Monthly Archives: April 2016

Perfect ending for NBA regular season

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By WYATT GELLER

On the final day of the NBA regular season, the race for the playoffs had already concluded.  What needed to be settled was the all time regular reason win mark but more importantly, a farewell to one of the league’s greatest players ever.

Both of these games occurred in California on national TV as The Golden State Warriors hosted the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers welcomed in the Utah Jazz.

We have been talking all season about the Warriors breaking the 72-10 record set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, especially after the Warriors began the season 24-0.  At 72-9, it came down to the final day for this to happen, and the Warriors were in full control throughout the game.

NBA MVP Stephen Curry needed eight three-pointers to reach 400 on the season to add on to his single season record that may ever only be broken by him again.  He finished the year with 402 three-pointers and 46 points on the night, as the Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 125-104.

The media attention the Warriors got throughout the season made this record extra special. Users onESPN.com comment sections had posts comparing the 95-96 Bulls team to the Warriors team and who would win if both teams were in their prime. Since I was too young to see that Bulls team play, I do not have much of an opinion about it.

Now if you thought that was the highlight of the night, think again.

Kobe Bryant aka the Black Mamba had a major curtain call that was well deserved.  A five time NBA champion and third leading scorer in NBA history, Bryant received a video tribute where several well known players such as Lebron James and Kevin Durant thanked Bryant for his efforts over his 20 year career with the Lakers. Even Lakers legend Magic Johnson spoke in front of a sell-out crowd at the Staples Center on Bryant’s behalf.

Much like the farewell hype that New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter got at the end of the 2014 baseball season, appreciation for Bryant was well deserved. Just as Jeter delivered a walk off single for the Yankees to win their last home game of the season, Bryant did something that surpassed a bet Shaq made with Kobe.

This game had only one purpose and that was the Kobe Bryant show.  It was a mix of an all-star game and a playoff game put into one as Bryant scored an incredible 60 points. Even though he attempted 50 shots, Bryant was able to put on a show for the ages that wowed the crowd and everyone who was watching. The Lakers came from behind and defeated the Jazz 101-96.

It was a perfect ending to the season as you saw a significant record being broken along with a future hall of famer go out in style.

Now on to the playoffs.

Video obtained of missing Chibok girls

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By VICTORIA DE CARDENAS

Tragedies in Africa rarely capture the attention of anyone in the U.S. But when women in Nigeria spoke out two years ago after terrorists kidnapped hundreds of girls from school, they stirred a sense of global outrage.

Two years later, #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign took off, but the girls from the town of Chibok are still missing and still causing outrage.

The captor, Boko Haram, forbids modern education, particularly for girls, and enslaves and sells women, forcing them to live by 7th century norm, according to CNN.

Before the anniversary of the capture, CNN obtained a video showing 15 of the more than 200 girls that remain in captivity from the mass abduction. It was sent by Boko Haram as “proof of life” in negotiations with the government.

While I applaud CNN for obtaining this video and sharing it with the parents of the girls, I have the issue that no other news station seems to be covering this as extensively as CNN.

If the social media campaign was so successful in shining light onto this tragedy, why aren’t other stories coming out of this video? It is a compelling video and reminds those who are here in the U.S. to continue to fight for human rights, but I do not see another major news network picking it up.

It upsets me to see these girls being taken against their will and choosing to be suicide bombers to get out of the situation they are in, but I have yet to see someone else cover this as headline news.

We as global citizens cannot be so oblivious to what is happening across the world and to prevent the oblivion it starts with news networks talking about the stories that matter and shape our everyday lives.

Documentary highlights fashion world

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By MIA POLLACK

Andrew Rossi’s fashion-filled documentary is taking audiences into fashion’s most exclusive party. Last night marked the opening of the Tribeca Film Festival and, with that, the premier of “The First Monday in May“

The documentary, directed by Andrew Rossi, focuses on the orchestration of the 2015 Metropolitan Museum’s annual Costume Institute Ball and pays full attention to the curator of the exhibit, Andrew Bolton, and his partner through the planning, Anna Wintour, the infamous editor-in-chief at American Vogue.

Vogue editors, models and fashion royalty alike hit up the red carpet at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center last night to witness the events leading up to the Super Bowl of fashion.

Both Bolton and Rossi sat down with fashion industry rag Women’s Wear Daily to talk about the film and the process to which they filmed.

