J-term Magazine 2021

THE HAMLINE UNIVERSITY | ST. PAUL, MN | JANUARY MAGAZINE| Vol. 132 | SPECIAL EDITION

1536 Hewitt Ave. MB 106 St. Paul, MN 55104 oracle@hamline.edu hamlineoracle.com EDITORIAL& PRODUCTION Editor-in-Chief Carmen Danz Managing Editor Molly Landaeta Business Manager Elizabeth Lowe Design Editor Melanie Hopkins Layout Anika Besst, Audra Grigas, Eliza Hagstrom, Elizabeth Lowe, Jack Fischer, Lydia Meier Copy Editors AJ Washington, Sarah Sawyer, Killy Wortman Writers Robin Doyscher, Emily Brown, Will Nelson, Julien Halabi, Leslie Farrera-Perez, Eliza Hagstom, Andrea Lindner, Hayden Hayes Visual Artists Emily Lall, Ali Kimball, Leo Coughenour, Cathryn Salis, Aidan Stromdahl Advisers David Hudson and Trevor Maine

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From the Editors Closing out the first year of the new decade came with a lot of nostalgia for Generation Z — reminiscing about the good old days as the not so good new days, brought on by a global pandemic, political turmoil and economic crisis, faced us.

This year’s J-term magazine is a deep dive into the early 2000s — looking back on the good (Saturday morning cartoons), the bad (MTV dating shows) and the ugly (hello low-rise jeans). Through it all, our generation has learned a lot, and not just about reality shows and fashion. Years of exposure to traumatic events and global inequality has raised us to be the generation spearheading social justice movements, determined to ensure we have a future, despite everything holding us back from having one.

As editors, we hope that you will take a well-deserved break from the chaos, give yourself a high five for surviving the atrocity that was 2020, and enjoy looking back on simpler times, Bobby Jack gauchos with Silly Bandz and all.

Your editors,

Carmen Danz Editor-in-Chief

Molly Landaeta Managing Editor

Contents 6

A study in modern dating

7

Zoboomafood for thought

8

The soundtrack of our youth

12 15

4

10

Channeling our childhoods

14

Good reads for better times

Fashion forward — or backward A deep dive into the fashion trends of the 2000s.

The trauma of our youth The argument that Gen Z's nostalgia is the trauma we experienced as children.

The scars of ableism A look into "Avatar: the Last Airbender" and the anti-ableist stance it takes.

Fashion forward — or backward Y2K fashion has had a resurgence in the last few years, but what should be brought into 2021 and what should stay in 2001?

Written by: Andrea Lindner alindner02@hamline.edu Anyone who was in middle school from

Bratz are once again revered as fashion icons

the years 2011 to 2014 will remember the

— 20 years after their initial releases. While

The solution to accidentally flashing

revitalization of ‘80s fashion. Mixed among

the current decade has seemed to embrace

underwear was to simply embrace it.

new trends like bacon printed clothing

most of what the noughties, the term used

Celebrity style icons of the time like

(which hopefully never sees its comeback)

to cover the years 2000 to 2009, had to offer,

Christina Aguilera, Paris Hilton and Britney

were neon colors, off the shoulder tops,

Y2K fashion is rather polarizing in terms

Spears could be seen sporting the straps of

leg warmers and high ponytails. The ‘80s

of what has been reworked for the modern

their underwear peeking over their jeans.

trends of those middle school years were

day and what has been left in the past.

