Mount Hood

Witches through the years

Written by: Taylor Duff | Lifestyle Editor

The spooky season brings many frights, imagination and of course, costumes. Girls around the world might be dressing as witches this Halloween season, or they have done so in the past, or they just know that witches are generally associated with Halloween. When people think of a witch, they most likely appoint an old decrepit woman who rides a magic broom, casts spells and has a diet that consists of children. This depiction is far from what witches are, so where did the term “witch” come from? Where did they come from? 

It is believed that the term “witch” was a moniker given to women who practiced witchcraft and satanic rituals and ate children — but that is just what the fairy tales say. One early concept of what a witch is says that in mythology, witches were healers, shamans and spiritual workers who could affect the physical and the spiritual world. They used what is called “herbal medicine,” which is healing people with hand-crafted herbs. Not so different from what everyone in ancient times would do, however, witches were believed to have a special talent for healing. Some of the negative connotations come from Greek and Roman mythology: Deities like Hecate and Circe were goddesses that possessed magic and posed potential threats because of their power. 

Whether or not mythology is accurate, the witch hunts during the 15th-18th centuries caused significant harm. These included the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, precipitated by a real-life hysteria that affected many women during the time. A group of teenage girls from Salem, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused multiple local women of witchcraft. The trials resulted in the deaths of 25 innocent women, men and children. The purported witches were hung or crushed, not burned, which is a common misconception, as that was done in Europe during the Middle Ages. There is a museum in Salem, Massachusetts, where visitors can see just how the trials began and ended. 

Folklore and stories like “The Crucible,” a play by Arthur Miller, started to paint women as villains and self-absorbed, claiming they were witches. Fairy tales did the same, such as “Hansel and Gretel,” where two siblings travel in the woods and stumble across a witch’s house; she ends up eating them. Witches during this time were generally portrayed as old, bumpy and green; they were meant to look like they arrived out of the devil’s chambers and needed to take sources of life. Green witches appear often in fiction, most famously in “The Wizard of Oz” and its prequel “Wicked,” where the Wicked Witch of the West became the bad guy, and everyone was petrified because she was robbed. In Gothic literature, things looked a little different —  witches were usually painted as seductive and beautiful. But even then, they would use their beauty and seductive nature to lure men and hurt them. 

Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell — WITCH — was a 1960s feminist group that used guerrilla theater and public rallies to criticize patriarchy and capitalism. Feminist witchcraft movements in the 1970s reclaimed the image that represents the witch as a powerful monarch. Wicca is the largest modern Pagan or Neo-Pagan religion. Its adherents, known as Wiccans, commonly identify as witches and derive inspiration mostly from pre-Christian customs in Europe. Dianic Wicca, which concentrates upon the worship of a goddess figure, or female deity, and publicly supported feminist values, frequently gained influence from the emerging women’s rights movement of the time. Because of this movement, witches are now more popular in pop culture. Movies such as “The Craft” and “The Love Witch” show women usually painted as outcasts or weird embrace their individuality and sex appeal to contradict the patriarchy. Shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “American Horror Story, Coven” showed witches as everyday people who were just trying to navigate the world, and because pop culture sparks, the public made witches more approachable. This also opened up self-expression for LGBTQ+ characters, such as Willow Rosenberg from “Buffy,” emphasizing the connection between magic and gay identity. As environmental problems, feminism and LGBTQ+ rights continue to dominate public discourse, the witch remains a symbol of resistance and self-empowerment. 

TikTok, which has #WitchTok; Pinterest; Instagram and more platforms show modern-day people participating in witchcraft. Many creators provide spells, rituals, tarot readings and astrological insights. They show their lifestyles with aspects such as decor, clothing — witch-inspired Gothic apparel with Bohemian and crystal-laden looks, — black hats, pentagrams, jewelry, tattoos, books and much more. Halloween, in particular, has converted the witch into a fun, approachable figure for people of all ages. The internet enables individuals to combine cultural traditions, such as Wicca, Hoodoo and New Age practices, and participate in virtual covens or communal rituals. 