The two told WWD that shooting began in fall 2014 and that Rossi “…thought it was a fascinating opportunity to revisit what we qualify as art, why we have museums, and how they are changing, through the work of Andrew Bolton.”

Bolton, the curator for the costume institute at the Met told the publication that, “fashion is highly performative, as is film, and there’s a strong connection between the idea of creating identity.”

I have only seen the trailer, but from the looks of it, Rossi did and his team did an impeccable job of taking the audience on this journey of how this spectacle of a night is planned, as well as what happens when the lucky guests enter fashion’s most exclusive party. As The Guardian said it best, “Rossi pulls out all the stops to offer what amounts to ultimate VIP access.”

The Met is the epitome of all museums, and these costume exhibitions get better and better each year, I am really looking forward to getting a peak into a night that has fascinated me since I could fathom what the Met Gala was. The film is out in theaters tomorrow and there’s only a few more weeks left until Vogue and Bolton do it all again.

Swift unrecognizable on Vogue cover

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By SARAH BRANDT

Taylor Swift is on the cover of the May issue of Vogue. She looks completely different than usual in a rock and role style outfit and a completely different hairstyle. Taylor has already been on the cover of Vogue several times before, yet this is a new change for her.

This cover has gotten a lot of attention since it was released to the media. Swift is well known all over the world, which is probably a reason as to why her cover is attracting a lot of attention. But the main reason as to why everyone is taking about this specific one is because of her hair. Taylor has rocked many long hairstyles but no matter what she still manages to look awesome and have people talking about her.

Another reason as to why her Vogue cover has gotten a lot of attention is the story inside. Taylor mentions that for the first time in 10 years she does not have a specific plan of what she wants to do. She did not mention any new music yet, but she for sure is working on something very soon.

Additionally she addressed Kanye West’s new song where he says he made Taylor famous. For this we have to rewind to seven years ago when West argues at the MTV Video Music Awards that Beyoncé should have won the award instead of Taylor.

Overall, Taylor Swift will continue to attract the news media’s attention. No matter if it is posting pictures on Instagram with her boyfriend Calvin Harris or changing up her style for a magazine cover.

Earthquake kills nine in Japan

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By WYATT GELLER

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Japan late Thursday night killing nine people, according to CNN.  Nearly 800 people were injured as well.

The earthquake occurred on the island of Kyushu, one of Japan’s four main islands.

Several buildings were damaged and Japan could face more.

“The buildings that were damaged in the original shock have now been redamaged or reshaken,” said CNN meteorologist Chad Myers on CNN.com. “And all of a sudden you have a cracked building and it wants to fall down with the second shake.”

The earthquake caused more than 44,000 people to evacuate their homes.  Thankfully, it did not produce a tsunami.

Japan is remembered for having its largest earthquake to hit five years ago at a magnitude of 9.0 that killed more than 22,000 people.

Model, 56, changes her industry

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By SIDNEY STERLING

What do SLiNK, the only plus-size fashion magazine in print and Sports Illustrated have in common? 56-year-old British supermodel, Nicola Griffin.

This past month, SLiNK’s Passion Issue hit the stands featuring Griffin. Instead of just focusing on plus-size models they decided to take the publication a step further. If size does not matter in the fashion world, why should age?

Following her feature in SLiNK, Griffin also flaunted her physique for a Swimsuitsforall campaign inside the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

Once consumers and readers caught a glimpse of Griffin’s pieces, an equal amount of positive and negative opinions immediately created waves in the fashion industry.

However, at the end of the day, Griffin was not trying to offend anyone. Instead, she intended to make a bold statement and raise awareness.

In an interview with People magazine, Griffin stated, “”Young girls open magazines and it influences them so much about body image. I particularly think it is very good for them to see different sized women, because otherwise they can feel bad about themselves if they do not look like the models they are constantly viewing.”

Social media outlets and various respected fashion news sites are praising Griffin for her brave statements.

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In an article, Bustle.com stated, “I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that if anyone were to become the next mature supermodel, it would be Griffin. Her positive attitude towards body acceptance, age, and her beautiful gray mane are inspiring, to say the least. Here’s hoping that she will star in another editorial very soon.”

To my surprise, after searching Twitter and various news sites I could not find one negative comment about Griffin’s pieces.

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People on Twitter fell in love with Griffin, her body and everything she stands for.