While the trend itself does not look bad,

followed by the ‘90s nostalgia of high

Perhaps the most infamous of all ‘00s

wearing hiked-up underwear with jeans

school. “Friends” was all the rage and

fashion — and something that many vow to

that constantly feel like they are falling off

seemingly everyone was trying to recreate

never bring back into the mainstream — is

somehow makes what is an uncomfortable

the Rachel Green aesthetic of spaghetti

the low rise jean. Anyone who has worn a

trend for many even more uncomfortable.

strapped tops and dresses, as well as grunge

pair of these will know that they are every

and punk trends popularized by Nirvana.

bit as impractical as they are uncomfortable,

While current college students’ middle

and will remember pulling their pants up by

and high school fashions fell in line with

their belt loops every time they needed to

the same outfits their parents were wearing

stand up. An accidental underwear reveal

at the same age, modern style inspiration

from pants that sit this low could easily be

now seems to come from the closets of

combated by a long shirt, but ‘00s fashion

older siblings and cousins in the early ‘00s.

is characterized by crop, tube and bralette

Childhood favorite shows and fashion doll

tops. Unfortunately, these do not do much

lines such as Winx Club, Totally Spies and

to cover that the waistband of low rise jeans

are heavy on the low and light on the rise.

PHOTOS | ALI KIMBALL, ORACLE Right: Low rise jeans were the common look in early 2000s. These jeans are different from high-rise or mid-rise jeans. Whether they will make their comeback ever is still up for debate.

Left: St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores are a chain in the Twin Cities area offering a cost-effective and more environmentally-friendly way to shop. Today 2000s clothing treasures are snxiously waiting within the walls of thrift joints to be re-claimed.

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PHOTO | ALI KIMBALL, ORACLE Neon colored hair binders and butterfly clips were all the rage in 2000s hairstyles. These accessories have seen a comeback in recent years offering a way to style, hold and dressup hair.

Low rise jeans are not the only denim trend that came out of the Y2K era. This odd period in fashion history also saw red carpets littered with people wearing dresses over their jeans. And sometimes the jeans became the dress, as seen by Britney Spears’ and Justin Timberlake’s infamous 2001 American Music Awards ensembles. The beauty of a dress is that pants do not need to be worn, and layering a dress — especially the already layered and ruffled styles of dresses popular at the time — creates a look that is messy and hard for the eye to follow. To combat the messiness that came with this trend in the 2000s, modern fashion has revamped it in the form of jeans under an open-front maxi dress. This alteration gives the illusion of wearing a top and jeans, while also having the free flowing movement of a dress.

Embroidery has also become widely popular again. Small embroidered patterns of flowers, butterflies and other nature-esque items can be found on jeans, denim jackets and tanks. These small details can elevate an outfit from being simple to being a fun way to use fashion as a form of self expression. Tube tops and camisoles featuring embroidery are great for layering (perhaps underneath a cardigan), and also look great on their own when the weather gets warmer.

The naturale energy also does not have to end with embroidery.

Try out some butterfly hair clips create in your hair for a look that is both nostalgic and functional in keeping hair out of your face.

Many other ‘00s fashion statements can be found in their modern forms lining racks at popular retailers like Target and American Eagle.

Button down cardigans can be found anywhere clothing is sold in every color under the sun. Their versatile look also provides an added layer of warmth, and can be incorporated into any look with ease.

Perhaps the best thing about ‘00s fashion trends making a comeback is that it has pushed more people to try thrifting. Thrifting clothes is a cheaper option opposing fast fashion, which is unethical in production often using sweatshop work and performing harmful environmental practices. So while modern interpretations of Y2K clothing are stocked up at big name retailers, it is worth putting in the extra effort to find the perfect piece, actually from the time era, at a local thrift store.

Every new decade brings on a new era of nostalgia. If there is anything to be said about Y2K era fashion, it is that there is something for everyone. So whether you want to rock low rise jeans or prefer to leave them as part of fashion history, never be afraid to embrace who you are and what your style is.

PHOTO | ALI KIMBALL, ORACLE Embroidery became a popular trend to personalize clothing ranging in color and shape.

Still today this detailing continues to add flare to jeans, shirts and more.

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A study in Modern Dating The early 2000s has MTV Next, peak trash of the early 2000s Written by: Robin Doyscher sdoycher01@hamline.edu The early s were the dawn of a new form of television — reality TV. Reality shows were some of the most prevalent and profitable forms of TV, taking on the label of being “trashy.”

