends and my peers clothing, but everybody has their own
style. I would find myself dressing up a bit more when I noticed my older brother wearing those types of clothes, but eventually I just wore whatever I felt like that day. As I moved into the later years of high school, I dressed more comfortably. However, my clothing was probably similar to many people, but that can’t really be helped unless you really try to dress differently.
(The Rebel)- Sure they all do, I can’t really say that one or all of these factors have influenced my taste in clothing. With a different background, I would probably be repping different brands, let alone behaving differently. I
believe living in a middle-class family in the Midwest has helped me achieve the eclectic style I have today…
Specifically, I think it was my father that made it cool to rock a moustache or any facial hair for that matter, and I believe that it was my friends that steered me away from the pain of girl jeans to the way of the stretch jean.
The Bigger Picture: A Bigger Apple?
Dear Mighty Microsoft Monarch Bill,
(The Artist)- I like rap. It’s fun to listen to. Some songs are a little much, but for the most part I like listening to it. It’s a
little weird cause I’m a total white girl with no rhythm but whatever, I like it.
(The Princess)- I think Audioslave is the most surprising....their whole album blew me away when I gave it a chance.
(The Athlete)- N’sync is a must on any and every I-pod…and Barry White, he’s the man.
(The Nerd)- Well, I guess someone would not expect me to be blasting some Slipknot or Disturbed as I’m driving down the
road.
(The Rebel)- Maybe it’s my love for Three Inches of Blood and Hella. Maybe it’s my enjoyment of The Dead Kennedy’s and
Johnny Cash. Maybe it’s Kanye West and The Cure. It’s relative to who you talk to.
The Artist
The Princess
Conant’s Breakfast Club
Katherine
Grzebieniak
Niraj Patel
The Rebel
The Nerd
The Athlete
Eric Hausen
Mike Dumapias
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
(The Artist)- I really enjoy Panic! At the Disco. That’s what I’ve been listening to a lot lately, but I listen to other types too. I like Rihanna, Kevin Lyttle. Basically, I like anything that’s upbeat and peppy, or it
will make me bored. I also never feel ashamed to pop in a Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, or Spice Girls CD every so often. Even though those lyrics are ridiculous, the songs are still pretty nuts. I like Cher and Tom Jones too.
(The Princess)- I like everything except shouting/screaming excessively because that kind (of music) doesn’t really seem like music to me. I absolutely love Audioslave. Their last album was amazing. I
love Idlewild, Dem Franchise Boyz, David Guetta, Cascada, Fall Out Boy, The Academy Is.... oldies is great....
I love 80’s music, country, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flats, and Keith Urban. Music is great no matter what type it is.
(The Athlete)- I like a lot of different stuff, and I definitely enjoy some oldies every once in a while. Most recently
though I started listening to The Fray and James Blunt.
(The Nerd)- I like to listen to all types of music, but if I would have to pick a favorite, it would have to be rock. It’s a large category,
but it’s hard to narrow it down. It just really depends on what mood I’m in at the time. In the car at night, some Fort Minor is nice,
and when I’m doing homework at home there’d be Howie Day in the background. And you have to like hip-hop if you like parties.
(The Rebel)- I have different music surrounding me all the time, because listening to the same music would get repetitive.
If I need to just get some music to keep me the sickest dude alive, I’m probably listening to Death from Above 1979 or Hit
the Lights. If I’m feeling laidback, I dig on The Redwalls or Metric. Driving music is Placebo or Minus the Bear. To get hyped
up for any sticky situation, I’m hands down getting psyched on Children of Bodom, Unearth, or The Agony Scene. When I’m
procrastinating, I’ve caught myself listening to Say Anything and Desaparecidos. I like to either relax with the ambience of
Broken Social Scene or get lost in the complicated tunes of Gatsby’s American Dream. I particularly enjoy the lyrical styling
of Twista. That dude can spit a mean rhyme scheme. I have to say that there is nothing better to dance to than rap/hip-hop
music. Thumping bass, clever wording and the whole feel of a grinding dance floor is really enticing. I’m definitely all over
the place when it comes to tastes in music, but it represents my open nature and lust for diversity in life. This little interview
is not at all representative of me just because I can’t really think of every single little musical detail that makes me, me.
