Trend story

Revealing clothing is coming back into style, girls of all ages affected

Leggings, and skinny jeans, and yoga pants! Oh my!

No, this is not a marketing ploy; this is just a few of many items on the newly published list of banned clothing items at Kenmore Junior High School in Kenmore, Wash.

Ellie Tillotson, a freshman at the junior high, believed the administration had merit in its recent crack down on the rules.

“The dress code at Kenmore Junior High is very reasonable considering the way articles of clothing are worn,” said Tillotson. “In junior high and middle school, girls are always just looking for attention from boys.”

To achieve this attention, many young girls go to extreme lengths and even inappropriate lengths. Tillotson mentioned it is not simply the clothing but the revealing ways in which they are worn that is the problem.

“Some girls wear yoga pants and ‘jeggings’ [legging-like jeans] without shirts long enough to cover them, which makes them a distraction in class,” said Tillotson.

Ann, Ellie’s mother, also stands behind the school’s decision.

“As a mother of a 14-year-old who has worn yoga pants to school, I heard about all the ‘positive’ feedback and attention that she got from the boys when she wore them,” said Mrs. Tillotson. “I am happy she can’t wear them to school anymore.”

These new more revealing trends such as the yoga pant, the skinny jean and the ‘jegging’ are all a result of a cycle within the fashion world, said sophomore apparel, merchandising, design and textiles major, Kirsten Walter.

“In the early 2000s, really low jeans and belly shirts were popular, eventually they couldn’t make them any shorter or lower so the trend repeated with more conservative clothing,” said Walter. “But now we’re slowly heading back to the shorter and tighter trends.”

Although this cycle can be apparent in retrospect of the culture’s fashion past, it is not always noticed in real-time.

“The trends just become the new cool thing, kids adapt to them and follow them without even realizing they’re dressing more or less conservative,” said Walter.

She holds media responsible for having a large influence on the way teens dress. In the United States, kids and teens spend more time sitting in front of electronic screens such as, TVs, computers and video games, than they do on any other activity besides sleeping, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health.

Sociology graduate student and instructor, Meredith Williams, believes the media gives mixed messages to young girls, telling them to simultaneously be the virgin and the slut.

“The media says young girls’ sexuality needs to be protected and women are sluts if they wear a certain kind of clothing,” said Williams. “Yet at the same time, oversexual clothing is not going away.”

Walter agrees saying, societal pressures also play a role in teen’s choice of dress, but it does not stop at that age. College-aged women are still wearing tight, short and off-the-shoulder outfits.

“Girls of this age think: my mom is not here anymore, so I get to wear anything I want,” said Walter.

The solution? Williams thinks that teaching girls at all ages to become smarter consumers is important. They should be aware that in the end, the advertising company’s goals are to make a profit.

Contacts

Ellie Tillotson: tillotsonfamily@comcast.net  425-488-9653

Ann Tillotson: “ “

Kirsten Walter (in-person interview): 206-940-8775

Meredith Williams (in-person interview): 509-335-4595  meredithta@gmail.com

David R Gifford. TV Has a Powerful Impact on Young People. Rhode Island Department of Health. 2010. http://www.health.ri.gov/family/ofyss/teens/tips/Tip5.php

Outline

I. Jr. high example of dress code crack down

            - Ellie and Mom’s perspective

II. Technical fashion side to explaining clothing

-       Cycle

-       Media influence

-       Kirsten – AMT major perspective

III. Societal pressure side

-       Conflicting pressures for girls

-       How it effects college girls as well

-       Solution? 

What stories aren't being covered

Obama's Stimulus package - not getting proper coverage. has it created more jobs/economic movement. Wall-street bailouts - have they paid back the money. It was presented, went into effect but do we know what is going on. There's information out there that probably represents what is going on but is there much in main stream media that everyone would understand.

the fact that schools have the power to search kids at school for drugs/alcohol based on anybody making a claim...the school holds way too much power...also the kids in the other group at daughter's homecoming were at a restaurant downtown and one of the kids posted on to his FB that people were pretty hammered and the school monitored the FB's and found out and tried to get the kids suspended...that i don't think is being reported.

      - Mark Anderson, CKA creative Graphic Design. 

 1st story: I think I could report on this story or use this as an example. If I was writing about the trend of Presidents making promises they can't necessarily keep, or they keep them but the progress is small or unnoticed I could definitely write about this topic. 

2nd story: I think i could report on this because I know that this is very prevalent in schools today - overprotection from administration is getting way out of control. This is an important trend that I don't think people are aware of. 