Do you think our society will benefit from including a more diverse group of models in everyday publications?

California sports both loses and wins

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By JEAN-PAUL AGUIRRE

If you follow professional sports, chances are you heard about two major events in the NBA, which unfolded Wednesday night: Kobe Bryant’s last game before he retires and the Golden State Warrior’s pursuit to 73 wins within an NBA regular season.

The major sports channels, such as ESPN, spent more than a fair amount of time on Kobe and the Warriors. It was the highlight of the week, holding greater importance than practically every other sporting event.

Kobe Bryant has spent 20 years in the NBA and has won five championships with the same team—the LA Lakers— two Olympic-gold medals and an MVP award; these are feats few have accomplished.

He is considered by many as an icon, an NBA Hall-of-Famer, and the best player in the league since Michael Jordan retired.

On the other hand, the Warriors made history by breaking one of Jordan’s records. They won 73 games in a regular season, setting an NBA record; the last team to hold that record was the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls when they won 72 games with Jordan.

These two stories hold extreme weight in the sports world as the league has just lost one of its best players, while at the same time celebrating a historic accomplishment by one of its best teams. Thus, both are being covered non-stop by the news media in today’s news cycle.

I felt that the attention placed on the two stories was appropriate for their own reasons.

Kobe Bryant retiring can be made equivalent to when Jordan retired from the NBA in the 1990s. Generations have grown up watching him play and set standards for players just entering the league.

The Warriors are on pace to win the championship and become one of, if not the greatest team to have played the game.

We may never see two completely different stories occurring at the same time, carrying equal amounts of importance as these, ever again. That is why the media covered it so heavily and I feel they were justified in doing so.

From manslaughter to media sensation

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By GRACE BERNARD

In a world filled with a never-ending stream of violent crimes, it seems as though the media always finds a way to keep the drama going.

The story of Ethan Couch is the perfect example.

The now 19-year-old’s name may sound familiar, but you probably know him better as the “affluenza” teen.

Couch, then 16, made major headlines when he received 10 years probation after being convicted of killing four people and paralyzing one while drunk driving.

The real story came after a psychologist testified for the defense that Couch should receive a lighter sentence because he was a victim of “affluenza.” Spelled out, this basically means he was a spoiled rich kid whose parents never set limits for him, therefore he didn’t understand the consequences for his actions.

This one word added to the perfect storm that already was Couch’s case: erratic parents, mental illness, lots of money and lots of drugs, just to name a few variables.

Very few news outlets neglected to mention the fact that Couch’s sentence is consistent with the norm as “very infrequently does a nonviolent, non-intentional crime land a juvenile in jail,” said Michael Yanof, one of Couch’s attorney’s.

Since the incident, Couch has been no stranger to headlines due to a series of parole violations. From a video of him at a party to a desperate flee to Mexico that landed him in jail. The media has continuously publicized this real-life Lifetime movie.

And this week, Couch is making headlines because, per the terms of his probation, a judge sentenced him to two years of jail time. This was always a possibility as a CNN article explained that “Tarrant County Prosecutor Riley Shaw has said the time to punish Couch for probation violations as a juvenile effectively expired when he turned 19.”

From a journalistic standpoint, it’s time to consider at what point this constant crime-reporting goes too far?

The details of the car crash are gruesome and lengthy. Couch’s actions have had far-reaching consequences on many people. Not to mention the families of the victims were extremely upset at what they considered to be Couch’s very light sentence.

While journalists have the total right to publish these kinds of stories, it’s important to question how to attain balance between reporting news and respecting the victims of any crime, no matter how horrific.

‘Trump’s New York’ on a ferry ride

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By KATIE HOVAN

Philip Rucker of The Washington Post published an article Wednesday depicting Donald Trump’s New York supporters that were seated on a New York ferry during the evening rush hour to Staten Island.

Rucker describes several of the passengers through their jobs, appearance and background and he even juxtaposes a construction worker, a Hungarian immigrant, and a fashion model who all support the Republican candidate. The article is meant to be colorful and intimate, while shedding light on the different types of Trump followers and their reasons for supporting him.

Although it’s pleasing to read and I gained a greater perspective on the different types of people who support Trump and their reasons for doing so, I found that Rucker’s reporting itself is a bit too rightward leaning for my taste.