Jon Chu
In-Depth Reporter
Steve Jobs, archnemisis and CEO of Apple, made a shrewd move in allowing his Macintosh PC’s to
run your Windows Operating System (OS). On the surface, it seems that Jobs has finally surrendered to you;
but in reality, Jobs is now seeking to sell more PC’s instead of converting Microsoft-philes to Apple. By giving
people the option to choose their OS, Jobs stands to gain millions from those who want to compare for themselves. The new Mac allows users’ their choice of OS every time they turn on the computer so switching an OS
becomes as simple as restarting the computer. Jobs has also switched Macintosh’s chip to one manufactured by
Intel, a staunch ally of Microsoft’s. These changes symbolize a switch in tactics from an “if Windows can do it,
Mac can do it better” to an “if Windows can do it, so can Mac” ideology. This change in action is motivated by
legions of Windows-exclusive software and the disappointing results of Apple’s unveiling of the Tiger X OS.
Even with a fresh user interface from the bland standard of Microsoft, Apple was unable to convince Windows users to switch to stylish Macs. In the April 6 th issue, the LA Times reported that,
“Windows powers ninety percent of the personal computers sold, while Apple’s share is about four percent.” This means that consumers choose Windows over Tiger X by a landslide. The conclusion is that
even though Apple’s second quarter results are estimated to be around $4.54 billion, the majority of
their profit is from the sale of iPods and garnished by iTunes. The new video iPod sold more than 8.5
million units and iTunes sold more than 850 million songs. So Job’s statement that Tiger X boosted
software sales by 44% is actually a euphemism designed to hide the continuously falling Apple stocks.
What’s something you listen to that might surprise someone who doesn’t know you?
Gina Alberga
Mike Guttman
In-Depth Reporter
Yes- the iPod is no longer a fad.
But as the device takes root in
our culture and our audio capacity increases, we dip into outside
music genres to get the biggest
bang for our buck. The result?
Musical interests and social
groups collide, creating a new
Breakfeast Club at Conant.
Does your group of friends dress similarly to the way you dress? If so, do you think that
this may group you all into a certain social category?
Have you had an experience in which you were stereotyped based on the
clothes you wear or the friends you hang out with? If so, tell us about it.
(The Artist)- We all kind of dress differently. Their styles range from boho to really casual. Since we all don’t exactly
have a set style, it’s hard to say if we all belong in a social category... I think my friends and I are just kind of mixed. We
all have our own style and because of that, no one really groups us into a category at all, which I think is pretty awesome.
(The Artist)- One time, my hair was really dark, and I had a pink streak in my
bangs. I must have been wearing some kind of unsavory outfit because I guess I
looked really intimidating to some girl. My friend to her to, “go make friends with
Kathryn, she’s really nice,” and the girl was like, “no, she looks like she’s going to
beat me up.” And let me tell you all that that’s probably one of the first times I’ve
ever gotten that reaction. That’s the last time that I’ve ever gotten that reaction too.
(The Princess)- Yes, we all dress similarly because we all like the same stores in the mall....we don’t mind having
similar clothing. I think a lot of people think we are preppy or spoiled. I admit it, if I see someone wearing “punkish” clothes, I’m going to think “oh they’re a ‘punk’.” It’s common to stereotype, almost everyone does it. If people
want to stereotype me because of what I wear, I can’t stop them. But I can prove to them it’s not about what you
wear, it’s about who you are. Everyone should just get over the labels and make an effort to get to know others.
(The Athlete)- Oh, definitely. Most of my friends buy their clothes from the same stores. I’ve heard people refer
to our style as preppy and even “metro” for a few of my friends.
(The Nerd)- My groups of friends contain people of all types. From sweatshirt and basketball shirt wearing
people, to those who wear Ben Sherman T-shirts, and suit jackets with ripped jeans...I don’t think we are really
categorized into any certain social category.
(The Rebel)- We all tend to have the same sort of basic ideas about fashion. We’re down with stretch jeans, tight shirts,
and skate shoes. Many of us work in clothing retail so those discounts are well represented in
our style. We tend not to take a majority of fashion cues from the greater people/media around
us, but that’s not to say that were totally “more individual” than the next person, style, or preference. We aren’t fashion elitists…clothes really don’t make the man, but the man makes the
clothes. Above all, we dress the way we want to dress and we don’t care if you don’t like it:
the way it should be for everyone. As far as social category and clothing goes, I don’t think it
puts us into one “group”… Everybody we hang out with is unique and has their own sense of
style…We can hang out with anybody and everybody as long as they’re looking for a good time.