Overall, the witch isn’t one type of person. A witch can be multiple types of people, they can be friends, family, teachers, parents and your next-door neighbor. They are someone who embraces their faith and individuality and wears it proudly. Witches just want to be accepted and painted in a light that isn’t demeaning or harmful. The witch is a symbol of feminism and strength and has spent too many years not being understood. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

Deadpool takes on the Multiverse

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers

Even Deadpool himself couldn’t have been prepared for the chaos he met in “Deadpool and Wolverine.” Between Charles Xaviers’ psychotic sister, his universe on the chopping block and one reluctant Wolverine, the titular anti-hero certainly has a lot on his plate. 

In this third installment in the “Deadpool” universe, movie watchers will see a continuation of Marvel’s “Multiverse Saga,” which began with the series “WandaVision” and will be completed in 2027 when “Avengers: Secret Wars” hits theaters. 

When the Time Variance Authority — TVA — knocks on Deadpool’s door, he learns that his universe’s anchor being is dead and his timeline has been fading ever since. The TVA offers to put him in the “Sacred Timeline,” or the timeline most people think of when they think of Marvel, but Deadpool refuses. Instead, he goes searching across the multiverse for a replacement anchor being, which is revealed to be Wolverine.

When Deadpool finally finds a suitable replacement for his anchor being, the unlikely duo is sent to the Void — where variants are sent for misbehaving in the multiverse or when their universe is destroyed. There they meet variants of superheroes who have already graced the screen or whose movies did not come to fruition, and of course, the fourth-wall-breaking Deadpool knows all about them.

Many of these variants are already well-known. Jennifer Garner returns as Elektra, Wesley Snipes as Blade and Dafne Keen as X-23, a Wolverine variant. Even the canceled 2014 “Gambit” movie was referenced, with Channing Tatum filling the role he was originally intended to play. 

A plethora of memes have arisen from the movie, as well as collaborations with the popular video game Fortnite, fast food company Jack in the Box and motorsport company Alpine Racing. Ryan Reynolds has a stake in Alpine Racing, explaining the connection.

“Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC and “Like a Prayer” by Madonna were both played in the movie, and both have once again found themselves on Billboard’s Top 30 chart, with “Bye Bye Bye” sitting at number eight and “Like a Prayer” resting at number 16. Their streams have increased globally by a total of 50% and 62% respectively, thanks to social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, as well as the use of “Bye Bye Bye” as an emote and jam track in Fortnite. 

“Deadpool and Wolverine” grossed $211 million on its opening weekend at the box office and has earned $1.305 billion globally. It is currently the seventh highest-grossing Marvel movie in both domestic and global earnings. 

It has not yet been announced when “Deadpool and Wolverine” will hit streaming services, but fans anticipate a late October or early November date.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

San Jose State’s volleyball program facing controversy

Written by: Quincy Bentley | Sports Editor

The San Jose State University volleyball program has recently gained significant media attention due to the potential inclusion of a transgender player on their roster, and in just three weeks, four universities have forfeited their match against San Jose State. These schools include the University of Wyoming, Boise State University, Southern Utah University and Utah State University, which recently canceled their Oct. 23 match against San Jose State University — SJSU. Surprisingly, none of the schools came out with any statements explaining their reasoning behind the decision to forfeit.

The rumors about the SJSU player’s gender identity started in April 2024, when a website by the name of Reduxx published an article titled “Biological Male Quietly Joined Women’s NCAA Division I Volleyball At San Jose State University.” The player mentioned in the article is Blaire Fleming, a redshirt senior who transferred from Coastal Carolina University to SJSU in 2022. As of the 2024 season, Fleming has put up impressive numbers, ranking fourth in kills and fifth in service aces in the Mountain West Conference. 

One of Fleming’s teammates, Brooke Slusser, a senior setter who transferred to SJSU from Alabama in 2023, has also been having a standout season. She is ranked third in assists, and tied for tenth in digs in the Mountain West Conference, but Slusser’s impressive stats aren’t the only reason she’s making headlines.