While Christian-parent blogging groups begin seeing this as heralding the “end of times,” we stupid kids saw it as an excuse to stay up late and rot our brains with the raunchiest and mostfulfilling entertainment known to man.

My personal favorite show was MTV’s “Next”. See, the format of Next was simple: a single guy or gal goes on up to five blind dates in an episode with other single contestants who are all watching the dates from an RV. One contestant leaves the RV and does a mini-date with the main contestant.

Often these mini dates are small yet impractical physical tasks, or instances where the pair talk about relationships.

Essentially, it was little Mario Party minigames mixed in with bad one-liners.

Contestants would ride around in little go-karts or shoot hoops to demonstrate how well they can work together or communicate or emotionally reconcile. It was just a bunch of scripted ridiculousness that was so entertaining you just had to watch. Too sum up MTV’s “Next”, I will leave you with this quote. “I used to work at hooters

and now my hooters work for me,” 20-year-old contestant Ashley said.

The entire show was a study in quippy catchphrases that would never be okay to say to someone in real life.

Especially, the unnamed contestant who said “curvy girls make my junk twitch.”

Yes, that is a real quote said with the utmost confidence of a man still not quite sure why he is alone. And yes, this was the greatest television shown.

There was also MTV’s’ Parental Control,’ another heavily scripted dating show, where parents would introduce their teens to new partners. Here’s the catch: the teens were already dating

“While Christian parent blogging groups begin seeing this as heralding the “end of times,” we stupid kids saw it as an excuse to stay up late and rot our brains with the raunchiest and most-fulfilling entertainment known to man.”

people, someone whom the parents disapproved of. At the end of a trial date period, the teen would have to choose between their old partner and the new one presented to them by their parents.

There was never any nuance in this

show. The original partners were always greasy, motorcycle-riding, “I don’t play by your daddy’s rules” douchey dudebros who would then be replaced by boring, polo-shirt-wearing Christian boys who had last names for first names.

Finally, MTV’s “Are You The One?” A sort-of precursor to “Love Island” in format. A large group of singles would be secretly paired together by a matchmaker and they’d all be thrown together in a big villa-esque house. The goal of the game was for everyone to discover their match and accurately present it during the show.

Can we level for a second? This show was absolutely awesome. Do you know why? Because money — that’s why.

Setting aside my usual unhinged rants about capitalism being bad, incentivizing contestants with money is easily one of the best things to do in a reality show. Next did it too, but it was such a negligible amount that it barely mattered.

In ‘Are You The One?’, however, the cash prize total was one million dollars split across the contestants evenly. That’s incredible. Suddenly it was a game of strategy. No longer were you in it for love or connection, it was all about gaming the actual show to speedrun your matches.

Early 2000’s dating shows would never be greenlit nowadays. The premises were wacky, the contestants were unhinged (although not quite as bad as ‘The Bachelorette’s’ Luke Parker), and the scripts were deliciously horrendous. And for that, I am glad this generation’s trash TV was even more deviant and degenerate than the last.

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PHOTO | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE “Zoboomafoo” aired for 2 seasons on PBS kids from 1999-2001.

In the world of PBS Kids’ shows, one stands out in the outlandishness of a talking lemur’s antics.

Written by Will Nelson wnelson08@hamline.edu “Zoboomafoo” (aired -) is a children’s zoology series, featuring the doe-eyed and wildly enigmatic zoologists, the Kratt brothers. The show teaches kids about animals — from domesticated cats to critically endangered Amur tigers.

Each episode begins with the character Zoboomafoo, played by Jovian, an actual Coquerel's sifaka lemur entering a mysterious building in the middle of a forest called Animal Junction. In the forest one of the brothers feeds him a treat — usually garbanzo beans. The lemur burps and spins like a centrifuge, transforming into a snide and mischievous puppet voiced by Gord Robertson (“Pacific Rim,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”).

The show is punctuated by bouts of outright chaos as a potent mixture of wild animals and lawless preschoolers run rampant through Animal Junction, exacerbated by the neurotic lemur puppet. The Kratt brothers look on — clearly reveling in the bedlam.