Census info

1. What’s the population of Washington state?

    a. What's the percent change since 2000? 13.1%

    b. Go back to the main page. Now look at 'Washington' under the 'Area Profile with QuickFacts.'

            1. In terms of percent increase, which has grown faster in the past decade -- Washington or the U.S.?

            2. What's the median household income in Washington as of 2008?

            3. What's the national median income?

            4. Let's look at ethnicity: Identify one way in which Washington's population differs from the U.S. population.

2. Now look at Whitman County.

    a. What's the population?

    b. What was the percent increase from 2000 to 2009? 4.8%

    c. In 2000, what percent of the population had a bachelor’s degree? What was the percent statewide? 44%, statewide: 27.7%

    d. Median household income?

    e. Persons below poverty in 2008?

3. Let's go deeper. Near the top of the page, click on 'Browse data sets for Whitman County.' You'll find a slew of entry points into the U.S. Census Bureau database. This is a great area if you're interested in finding a particular fact (how much federal $ came into the county last year), as well as if you're just browsing, looking for a little light reading.

Click on the 'Building Permits 2009.'

a. Find the annual total construction costs for building permits for Pullman from 2004 to 2009. Report it for each individual year.

b. Write a lede based on the trend you see in this information.

c. Let's explore other public data online. Type "google public data" into your search engine. Click on "explore the data," and then Unemployment in the U.S.

    1. Click on "By State," and then "Unemployment Rate." What's the current U.S. unemployment rate?

    2. List the month and year for the highest national unemployment rate in the last 60 years.

    3. Now limit the data for Washington state. What's the current state unemployment rate? Has the unemployment rate increased or decreased since January 2010?

    4. This is application is part of Google Labs. As such, it has some quirks. Click on the "+" sign next to Washington to open up more options, then click on Counties, and Whitman County. What's the most recent unemployment rate? What was the rate in August 2000?

    Note: If the data doesn't appear, click "clear selections" at the bottom of the page.

    5. Now find your home county, even if it's not in Washington state (provided it is in the U.S.!) What's the current unemployment rate in your home county?

d. Let's explore some of the data here on campus by checking in with the Washington Center for Real Estate Research (http://www.wcrer.wsu.edu/). Click on the 2010 Q2 housing report.

    1. What's the percent change in the number of building permits issued during the past year? What does that tell us about the housing situation in Whitman County?

    2. What was the median resale home price? How much did it change in the past year? How much did prices decline statewide?

    3. Write a lede based on one of these pieces of information.

4. Return to the Census homepage (http://www.census.gov/). The Census is spewing out data this year. Let's look at the most recent reports. Under "Newsroom," click on "Releases."

                             1. Click on the Oct. 22 tip sheet. Scroll down to the Recently Released data. Click on the American Community Survey.

                             2. Scroll down the page and click on the food stamp program. What's the percent increase in food stamp use from 2008 to 2009 in Washington state? Nationally?

                             3. Scan the page for two other recently released reports that might interest you. List one fact from each of the two reports you choose.

II. Federal grants and insurance

Who needs government? Well, Whitman County certainly received some federal help last year. But we want to know how much.

But fumbling through this site can be cumbersome. Plus, the Census Bureau isn't the only government site with information on Whitman County. If only there were an easier way to search all these sites at once (ah, but there is!)

Go to Google/unclesam is a powerful tool that let’s us search all “.gov” Web sites. Go to the search bar and type  “whitman county federal funds.”

a. Click on the first link. Is this website operated by the state or federal government?

                             1. Click or search for 'Consolidated Federal Funds Report.' At the top of the page, click on 'Online Query System.'

                             2.  Under ‘Available Data,’ choose 2009 and Geography (Federal data almost always lags a year behind). Click ‘Submit.’

     3. On the next page, choose ‘Washington’ and ‘Yes’ on County. We want ‘All Fund Types.’

                             4. On the next page, choose Whitman County.

                    a.  How much did Whitman County farmers receive in Crop Insurance? (Hint: Scroll to the bottom of the page?

                    b.  Tracking grants can also help us identify news stories. How much did Whitman County receive in grants (block, formula, project, etc.)?

                                c.  Name three of the grants.

             b. Return to the Whitman County page. (If you can't find it, return to Google/UncleSam and search for "Whitman County OFM.")