On September 23, Brooke Slusser filed a lawsuit against SJSU and the NCAA —  “Slusser v. NCAA and San Jose State University.” The lawsuit, centered around Slusser’s teammate, Blaire Fleming, claimed that the university failed to inform her and her teammates that Fleming was transgender. Slusser also claimed that she roomed with Fleming on road trips without knowing about her gender identity, and in April 2024, Fleming allegedly disclosed to Slusser that she identifies as transgender. In a nutshell, Slusser argues that Fleming’s participation raises concerns about fairness and safety for female athletes, and she isn’t alone in this viewpoint. After all of this information surfaced, more than a dozen female college athletes accused the NCAA of violating sex based discrimination laws. 

In regards to Fleming’s performance on the court, Slusser claimed that Fleming’s spikes were recorded at over 80 mph, which, according to her, is way faster than any female player she has ever seen. The lawsuit also shows that some players on the team were even concerned about getting concussions due to Fleming’s hard hitting spikes.

After noticing the attention the university was receiving, the Senior Director of Media Relations for SJSU, Michelle Smith McDonald, stated that the university will not publicly address the gender identity of any student due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. In a statement by the university, McDonald stated, “It is disappointing that our SJSU student-athletes, who are in full compliance with NCAA and Mountain West rules and regulations, are being denied opportunities to compete. We are committed to supporting our student-athletes through these challenges and in their ability to compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment.”

Under current National Collegiate Athletics Association — NCAA — rules, transgender women are allowed to compete on women’s teams if they have undergone at least one year of hormone therapy to suppress testosterone levels, which is believed to reduce any potential competitive advantage. The NCAA’s guidelines are based on the belief that hormone therapy levels the playing field between transgender women and cisgender women. However, despite these regulations, the debate centers on whether the physical differences, even after hormone therapy, provide an unfair, competitive advantage. 

Slusser and her legal team argue that the “Slusser v. NCAA and San Jose State University” lawsuit is about fairness and safety. It raises the question of whether previous policies properly protect female athletes from what they believe is an uneven playing field. This case doesn’t just highlight the debate within SJSU’s volleyball program, it highlights a debate that is playing out across all levels of competition around the globe. Depending on how this lawsuit goes, it could potentially lead to a new legal precedent or even a new set of rules within the NCAA, but as of right now, the debate over whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in women’s sports continues to stir controversy.

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

The Oregon Student Association closes

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

The Oregon Student Association, known as OSA, announced Oct. 9 that the organization would be formally closing its doors and suspending all action. The organization acted as a student-led nonprofit advocacy group, well-known across the state for its role in making positive changes in colleges across the state of Oregon. OSA’s website described the organization as a place to “bring students together to build collective power, develop their professional political skills and achieve concrete wings for students on the issues they care about. Through legislative advocacy and grassroots organizing, OSA is working towards a future where a quality, equitable, debt-free higher education is affordable and accessible for ALL Oregonians.”

OSA brought student access to incidental fees to fruition when students passed a bill in Oregon to grant students funding and control over their college experiences. In turn, student governments were then able to collaborate directly with their universities and represent student voices. 

Student leaders from the University of Oregon joined leaders from Oregon State University and Southern Oregon University to further explore Statewide Student Associations. They then “loaded into a van and hit the road” according to OSA’s historical page, spreading ideas about gathering funding for an organization to be founded, tied in directly with the legislature protecting higher education in the state of Oregon.

In 1975, it was given a name — the Oregon Student Association — and within one year, all public universities joined OSA. A board of governors was established and more members were instated to train students in legislative engagement and advocate on behalf of students.

This last year alone, OSA secured the Semiconductor Talent Fund and TRUs+ Behavioral Health Package and also passed SB 1502: School Board Transparency Bill, SB 1596: Right to Repair, SB 1552: Senate Education Omnibus and other higher education investments. TRUs+ Behavioral Health Package will fund multiple other universities alongside Western to create a higher capacity for licensed behavioral health workers, while the school board transparency bill will require posted live streams for governing body meetings of school districts, education service districts, community college districts and public universities.

In past years, OSA has passed bills protecting and supporting university students who experienced sexual violence, increased statewide access to job training, increased education access for incarcerated students, provided free menstrual products on campuses, allocated $19 million to fund members of Oregon Native tribes in higher education and many more.