There is some actual learning going on too. The brothers are thoughtful and effective educators who are able to break down some pretty complex natural phenomena for pre-k level viewers, with themes like nocturnality, the importance of play, etc.

The show's humor reaches a wide ranging audience. One running slapstick gag has the Kratt brothers open a closet door to be bombarded with a cascade of outdoor equipment, often knocking them to the floor — a true classic.

Sometimes, the humor flies safely above the target audience’s head to reach any adults watching. For instance, in season 2 episode 15, Zoboomafoo, affectionately nicknamed Zoboo, acts particularly unhinged. A smirking Martin Kratt questions whether the garbanzo beans they fed him were “a little too ripe,” implying that they may have undergone fermentation, and that the lemur was drunk on set.

With the beginning of each story, reality dissolves in whorling visuals and is replaced by vivid psychedelic claymation.

An acidhead’s fantasyland — vibrant colour, fantastical beasts and a blatant disregard for the laws of physics.

The stories told in these little trips exist, seemingly for their own sake, void of meaning, themes or plot. They’re sudden, abrupt interjections in the otherwise frenzied pandemonium of an episode.

All things considered, it’s a pretty great kids’ show.

As with all good things, however, the show has its fair share of problems. For example, it consistently fails to recognize the damage humans have done to the animals and ecosystems that are being used for profit.

The Kratt brothers focus primarily on explaining animal behavior, shying away from the colossal impacts that humanity may have had on their species. One episode is dedicated entirely to Amur tigers, but not once is it acknowledged that their population had been driven to the brink of extinction by poaching and habitat loss caused by humans.

On set, the tigers (even more endangered now) were handled gently, but casually, and it would be only too easy for a four year old mind to associate their nonchalant treatment with population security.

Not one episode of “Zoboomafoo” that I’ve seen even mentions problems like habitat loss or climate change. Ignoring the catastrophic impacts that the anthropocene — and by extension, capitalism — has had on the natural world, and then using that natural world to drive a profit in the very same capitalist system that’s destroying it, is morally irresponsible. If a child is old enough to learn about anteater reproduction, they’re old enough to learn about poaching.

I believe it is of vast importance that we are critical of the media children consume.

90% of brain growth occurs before the age of five, and the things that children learn before this age will alter who they are as adults.

Children’s TV programming is well aware of this fact, and broadcasting services like PBS have stepped up to the challenge of making developmentally beneficial shows in a big way.

In fact, many of the things about “Zoboomafoo” that mystify me as an adult — including its weirdness and lack of linear structure — can be explained by efforts on the part of the show's creators and child psychologists to make it more stimulating and appealing to preschoolers. An incredible amount of thought and effort goes into the production of a quality kids’ show, and we all owe public broadcasting a debt of gratitude for making it accessible to all.

The Coquerel's sifaka, Zoboomafoo’s species, is now endangered, residing only in two patches of protected land in northern Madagascar. Rapid habitat loss due to deforestation makes its extinction a horrifyingly real threat. In sickening irony, the problems that the show ignored now threaten its very cornerstone.

“Zoboomafoo” is an excellent show. It stoked a passion for animals in many a child, and shouldn’t be written off just for its shortsightedness. We just have to hope that children's shows in the future do better.

PHOTO | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE Each episode taught about various animals in a fun and educational way.

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Th e s o u n d t ra c k Critically analyzing music from then, today.

Content warning: Mentions of domestic abuse and violence (paragraphs 3-7).

Written by: Eliza Hagstrom ehagstrom01@hamline.edu MUSIC THAT WE hear growing up, in the years that we are most impressionable, stays with us for our whole lives. From the music that our parents surround us with to what we hear on the radio, the messages and ideas that they carry shape us into who we become as people. Some of the most influential female musicians from the 2000s include Britney Spears, Hayley Williams from the band Paramore and Avril Lavinge.