I feel that it’s important to be much more careful about how writers portray such a large group of people with so many different views. A Staten Island ferry ride may give a glimpse at Trump supporters, but it doesn’t speak for everyone.

I’ll admit that Rucker makes several attempts to express the voices of opposing New Yorkers, but the piece projects Staten Island, and New York, as a predominantly Republican area. The title itself gives the impression that most New York and Staten Island residents support Trump, and after reading the article, that’s is the idea that I was left with.

For me, it all boils down to perception. If I finish reading a piece and am left with a single idea about a large group of people, I consider it to be too predisposed.

I’m sure that my criticism is too harsh, given the fact that a writer can’t possibly listen to the individual opinions of all 8.4 million New York City residents, but I’d like to believe that there is a lot more diversity in opinion than those few people on the ferry who believe Donald Trump is representative of the typical New Yorker.

Deadliest terrorist group in world is?

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By BREANA ROSS
If you asked most Americans to name the deadliest terrorist group in the world, the response you would most likely receive would be, “ISIS, of course.” That response is actually wrong. ISIS is not the deadliest terrorist organization in the world.
Boko Haram, an African terrorist group, is the deadliest terrorist organization in the world. Americans are unaware of an issue that plagues millions of people. Why is that?
It is no secret that the news media is biased. That bias also extends to international news. ISIS is constantly in the news media because they attack the West. Boko Haram kills more people than ISIS, but most Americans have never even heard the name of the group because the group does not affect the West. But does the lack of attacks on western lives make the information any less valuable? Millions of lives lost is a problem, whether they’re westerners or not.
Boko Haram has appeared in the news media this week as a past story has resurfaced. Two years ago, gunmen associated with Boko Haram kidnapped hundreds of girls from a boarding school in Nigeria. For two years, the girls were not seen or heard. This week, a video, proving that some of the girls are still alive, surfaced and was shown to the families of the girls. The emotional meeting and viewing of the video caused the name of the terrorist group to make headlines, a rare occasion.
To me, the issue here is lack of education. There is no reason why news media should avoid covering Boko Haram when it is the deadliest terrorist organization in the world. Americans rely on the news media to educate the public on what’s important. At least being able to identify such a massive terrorist group is important, whether that group is here in the West or overseas.

No more stormy wedding days

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By ROXANNE YU

Even if an incredible amount of time is dedicated to the tedious marriage planning process, a perfect wedding day is never guaranteed.

There are just certain things over which wedding planners don’t have control .

Every bride dreams of a picture perfect wedding day when her daddy walks her down the aisle, but so many different things can go wrong. I’m not talking about a dress malfunction, rather a more contending force of nature that is well beyond human control — the weather.

What happens when the bride and groom are in the middle of exchanging vows in a beach wedding and it starts to storm?

Seems like members of our society have once again outdone themselves by creating a solution for rainy wedding days.

Based from an article released by CNN, rain-free wedding days are now offered by a UK-based travel company. A technique called “cloud seeding,” a scientific method to increase precipitation patterns is made use of during this process. The catch: to ensure a sunny day, it will cost you $150,000.

Although the article could have added additional information about the process of cloud seeding as a whole, it did a great job of catering to a broader audience. For obvious reasons, the target audiences are engaged couples, however, the writer, Jon Jensen, was able to transform the scientifically grounded topic of cloud seeding to appeal to the general public.

Jensen was able to attract a less scholarly crowd by discussing what cloud seeding is all about through means of reducing the use of complicated scientific terms. Also, the inclusion of humor in Jensen’s article, as well as incorporating a scaled pinch of mockery towards the idea of paying a large amount for a sunny day, did make the article engaging. In fact, before he ends his article, he writes a “Do it Yourself” 5 step outline, which is particularly for those who don’t want to spend $150,000 to stop the rain.

Other than that, the only thing Jensen could have included was success stories of married couples who paid the $150,000 fee. The aspect of incorporating more sources would have made his article more credible as a whole.

Paul Ryan rules out 2016 presidential bid

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By MELISSA CABRAL

House Speaker Paul Ryan confirmed Tuesday that he will not be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate in 2016.

Recently, there had been widespread speculation regarding his 2016 ambitions to run for presidency but upon returning from the Middle East, he made the announcement during a speech in Capitol Hill.

“I want to put that to rest once and for all,” Ryan said. “Let me be clear. I do not want, not will I accept, the nomination for our party…. Count me out.”