The announcement Wednesday, Oct. 9, was posted to OSA’s website as well as social media. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of the Oregon Student Association after almost 50 years of student-led advocacy across the state. Since 1975, OSA has empowered future leaders and unified students across Oregon to build collective power to advocate for policies that create a more equitable and accessible higher education system,” it stated. “OSA has worked tirelessly for decades to ensure that the voices and rights of students were heard and respected at every level of decision-making.”

It followed after years of reports that OSA struggled financially and structurally, with tax documents from 2023 claiming a negative net worth of more than $400,000. Nick Keough, OSA’s legislative director, explained that over time, OSA received less and less per year from universities tied with the organization. Each university and college had previously decided what money to allocate toward OSA annually, but as costs rose in the country, money became essential elsewhere.

“This was an unbelievably difficult decision,” said Keough. “This decision is ultimately about recognizing recent constraints we faced and being realistic about the organization’s sustainability.”

Last summer, central leader and Executive Director Joseph Cruz and staff member José Zapata were unfortunately involved in a dangerous car accident that left Cruz critically injured with a long road to recovery and took the life of Zapata.

“The tragic loss of a staff member and the injury of our executive director have just made it incredibly cumbersome to continue operating,” said Keough.

OSA thanked their staff, coalition partners and student leaders in their announcement, expressing that it had been an honor to serve Oregon’s students. “We leave behind not just a legacy, but a call to action. To every student, organizer and advocate; your voice matters, and your work is needed… The fight for a better future for all students is far from over,” OSA stated on their Instagram.

The majority of the responses were devastated, with many commenters personally tied to OSA and remembering their long history of advocacy.

“It will be a different world without OSA’s presence, but I know the contributions it made have inspired us all,” wrote commenter Finn Jacobson from the University of Oregon. “Thank you all for your service.”

“OSA had such an impact and gave folks a truly amazing opportunity to grow and make change. Best wishes,” said Eliott Coda.

Another commenter, Courtney Veronnaeu, described her time with OSA. “OSA is where I learned the power of and how to organize the community to advance racial, gender and economic justice. So grateful for my time on staff and for the many lasting and meaningful friendships that began there.”

Alexandra Flores-Quilty, from Oregon, said: “Heartbreaking to hear. I appreciate the OSA leaders who have been supporting the (organization) during these last few difficult years.”

Portland-based supporter, Elona Wilson, expressed their admiration. “I am constantly inspired by the work (you all) have done, the people you have scaffolded and your deep commitment to Oregon’s students. 50 years of badass change is something all OSA alumni and current students should be incredibly proud of. You will be missed, but know that your legacy will continue to inspire movements far past this moment. Thank you.”

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu.

Declining literacy in America

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

All over the nation, schools have seen a decline in literacy rates among students, but Oregon has seen the steadiest decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. School closures and remote learning due to the pandemic made learning to read much more difficult for students, especially among disadvantaged youth.

In a 2023 study done among students in the Beaverton School District, 61% of third graders and 54% of seventh graders were found to be below proficient in reading. Nationwide only 46% of students were found to be proficient in reading.

Neurological research from more than 20 years ago about the proper way to teach children to read has garnered more attention recently, but the study suggests schools’ failure to teach reading using scientifically backed methods is a key factor for low test scores. 

This year’s scores on the only achievement test to represent a sample of students from every state also showed dismal results: only one of every three eighth-graders was proficient in reading. However, there have been plenty of issues found within Oregon’s reading curriculum that might be at fault for these low test scores.

“There isn’t a single reason for declining literacy rates but rather many factors contributing to it,” said Western education professor Tiffany K. Smith. “The assessments that are used to determine students’ levels of literacy are simply snapshots. They often do not reflect students’ actual literacy abilities. For example, they are timed (for consistency) and often students need more processing time. Sometimes students blow through the assessment just to get it over with. Sometimes students don’t understand directions or the questions and it can’t be further explained by the test administrator.”  