As children, we may look up to people or adore things that are bad influences upon us. As time moves on and we learn more about the world, we can critically look back at the things that we loved when we were young.

A prime example of this is the Britney Spears’ song “...Baby One More Time,” a song written by two men, aged 27 and 24, for a 17-year-old girl. Max Martin and Rami Yacoub were the two Swedish writers on the song. According to Martin and Yacoub, the song was originally offered to the band TLC who rejected it almost immediately. TLC claimed that they “interpreted the lyrics as alluding to domestic violence,” and later TLC member T-Boz said that “Was I going to say ‘Hit me baby one more time’? H*ll no!”

PHOTOS| EMILY LALL, !"#$%& TOP: (from left to right) Junior Aoife Zamacona and Senior RoseMarie Athiley browse through CD’s.

BOTTOM: Camp Rock and the Cha-Cha Slide are popular throwbacks to the 2000s for Gen Z. They originally titled the song “Hit Me Baby (One More Time).”

According to author John Seabrook, a staff writer for the New Yorker who “explores the intersection between creativity and commerce in the fields of technology, design, and music,“ the lyric refers to what Martin and Yacoub thought was teenage slang for ‘call me’ in the United States. Jive Records however switched the song title to “...

Baby One More Time.” to make it more appropriate for an American audience. As time progressed and the slang fell out of style, the song’s message and idea changed. The attempted use of teenage slang unintentionally created a problematic phrase in the song.

Unfortunately, this is not the only questionable aspect of this song. The lyrics “Show me how you want it to be tell me, baby,” sounds extremely desperate. It portrays the idea of a gendered power imbalance within a relationship.

Hayley Williams has spoken out against a song that she wrote, “Misery Business.” This song is one of the band’s biggest hits, and as of January 2021, it is their second most popular song on Spotify, behind their song “Still Into You.”

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o f o u r yo u t h Williams describes that the song was from an entry in her high school diary when she was very angry. She says that she was young and had “a lot of learning to do.” The lyrics “Once a wh*re, you’re nothing more. I’m sorry, that’ll never change” have often been called out for slut-shaming.

In 2015, Williams stated that as a 26-year-old woman she no longer related to the song, and had not for a very long time. These feelings and views on the song caused her to often apologize for the song at shows. At the start of 2020, Williams announced that Paramore would no longer be performing the song live at all, stating that while “it’ll always be a fan favorite, we don’t need to include it on playlists [for shows] in 2020.”

Along with this, when this particular song was put onto the ‘Women of Rock’ playlist on Spotify, Williams was upset. She explained how that even though the song is one of the band’s biggest hits, “It shouldn’t be used to promote anything having to do with female empowerment or solidarity.” Because of her being outspoken about her song not belonging on this playlist, Spotify removed it.

Avril Lavigne has had an interesting career in music, from “Sk8er Boi” to “Hello Kitty.” At the beginning of her career, her songs had the ‘I’m not like other girls’ vibe.

In her song, “Anything but Ordinary”, she sings “Sometimes I get so weird I even freak myself out,” but this song is not one of her hits. “Sk8er Boi” is.

The Skater Boy described in the song has been thought to be Lavigne and her experiences. Upon listening to it, the song seems to be comparing herself to a snobby ballerina at her school that doesn’t see what this skater boy could one day be.

“He was a boy, she was a girl. Can I make it any more obvious?” Not only are these opening lines horrendously heteronormative, but they also prompt the idea that boys and girls have to be dating if they hang out, which is false.

Later in the song, the lines “He wasn’t good enough for her...

Does your pretty face see what he’s worth?” appear, placing a huge amount of judgment on someone for not being interested in the same boy as the singer is. No one should be put down for not liking or liking any specific person. The differences between the ballerina and the skater are highly emphasized within the song, strongly supporting the idea of the ‘I’m not like other girls’ image she portrays.

These things do not change the fact that all of these songs are iconic, and the artists are immensely popular. While no one should feel bad listening to or enjoying any of them, artists and listeners need to think critically of things as time moves on. We can both enjoy something and be critical of it.