Although Ryan has opted out of campaigning for presidency, he still wants to maintain his position as House Speaker.

During his speech, Ryan made a plea to delegates arguing that they should elect a candidate who actually ran in the primary.

“Let me speak directly to the delegates on this: If no candidate has a majority on the first ballot, I believe you should only choose a person who actually participated in the primary,” he said. “If you want to be the nominee — to be the president — you should actually run for it.”

When asked by CNN if he believes only one of the final three 2016 Republican candidates — business executive Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich — should be the nominee, Ryan would only say, “I’ll leave that up to the delegates.”

Nevertheless, the Wisconsin lawmaker promised to remain involved in the upcoming national debates that will help decide who will be elected as our next president.

Equal Pay Day gains nation’s attention

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By ROBYN SHAPIRO

Every since World War I and World War II, when women started working the same jobs as men, there has been a gap in the earnings between them and their fellow male counterparts. Every since 1963 when the Equal Pay Act was established, women were supposed to get paid the same amount as men for doing the same job, however this has not been the case.

Although in the past 20 years the pay gap between men and women has decreased by 20 percent, at this rate it will not be until 2059 that women will receive equal pay to men.

This discrepancy between men and women is relevant to both low paying and high paying jobs. Back in October, Jennifer Lawrence spoke out saying that she was paid less than her male co-stars in the film “American Hustle.” This was discovered when Sony e-mails were leaked by hackers who called themselves the “Guardians of Peace,” in which other messages about Angelina Jolie and even President Obama were exposed.

“When the Sony hack happened and I found out how much less I was being paid than the lucky people with dicks, I didn’t get mad at Sony. I got mad at myself,” she writes. “I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early.”

Women often receive a lesser pay than men because they don’t know they should be negotiating for more money. Most of the time the women are not aware of the fact that their male counter part is getting paid more.

I think the discrepancy of salary between men and women in this era is unacceptable considering both genders can occupy the same jobs. As the media’s role to be the watch dog of society, I hope that giving more light to this topic will make women more skeptical of their salary and more active to receive the pay that they deserve.

A confusing look at Facebook Live

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By MARIA LUIZA LAGO

I thought it was difficult to understand the point of the article in New Yorker about Facebook Live. There were so many points the author was trying to make that I got lost in it and didn’t realize the true objective of that story.

At first, it is stated that Facebook is trying to be the Internet instead of being just one of the tools you can use on the Internet. With Facebook Live, you can post videos live like Snapchat so all the three main apps used all over the world; Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are all wrapped in one app.

Secondly, the article goes to another direction which is trying to tell the reader that Facebook is controlling all the content we post and leading us inside the app to different directions and the last point I could identify was that the author was trying to suggest the future of Facebook and how their users would see the app in the future.

Besides all of these points, the way it was stated might have confused other readers too. I’m aware of what Facebook Live is; the problem is the way the author is trying to report his points in the story.

It is interesting how so many points can be made around this topic — the control of one app on so many people around the world, the information that it controls, the alienation of the population towards this information selected by the app. But, at the same time, it is a wonderful tool to inform people across the globe about what is going on.

This is just one of the points the article is trying to suggest and I think it’s too much for an online article that has to be simple and direct so everyone in every situation, whether is rushing home from work or concentrated in a quiet place such as a library or a café, could understand.

Texas case serves as safety reminder

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By ETTY GROSSMAN

While I was trying to catch up with the weekly news, as I usually do during Sunday’s night, it was impossible not to read about a terrifying murder of an 18-year-old University of Texas student.

Haruka Weiser, a first-year theater and dance major, was last seen leaving the drama building Sunday night and was found dead two days’ later near the area of Waller Creek on campus.

The same information about the case could be found among all the different news media channels, even the same video was shown in order to help the police to identify the identity of the suspect.

Many emotional details and sentimental quotes about Weiser were attached, however, none of them provided family comments about the situation.

ABC News did a great job providing a timeline specifying how the events unfolded, according to the arrest affidavit.

The story ended up in the best way it could. On April 8, the police department announces that the killer, Meechaiel Khalil Criner, “had been taken into custody and charged with first-degree felony murder.”

This is not the first time a student has been killed. This is not the first time we read this type of news and this would not be the last time we get this type of sorties hitting front page because we are not doing anything about it.