                1. Click on "Criminal Justice." Click on the Databook for 1990 to 2008.

                2. Click on the data for Whitman County.

                3. How many murders are recorded in Whitman County since 1990?

                4. How many rapes were recorded last year?

                5. Look at the number of Adult Arrests -- how many arrest for rape last year?

                6. Why is there a difference between the Crime Index and the Adult Arrests?

Show don't tell

One of the photos I chose was the second photo. It showed the entire town almost completely covered in water. It basically summed up the devastation to the main city as well as the residential area caused by all the flooding. You can see bridges coming in and out of the water, and freeways that simply just end into the water.

The second picture I chose was the shot of the thousands of people trying to get onto the bus going to Houston's Astrodome. You can see just a sea of people with exhausted and frustrated looks on their faces. Also you can see those carrying what remains from their personal possessions. It also looks like people are yelling at eachother and pushing forward.

"Thousands of people push forward in the unruly line waiting for a bus to Houston's astrodome. A desperate attempt to get out of town results in a chaotic eruption of tense frustration from the core of the crowd."

Edit your peers

Edit Your Peers

Our writing continues to improve. But let’s eliminate these stubborn errors.

1. According to opensecrets.org Sen. Patty Murray had raised nearly $11.8 million.

Senator Patty Murray raised $11,781,217, according to the website opensecrets.org.

2.  “I am for state taxes,” said Alexa Mays, Junior Broadcast Production major, “They pay for everything from firefighters to the legislature.”

"I am for state taxes," said Alexa Mays, junior broadcast production major, "They pay for everything from firefighters to the legislature"

3. Wes Smith, Principle at Pullman High School, said the state run liquor stores have a monopoly on sales.

The state-run liquor stores have a monopoly on sales, said Wes Smith, Pullman High School principal.

4. The President of the Washington Restaurant Association, Kevin Wilson, said, “I’m a big fan of the initiative, it is all about the little guy trying to get bigger.”

"I'm a big fan of the initiative," Kevin Wilson, the President of the Washington Restaurant Association said," it is all about the little guy trying to get bigger."

5. 70 percent of the revenue would fund public education beginning November 14, 2011.

Beginning Nov. 14, 2011, 70 percent of the revenue would fund public education.

6. Last month, United States army officials asked congress to clarify it’s policy on gays in the military.

U.S. Army officials asked congress to clarify its policy on gays in the military last month.

7. Washington State marks up hard alcohol 51.9%.

Washington state marks up hard alcohol by almost 52 percent.

8. Many WSU students travel sixteen miles roundtrip to Moscow, Id., to purchase cheaper alcohol.

Many WSU students travel 16 miles roundtrip to Moscow, Idaho, to purchase cheaper alcohol.

9. Jennifer Sessions, a Senior Spanish major, posted flyers in support of I-1098.

Jennifer Sessions, senior Spanish major, posted fliers in support of I-1098.

10. Bobson said “I think it would have been cool to do something like that as a freshman, I know my parents would have loved it”

"I think it would have been cool to do something like that as a freshman, Bobson said. "I know my parents would have loved it."

Two possible trends to write about

1. 58% of Washington's homeless children are white, 28% are hispanic, and 10% are black.
- I think this is an interesting trend to write about because I don't think it is necessarily known or assumed. I think it is something that we don't necessarily consider. Also this is not exactly how homelessness is portrayed in the media. Usually minorities are depicted as homeless or heading that way on the media.

2. A full time worker earning minimum wage ($8.07 per hour) in washington would need to work close to 80 hours per week for 52 weeks a year in order to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent.
- I think that this is an interesting trend to write about because usually this is not something we think about when thinking about homelessness. We most often perceive homeless people as people who don't try to get work or can't because of lack of education or disability. We don't usually consider how expensive it actually to live in even the least luxurious of places. This is a devastating trend that should be reported on, exposing extremely high living expenses.

Article questions on The New Gold Mine...

1. The author of The New Gold Mine: Your Personal Information and Tracking Data Online enriched the story by recording how her subject was so initially surprised when told of the information attached to her "code". That gives the reader a sense of how it can effect everyone. How if you were told how much information you gave up online you would probably react similarly, which makes the story easier to relate to.
2. The author says that online tracking is not new. That it has been around for decades, it has just recently gotten more intricate. When the author quotes David Moore he brings up a interesting point concerning the advertising world and how this form of data tracking advertising is gaining popularity and success. "When an ad is targeted properly, it ceases to be an ad, it becomes important information," he says. This suggests that advertisers goal is for their ad to become "important information" to the perfect audience. So this form of advertising is certainly becoming a trend for advertisers to stay in business.