(The Princess)- Well, people are going to think things no matter what I say or do...I get
“you’re spoiled” a lot, which I guess is fair to think because my parents did get me an
amazing car, but what kids don’t get, is that I drove around my nonna’s for a year and
a half. I’m not just some girl that gets what she wants when she wants it. I have a job,
and I pay for everything I want. Besides that, I don’t really have a specific experience,
other than this one time when I had talked to a friend I didn’t normally hang out with
on the weekends, and he was like, “maybe we’ll hang out, call me later,” and I called
him later on to let him know that I was just going to stay in. He was like, “wow, I’m
surprised you called back,” and I asked why and he thought that I was going to just blow
him off. It really bothered me that he thought I was that shallow as to not call him back.
(The Nerd)-IprobablyhavehadmanysituationsI’veencountered,Ijustdon’tpaymuchattention to it. I guess it would just be the standard stereotypes that are floating around now-a-days.
(The Rebel)- Some people tend to give my friends and me guff about the clothes
we wear. We tend to get gay insults thrown at us when we’re rockin’ our stretch
jeans and short shorts, but it doesn’t really faze us. Those are the same people
that don’t feel comfortable enough with themselves to open up their minds to
new ideas and people, and frankly those aren’t the type of people we’re into.
Sincerely,
Captain of Computer Consumers.
Music ‘
Us
Mark Hamada
In-Depth Columnists
Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, we are all victims of conformity. The desire to fit into a
social niche is an inherent trait in human nature. The music we listen to is undoubtedly a contributing factor to our social affiliation. However, the status quo raises the question, “How can popular culture embrace
music that emphasizes individuality?”
When artists are elevated to stardom, they reach that level because of our generation. The truth
is that music is a business. Record labels, television and radio stations target our age group and play what
we want to hear. Though we scoff at “evil corporations” like MTV, these media outlets provide a general
indication of what our age group is listening to.
With this in mind, one must observe the growing success rate of indie/emo/“cool genre” music.
Most of these bands are based on DIY ethics and individuality. As a result these bands have had overwhelming success because of their mass appeal. The success of these bands is undeniable, from the amount
of airplay they receive to the number of Fueled by Ramen t-shirts we see in the hallway.
Although these bands encourage individuality, listening to and supporting them does not make a
person an individual. If everyone truly lived by their own terms, pop music stations would not exist. We fall
into trends because for many, popular stations are the only sources of music we are exposed to. The world
offers an infinite amount of great music that is constantly overshadowed by popular culture. It just requires
a little searching to find your “individual” taste.
The O’Keefe Factor
Colin O’Keefe
In-Depth Columnists
Stereotypes are much like bad cafeteria food in the sense that every school has
them. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple years of high school, or just
flat out didn’t care enough to learn about those around you, the groups will be listed below.
However, before you start writing angry letters to the editor, understand that these
groups are generalizations for simplicity sake before you read on. Many people mix and match
the groups of people they hang out with as easily as you or I shed clothing. You’ve been warned.
The modern “Prep” is a product of his environment, with his pink Lacoste Polo, color popped,
candy-scented perfume, ripped jeans, Birkenstocks, and a hat for every occasion. He believes that he is
at the forefront of style and prominence. This group evolved from the jock; however now muscles are unnecessary, instead replaced with lots of money. A good game of Hackey-sak or ultimate Frisbee coupled
with some Jack Johnson or John Mayer is all the Prep needs to enjoy his Cinnamon flavored Café _Mocha.
The “Emo” genre, related to Punk and Goth groups, is focused on being everything the
Prep is not. Emos, short for emotional, cling to the mantra of tight pants, band sweatshirts, dyed hair
cropped as unnaturally as possible, and loud, obnoxious music, preferably with undistinguishable
lyrics. Despite their uniform appearance, Emos believe in individuality above conformity. Last, but certainly not least, is the notorious “Gangster” group, related to the Wigger and Gangsta groups,
depending on your level of radness. This group takes pride in loud, obscene music, shorts so baggy they function as
full length pants, brightly colored clothing, and an unrivaled collection of “Blingage.” Despite their differences, there
is one key similarity that unites these groups; the inherent belief that their lifestyle is the correct one, nay, the only one.