Personally, I hate reading about murders, I don’t like the way in which news media  address the topic. We don’t need to know whether the victim was wearing her mother’s bracelet or if she had plans to meet with someone that night; those are personal matters that, in my opinion, should remain personal.

It is important for people to know about this cases, but it is even more important that the same medium provides alternatives of how to prevent them. A perfect story after telling the event’s facts would be to give tips for university students or even a story challenging the University to become involved to talk about its security measures.

Even though we may be used to this type of news, we also have the power to ask for a different approach, a better approach, a more useful approach.

NC enforces ‘bathroom bill’

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By SIDNEY STERLING

This past week, North Carolina’s General Assembly proposed and passed the House Bill 2 which is also known as the “bathroom bill.” The HB2 Bill was signed and approved by Gov. Pat McCrory.

The HB2 Bill appealed the Charlotte ordinance and prohibited cities and local governments from expanding employment or public accommodations protection regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.

Due to the HB2 Bill, local governments are now prohibited from setting their own minimum wages and must comply to the state standard.

This new mandate affects the fashion industry in major ways. However, many chain brands that have stores in North Carolina are vowing to ignore this enforcement.

According to WWD.com, stores like Brooks Brothers and Hanesbrands are making bold statements against the HB2 Bill.

Screen Shot 2016-04-08 at 1.49.41 PMBrooks Brothers made a statement on social media stating, “North Carolina’s HB2 is inconsistent with our longstanding values of fairness, equality and respect for all.”

Hanesbrands also spoke out against HB2 through digital outlets by saying, “HB2 will have no effect on how we run our business and our very strong anti-discrimination policies and practices, including protection for sexual orientation and gender identity.”

This new bill will hinder North Carolina’s overall image and economy.

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Many fashion bloggers and tweeters are outraged and are unleashing their opinions through various mediums.

What does this mean for the fashion industry on a national scale? Do you agree with the HB2 Bill? Do you think North Carolina should flush this “bathroom bill?”

Body image at center of attention

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By ROBYN SHAPIRO

For decades, the news media has provided society with our standards “beauty.”

Today, when someone thinks of a model they think thin, tall, structurally defined, striking, and other adjectives. Girls and boys alike use glamorous movie stars as their standards for beauty and often when they feel they can’t live up to those standards, they feel negatively about themselves.

Recently, CNN posted an article called “model has a cheeky response to fat-shamer” about British model Iska Lawrence who responded to a comment on an instagram photo where someone called her “a fat cow.” She responded of a series of photos, one where she is eating a bag of chips and flipping off the camera and another where she surrounds herself with bags of chips lying down. In the first caption she said “who gives an F what anyone thinks of you. YOU are the one who decides your self worth.” Lawrence is a model for Aerie lingerie and also a co-editor for Runway Riot, which promotes beauty at any size.

While the news media is making an effort to recognize the impractical beauty standards, I feel it will be difficult to solve the deep seeded societal standard.

In the second half of the article, the writer talks about how famous comedian Amy Schumer was featured in Glamour Magazine in an issue that “celebrated plus size.” Schmuer was not aware of this issue and was insulted by their feature.

“I think there’s nothing wrong with being plus size. Beautiful healthy women. Plus size is considered size 16 in America. I go between a size 6 and an 8. @glamourmag put me in their plus size only issue without asking or letting me know and it doesn’t feel right to me. Young girls seeing my body type thinking that is plus size? What are your thoughts? Mine are not cool glamour not glamorous,” said Schumer.

While in the first half of the comment she celebrates plus sized women, as the comment continues it is apparent she was insulted the fact the magazine considered her “plus size.” If being plus sized is beautiful and healthy, then why would she be insulted to be recognized in the feature?

While the standards are progressing to become more realistic and accepting, when role- model like celebrities can’t truly accept them it becomes harder for the rest of society to accept them as well. I appreciate the movement to accept all body types, but I believe it will be a gradual acceptance before the thoughts of body love will be solidified in society’s mind.

Clinton takes a ride on New York subway

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By BREANA ROSS

The amount of times celebrities and politicians are deemed “newsworthy” for doing things that are completely normal, day-to-day actions is amusing. From attending baseball games to eating at a particular restaurant, anything politicians do that seems to remotely line up with the lives of “normal people” is attractive to the public.

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton made headlines for utilizing one of the most common forms of transportation in her home state: the New York subway.

