Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Digging For Gold
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Shopping at a thrift store is not like going to a department store - it is work. |
The shopping bug struck on a lazy Saturday morning.
Sophomore student at the University of Texas at Austin and self-proclaimed
fashion guru Dara Oke rolled out of bed in a vintage denim vest, an American
flag tank top, frayed red shorts and black combat boots to take on the racks in
the streets of Austin. Her long stride and six foot slender frame glided
gracefully to the racks at various hole-in-the-wall clothing stores. She eyed
intricate designs on hangers looking for a unique piece to add to her personal
collection.
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Thrift stores located on Guadalupe are hot spots for UT student thrifters. |
The racks were crowded. There
was no guarantee that she would find anything in her size. She was overwhelmed.
The accessories were easier to locate. She struts over and examines each piece
for quality and flaws, and assess for usefulness. Her senses are overloaded.
She moves through the aisles to the belts and slips one on over her outfit. She
handles the scarves and experiments in front of the body length mirror
in-between the aisles. Handbags take their place on her long arms - assessed
for comfort. The disorganization, the lack of size selection and diversity, the
sheer amount of time it takes to wade through the racks at the used clothing
store – Dara is thrifting.
Fashion blogger Alicia Johnson says thrifting is the term
used when someone goes shopping at a thrift store.
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Thrifter Chris Petes says "There’s nothing like wandering the aisles of a thrift store, idly letting my fingers brush the racks of sweaters, feeling for wool and cashmere and fuzzy angora. |
“Thrift store shopping became quite popular about two years
ago although thrift stores have been around forever. It used to be frowned upon
to wear second-hand clothing and now it’s almost worshipped,” says Alicia.
With the cost of living continuing to rise, even the normal
discount stores may begin to feel like a strain on your budget. Textiles and Apparels
Major at UT, Jade Ware, says some shoppers find better deals at thrift stores.
“Thrifting for clothes isn’t exactly
easy. Unless you have become adept at eyeballing your size, you have to try everything on,” says Jade.
Thrifting lures a variety of
different audiences. Bargainers, treasure hunters or whatever you want to call
it, thrifting is one shopping behavior that is taking over the streets of
Austin.
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T-Shirt, shorts and black wedges -Dara Oke usually tries to piece outfits together for less than $15. |
“I have recently realized
just how much of my closet is composed of thrifted items - let’s just say that
it is way over 50%,” says Dara.
Thrifters say they not only
wish to save money, but it is also an easy way to recycle and reduce their
footprint on the earth.
Socially speaking, thrifting
is a lesson in the treasures a culture tosses and the junk people keep. It
provides cheap, local access to a variety of styles from many eras and trends
related to alternative dress styles that are not widely available in certain
areas or are only found at more expensive specialty shops.
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Dara Oke loves to dress up her thrifted outfits with unique accessories. |
Dara’s advice for thrifting
is to always start with an open mind, to see items for their potential rather
than as they are, to never forget the accessories, and to always remember to know
your colors and sales.
Most of all, Dara says she
loves not paying full price for things and introducing people to the beautiful
world of thrifting. “Thrifting helps you recognize your own beauty, one outfit
at a time.”
Monday, September 24, 2012
Where's My Vote?
With 41
days until Election Day, both parties are working hard to get potential voters
registered — but only if you are the right kind of voter.
In a protest over a YouTube film which demonstrators
feel insults Islam, more U.S. Embassies continue to be attacked. With
over 15 Americans under attack, you
would think that would be the front page story, or you would think that it was
the stock market index closing hundreds of points down on its worst day of
trading in years, or the proletarian riots that are breaking out somewhere in
the world, or any of the statements made today by the Republican Presidential
candidate Mitt Romney or statements made by President Obama himself – but it is
not. Tonight’s leading story is about a woman named Jane Doe. Jane Doe is an 82-year-old
resident of City, State, and has been voting for the last 64 years. This year
she was told she can’t. A new law in Texas requires residents to show a
government issued photo ID in order to vote. Jane Doe does not have a driver’s
license because Jane Doe does not have a car. Jane Doe does not have a passport
– her days of traveling and adventure ended long ago. Her state of residence is
not alone.