For one, the state’s standards have not been revised since 2019, meaning the standards are based on pre-pandemic learning. Secondly, the Common Core Standards, which were adopted by 41 states and four territories in 2010, focus mostly on what students need to know to be prepared for college. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of October 2023, only 61.4% of recent graduates were enrolled either part-time or full-time at a two-year or four-year university. Yet schools in Oregon continue to push the Common Core Standards in classrooms and schools. 

Even worse, Common Core Standards don’t follow the curriculum that teachers are supposed to use in their classrooms, government-appointed education experts do, and in Oregon, every one of the 197 school districts is given the ability to adopt their own core curriculum.

The Oregon Department of Education — ODE — has a list of approved curricula for school districts to adopt for teaching reading and writing. Districts who wish to deviate from this list must ensure that they choose a curriculum that includes the teaching of phonics and phonemic awareness, but face no penalty if they deviate from the ODE list and are not required to tell the state they have done so.

Many parents point the blame at the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, or NCLB, which placed consequences on schools based on students’ standardized testing scores. A study that followed a 1998-1999 kindergarten class through completion of high school found that the enactment of NCLB and the Every Student Succeeds Act that followed it have had an impact on children’s socioemotional outcomes. 

The study, which was finally published in 2017, found that the NCLB had a negative impact on students’ test-taking anxiety, which has only worsened recently. 

However, there is both good and bad news for the state of student literacy. In an executive report — The State of the American Student: Fall 2024 — published by Arizona State University’s Teachers College, statistics and a path forward were found, which teachers and school districts could follow to improve student literacy. 

The good news is that students and teachers are showing signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a 30-state survey, students have regained about a third of their pandemic-era learning losses and a quarter of their reading. School districts are pushing for more tutoring, high-quality curricula and extended learning times, in an effort for them to become more permanent in learning. 

The bad news is that recovery is slow and uneven among students of different backgrounds and school districts. While there has been an upward trend in the recovery that students have experienced, they are not even halfway to a full academic recovery. For students with little time left in the K-12 system, this slow rate of academic recovery is bad news. But even the so-called “COVID Babies” are entering kindergarten less prepared for grade-level learning than pre-pandemic students. 

Additionally, eight out of ten teachers say they find teaching overwhelming and have complained about inadequate support in the classroom. Lack of funding for districts and chronic absenteeism — defined as students missing at least 10% of school days — has also worsened these problems. 

One of the most important factors emerging from the pandemic was parents being unprepared to become educators for their children. Parents of students with disabilities found it difficult to provide their children with the proper services, and disadvantaged students often lacked the proper technology to be able to access online learning. 

Some states are searching for solutions to combat declining literacy and teacher fatigue. In Salem, Massachusetts, one middle school reduced absenteeism and increased achievement by making school more engaging and fun with more field trips, hands-on learning opportunities and personalized instruction. One student said, “It’s actually making me excited to go to 

school. It’s just like a happier version of school.”

The State of the American Student: Fall 2024 recommends prioritizing relationships between teachers and students, having a partnership with parents that is central to the education system and ensuring that the best strategies reach the children who need them. The report also suggests school districts get involved with policymakers and advocates to help hold institutions accountable for meeting their obligations to all students — especially those who are most vulnerable. 

“We are still seeing the effects of COVID and long-term stress and trauma on students and their families,” Smith said. “This prolonged stress and trauma has research-based effects on literacy rates.”

The first goal for teachers and school administrators is to reengage students and parents in learning. From there, they will have the ability to gain more post-pandemic academic recovery, especially in the areas of mathematics and literacy. 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Western’s community garden

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

Located on campus near Rice Auditorium, behind the in-progress new Student Success Center building, a community garden grows despite being surrounded by construction. Currently, it is being taken care of solely by Western alumnus Rick Tingle. The garden consists of several compost piles, strawberries, potatoes, raspberries, squash and many other fruits and vegetables. It also is home to a satellite dish, which is in the process of being dismantled. 

Although the garden is in a fenced-off area, Tingle planted raspberries along the fence specifically for students to graze. “It used to be that people knew the garden was here only by coming down this trail and they would come by and pick the raspberries,” he said. Eventually, he wants the fence to be covered with additional plants, such as blueberries and cherry tomatoes. 