Thursday morning, Democratic presidential candidate Clinton rode the train one stop from the Yankee Stadium at 167th Street up to 170th Street. News coverage included that Clinton’s metro card failed to work at first but she eventually was able to get into the station. She hopped onto the train, rode for one stop, hopped off, and proceeded to a nearby diner for dinner. Clinton’s experience is a normal, daily course of actions for many people. So why is it special that she is doing something that millions of Americans do everyday?

First of all, Clinton’s New York subway excursion was no accident or coincidence. Politicians pull stunts like this all of the time to show a sense of normality in their lives. They want to seem relatable to the average American. Clinton’s subway ride was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. It was a pry for publicity, a campaign stunt.

The media fell right into the trap. Clinton did something to portray that she is relatable to the American public and the news media was right there to cover it, as if someone riding the subway is “newsworthy.” Riding a New York subway still does not make Hillary Clinton relatable to the average person because if you or I were to take a ride on the train, there certainly would not be a team of news media there to capture the moment.

Amy Schumer slams Glamour Magazine

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By MIA POLLACK

The Condé Nast publication Glamour Magazine has included Amy Schumer in a special “plus size” edition without permission.

Earlier this week, actress-comedienne Amy Schumer, called out Glamour Magazine on Instagram for including her in their special-edition issue for plus-sized fashion.

Schumer, 34, is best known for her Emmy-Award winning show, “Inside Amy Schumer” and summer 2015 hit, “Trainwreck.” She has certainly been received well considering her accolades in comedy and in Hollywood. She is the reigning funny lady, and even when it comes to body image, has joked about it herself, but I think this cover line pushed her limits a bit too far.

The line read: “women who inspire us,” and the list included voluptuous super model Ashley Graham (who also graces the cover), Melissa McCarthy and Adele. Schumer wrote back in response to the line that she, “…thinks there is nothing wrong with being plus sized. Beautiful healthy women. Plus sized is considered size 16 in America. I go between a size 6 and an 8.”

Being included in this list of women obviously came as a shock to Schumer, who also wrote that, “@glamourmag put me in their plus size only issue without asking or letting me know and it doesn’t feel right to me.”

Eventually, Schumer took her frustrations to Twitter, asking her followers what they thought of the flub that the Condé Nast publication made, leading to the mag’s editor-in-chief Cindi Lieve to respond.

Lieve wrote in her tweet that, ““We love Amy Schumer, & would never want to offend her,” wrote Leive. “To be clear, @glamourmag special edition never called her plus-size.”

According to the Toronto Star, the special edition issue of the magazine included Schumer in their pages due to the fact that in a 2015 cover-interview, Schumer talked in length about body positivity and that talking back to body shamers IS inspiring.

Schumer also got a ton of support from Lena Dunham, star and creator of HBO original series GIRLS. Following Schumer’s strongly worded message to the publication, Dunham spoke to People Magazine that there should not be categorization in fashion.

“I think fashion should be for women and it should be for all women,” says Dunham, 29.

Schumer’s reaction disappoints me, just as much it did her following: it amounts to body negativity for the young girls who look up to her for her confidence in herself, no matter if she was a size 0, 6, 8 or 16.

Weekend in Naples gains world attention

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By SARAH BRANDT

She is 20 years old, he is 23. If you have recently been reading about fashion, the name Gigi Hadid is not uncommon to you. She is a famous model, who recently walked her first Victoria’s Secret runway show with best-friend Kendall Jenner. Gigi’s recent boyfriend is the former one-directoner Zayn Malik.

The two have recently been photographed for Vogue in Paris. From sitting on a motorcycle to overlooking the city of Paris, their pictures are all over the Internet and attracting attention worldwide. Websites such as the Huffington Post, the Daily Mail and all teen websites from PopSugar, to teen Vogue have covered this as their top story of the week.

Zayn’s recent music video, Pillowtalk starred Gigi. Once this video was released the public went crazy about their relationship. This shoot with Vogue only confirms their relationship. It has attracted a lot of attention from the fashion and entertainment media. As Gigi Hadid has been on multiple front covers of magazines all over the world and walked in multiple fashion shows and Zayn used to be in One Direction, also known worldwide, it is no surprise that their photos are very popular.

This goes to show that even though they are both already very well known to the public and their fans all over the world, they can still manage to attract a lot of people by doing something as simple as a photo-shoot together.