At
this moment according to the National Conference of State Legislators, 31 states
have proposed or already adopted the same voter id laws that have disqualified citizens
like Jane Doe from the one fundamental thing we all do as Americans. Studies
from The Brennan Center for Justice estimates that roughly 11 percent or nearly
34 million people do not have government issued photo ids and will be disenfranchised
this November 6. Why? To crack down on what some politicians voice as the
terrible problem of voter fraud. Governor Rick Perry of Texas who previously
entered the Presidential Primary Race this year is serious about cracking down
on the problem, “Making sure that there is not fraud, making sure that someone
is not manipulating the process that makes all the sense in the world to me.”
Voter
fraud is such a huge problem that during a five year period under the Bush
Administration when 196 million votes were cast according to the U.S. Census
Bureau, the number of cases of voter fraud reached – 86. Not 86,000 but 86. As
a percentage of votes cast, that number is - .00004 percent. This could be seen
as a solution without a problem, but instead, it is a solution to another
problem. Certain political parties have a hard time getting particular groups
of people to vote for them; things would be a lot easier if those groups were
just not allowed to vote at all. According to the National Conference of State
Legislators, 31 voter id laws were proposed by a particular group of political
party legislators’, passed by the same party whom controlled the state houses
and signed into law by that same party’s Governors.
Now while
the previous case of Jane Doe may be a fictitious character sensationalized by
media outlets and syndicated programming, it is a real issue affecting minority
groups, the elderly and college voters; many of whom are not even aware of the
fact that the U.S. elections are hindering their rights and turning into a
criminal enterprise. Here is what you
need to know. The federal court struck down the Texas law that would have
required voters to show government-issued photo identification before casting
their ballots in November. The court said the law “would hurt turnout among
minority voters and impose strict, unforgiving burdens on the poor by charging
those voters who lack proper documentation fees to obtain election ID cards.”
Government officials called the Texas’ voter-identification law “the most
stringent of its kind in the country.” Governor Rick Perry and supporters are
attempting to appeal the decision to the United States Supreme Court.
While the
appeal is waiting to be filed, many college students are speaking their minds
on the issue. UT Student Government Representative Jordan Metoyer says,
“College students were an integral demographic in the 2008 election, a fact
that may change entirely if some lawmakers get their way.” Many students agree
with Jordan. Cortney Sanders, a junior Government major at the University of
Texas at Austin says this is just another way to keep marginalized groups from
the poll. “This is a disenfranchisement to all college students, especially
those of color and who are out of state.” While law says you just need a birth
certificate and $23 to pay for a photo id, Cortney says “this is just like the
illegal poll tax and that is just wrong on every level.” As college students,
both Jordan and Cortney say that their likelihood to vote is largely based on
the time required to enact their right; any obstacle that adds a burden to
students will negatively affect their chances of voting.
One
proposed solution for college students is absentee ballots. However, student
deputy voter registrars like Cortney say it is not the best thing especially
for college students. If you are a college student looking to vote in the
upcoming election, Cortney offers her advice by encouraging students to
“register and vote where your school is since that is where you typically
reside for about 10 months out of the school year.” The deadline to register to
vote is October 9. Travis County Tax Office Director Tiffany Seward offers her
advice to college students registering or looking to vote in the upcoming
election. “The first thing college students must do is determine where they
want to vote. Students may vote at their home address, and if they decide to
exercise this option, they should contact that state or county to request an
absentee ballot. Students who prefer to vote in Travis County on Election Day
must register at their new address by October 9. Because students tend to move
often, they should check their voter registration status before the deadline.”
While
there is no evidence of significant levels of voter impersonation — the sort of
fraud that would be addressed by ID requirements — the argument is that this
issue is going undetected. Proponents for the voter id bill say these laws are
constitutional methods of preventing voter fraud, restrictions needed to
prevent fraud. Voter impersonation fraud is rare and proponents for the law contend
that the restrictions are a veiled effort to suppress turnout by legitimate
voters such as students, the elderly and minorities. These are voters who are less likely to have
a photo ID card and who tend to support a particular political party.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Welcome to my journalism blog. I was once told that journalism is a tool for discussion and difference, particularly for people of color. While other journalist or reporters may case awards, fame, or a Pulitzer Prize, I aim for social change. If you asked me what I wanted to do when I was younger I would say the same thing I want now - to be a reporter, a storyteller. I observed inequalities in society at a very young age. I am drawn to broadcast journalism because it allows expression of emotions powerfully and often spontaneously. Welcome to the world of new media and how I view it through my looking glass.
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