“Every one of these plants I started on my balcony… I got to know every one of these plants, and I’ve watered them by hand every morning since late winter and early spring,” Tingle said. 

His hard work in the garden was coming to fruition, with cucumbers, tomatoes and Japanese eggplant being harvested.

Tingle graduated in the spring of 2024 from Western with a Master of Science in Criminal Justice: Justice Studies. “Before that, here at (Western), I got my bachelor’s of anthropology and psychology and all of those things just dance. They interact,” he said. Before graduating with his master’s degree, Tingle wrote a research paper about how community gardens could help solve food inequity problems on college campuses — part of the reason why Tingle remains at Western, although no longer a student.

“I don’t mind being one of those invisible people doing the hard work in the garden. I just want the results of the hard work to be visible and effective,” Tingle wrote in a document. He is working toward the goal of “providing healthy foods for hungry people” at Western. 

Tingle has been in the community garden every single day for two years. Even when the heat rose to 100 degrees during the summer, he was still planting, watering and keeping up his composting project. 

Last autumn, Tingle began working with Western’s food pantry. Every Tuesday, the food pantry has supplied him with food that they would have otherwise had to throw away. Tingle is given a wide variety of expired or rotten food, such as potatoes, rice, bread and even cupcakes, before adding it to the different compost piles within the garden.

“The strawberries weren’t doing anything. Maybe the soil hadn’t been replenished. And then I got maybe 150 pounds of potatoes,” said Tingle — he ended up crushing the potatoes and mixing them in with the soil. In turn, the strawberries started growing with full force, with a sea of red potatoes growing in between the strawberry plants. 

On sunny days, Tingle covers the compost piles with cardboard to make sure that the compost-eating creatures stay up top. “I’ve trimmed, I’ve pulled all the weeds and I keep it watered along the fence. I use those weeds with the compost,” Tingle said. He also mixes unexpected things like popcorn kernels into the compost. “This is what’s fun to me. It’s like an experimental compost.” Since he expects there to be much more food thrown out because of the start of the school year, Tingle has considered making another row and starting a new composting project altogether.

Ideally, the garden will become a place where students can work, enjoy their hobbies and make connections with other students. In the community garden, students can learn about gardening and composting and also have a space to feel comfortable and partake in Tingle’s “experimental composting.” 

“From my research, one of the key points was that students need to feel comfortable in the garden space and their needs should be considered while planning the layout of the garden,” wrote Tingle. “Students need to interact in an enjoyable, creative atmosphere.” 

“I want to let people know that there is a garden here and that it has been in transition, but we could use help right now beautifying it,” Tingle said. Success has been evident in Tingle taking care of the garden by himself, but he needs help making it accessible and appealing to all students. Any student can volunteer, whether it’s picking weeds, planting, general maintenance or painting the planter boxes.

“The last class that I did was a sustainability class because all of my research, all my findings, for my paper…  I learned about permaculture. And one thing about permaculture is design. It’s a creative design, there’s an aspect that you have to make. The garden needs to be more than just planting and eating vegetables,” said Tingle.

Volunteers could also help make a website for the community garden. “Together we can begin to network and consider methods of a working garden website where people can communicate where help might be needed. The website may also be developed so that students might be able to check for real-time status updates of their plants in the garden,” he wrote. 

If students are interested in helping out in any way or have any questions or suggestions, email Rick Tingle at rtingle18@mail.wou.edu.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Millennials vs Gen Z

Written by: Taylor Duff | Lifestyle Editor

Fashion has been a decade-specific vital component of style as generations’ styles and trends evolved. Clothing went from being functional and necessary to becoming a status symbol for designers and high-profile personalities. People dressed more modestly in the ’40s and ’50s, whereas the ’60s and ’70s introduced a new rebellious style of attire that offered more individualism rather than uniformity. The 1980s and 1990s made those designs more distressed and destructive and discovered a method to combine high fashion with more basic and inexpensive apparel. The 2000s were chaotic, but the 2010s and beyond showed potential for consistency. Music has a major effect on fashion, with artists using their outfits to make statements and grand impressions. Hip-hop has been a major contributor to this for decades. Artists like MF Doom, Erika Badou and Nelly have worn accessories representing their individuality and music. Musicians see clothes as a statement about who they are and their uniqueness. 

Millennials were the generation born between 1981 and 1996, with ages currently ranging from 28 to 43. Fashion for millennials has advanced significantly, particularly in streetwear. Brands include Supreme, DCs and Adidas. Musicians in the period, such as Soulja Boy and Avril Lavigne, wore baggy pants with belts and chains, as well as skate shoes like Converse, Vans and DCs. Some notable millennial celebrities who have made fashion statements include Paris Hilton, who has worn items that have sparked trends, such as velvet Juicy Couture tracksuits; Britney Spears and Christina Aguilar. Together they helped popularize the 2000s Y2K look. There’s also Billy Porter, who is known for his outlandish ensembles that make androgynous looks work. Finally, Timothée Chalamet stands out for his powerful but experimental style on the red carpet. Aside from developing music and apparel, all of these superstars grew up in a generation that valued fashion as a vital part of their brand. It’s not surprising that when celebrities and original influencers donned specific apparel, people followed suit. Clothing companies would pick their inventory based on what was popular at the moment, and millennials worldwide would loot the shelves for those tracksuits, Hillary Duff’s new jewelry piece or J.Lo’s perfume.

Now, millennial fashion is bright and trendsetting. 

Generation Z was born between 1997 and 2012, which means their ages range from 12 to 27. Gen Z introduces a new style of fashion onto the scene, where trends have resurrected. In today’s world of rapid fashion and social media, trends come and go quickly. With trends coming and disappearing, it’s tough to pinpoint where Generation Z gets their style. A popular motif is a return to basics, with teenagers and adults now wearing plain-colored clothes and focusing on accessories and layering. There is also an edgy aspect that is prominent in many Generation Z styles, seen with renowned celebrities such as Billie Eilish, who is rather experimental with her attire. She wears masculine style and feminine apparel in a variety of hues that are well-planned and adorned. Emma Chamberlain has also made her YouTube channel the focal point of her fashion offerings with a preference for vintage and modern apparel, which gives her style a nostalgic feel. Lil Nas X is among the most outlandishly dressed celebrities. Nas takes his outfits extremely seriously — they are always well-thought-out and resemble costume designs. Every item of Nas’ clothing tells a narrative, and everything is designed to work together seamlessly. And, of course, Zendaya, who is possibly the Gen Z “queen of fashion” with her seamlessly fierce looks. A fan favorite at the Met Gala, audiences look toward her movie premieres to see what she pulls out of her fabulous bag. She’s a true talent for Gen Z and knows how to be original and unique. For Gen Z, clothing is more of a statement piece in terms of impressions, since it is about adding a specific item to a look rather than the appearance itself. For example, a new trend has been to wear hair bows of every color and size. Gen Z’s clothing preferences are always changing, thus many trends may or may not last, and many people will forget about them. While constant change might be a negative, it also allows Gen Z to experiment and be creative with their wardrobe. Combining complementary colors and accessories opens up a world of options. Generation Z has the potential to recycle vintage items in ways previous generations did not, and much of it is paying off. With the emergence of fast fashion, Generation Z is turning to charity stores and secondhand sites to discover excellent quality things that they can incorporate into their wardrobe — a return to vintage styles with a new perspective.

Overall, every generation has its ups and downs, and everyone will always believe that their generation’s dress was more cool and right for the period. Fortunately, the nicest part about new generations is that they can take a little bit of each generation’s style and trends and either reuse them or even make the decision to let them go altogether. Individuality and culture have never been more widespread in previous generations with everyone having the opportunity to develop their distinctive style. Millennials are responsible for the existence of Generation Z fashion for they did the dirty work of finding what looks good and trendy, and without them, many of the celebrities of this time wouldn’t have such a stance on iconic pieces. Gen Z continues to thrive, so maybe things will change. But until then, this one goes to the millennials.   

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

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Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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