PHOTOS| EMILY LALL, !"#$%& LEFT: Junior Zamacona grasps onto a retro Studebaker radio.

RIGHT: Before Spotify and CD’s, cassette tapes were used to play specific music in cars instead of simply plugging in an aux cord.

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The trauma of our youth Gen Zers have grown up only knowing “unprecedented times,” and that trauma has shaped who we have become individually and collectivly as a generation. Content warning: themes of gun violence and terrorism.

Written by: Julien Halabi jhalabi02@hamline.edu

It feels like my fellow Generation Z members and I cannot think back to our childhood without bringing up events such as 9/11, the Arctic melting, Hurricane Katrina, and the Red Lake shooting. Now with some of us in adulthood, these events stick in an odd nostalgic way, and shape how we think about the world for our entire lives.

Sophomore Raina Meyer shared an anecdote of her experience as a child after the Sandy Hook shooting. Raina’s teacher told her and her classmates that events like Sandy Hook could not happen at their school because they locked their doors and had security cameras. Raina remembers saying, "Well, but the shooter shot through the door… it didn't matter if it was locked or not," her teacher was stunned to silence.

PHOTO | COURTESY OF HAMLINE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Hamline Oracle remembers victims after the terror attacks on 9/11.

These traumatic events and how we handled them can affect our level of cognitive functioning and the way we think for better or worse. The increased exposure to these events (whether from social media, news or the overall rise of horrible events) can affect Gen Z's awareness of specific issues and, possibly, their involvement.

"It's made us like a lot more aware of everything that's going on… I think we've grown up just seeing a lot of people suffering back-to-back and [it’s been] directly in our faces," said senior Rose-Marie Athiley.

PHOTO | COURTESY OF HAMLINE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Hamline student volunteers to cleanup communities after Hurricane Katrina

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In 2020, our country saw an awakening of many Zoomers with an increased awareness for the social justice moments, on top of the economic recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. Members in Gen Z are getting increasingly more involved with political movements due to their direct ties to past and recent events.

“We’re not just kind of social media lazy, we are resilient a bunch of people who are forward-thinking, and we are ready to meet the challenges of our time,” said first-year Carter Viner.

It is important to mention, that even though Zoomers help reform our future, there is still an underlying issue the generation needs to address. Sophomore Anthony Meng said, “We are acting like we are this generation of change, which we are, but you have to understand generational racism, generational wealth, all these oppressive systems are still continuing in our generation … racism still exists in our generation, yes we are being more active to combat it.

However, the very fact that it still exists doesn’t mean we are this “woo-hoo” generation going to make everything turn into equitable, inclusive spaces. There still is going to push back.”

PHOTO | BY CATHYRN SALIS, ORACLE Protesters march down a street holding signs. as far as individual self-growth, I think It’s a double-edged sword, because the notion like when people [say] children are the future [and] “They’re Gonna Save Us...” really messes with me because I’m just like, please let them be kids,” said Athiley.

PHOTO | BY CATHRYN SALIS, ORACLE “IMPEACH TRAITOR TRUMP” says sign on local SUV in a car rally.

While Generation Z has a lot of knowledge and experience on these issues, we are also trying to figure out the world around us and care for ourselves. All the while, carrying the burden of the future. Most of Gen Z are in college and high school, yet we are given the weight to rebuild society. Some of us feel like we can’t slow down enough to navigate our own lives on top of restoring the world around us.

“The majority are still like kids and they’re still like growing up and so like growing up with this notion that they’re like powerful …

Meng, along with Athiley and senior Kaia Zeigler bring up the increasing issue of performative activism in Gen Z, especially in the age of social media. Performative activism is a form of activism done to elevate an individual’s social capital rather than help or show devotion to a cause. A recent example was the #BlackOutTuesday event in summer 2020, where people posted black squares, not to help with the the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, but to avoid racist labels. Posts with little to no information hid posts with valuable info to support BLM and Black creators.

“If we’re gonna post something, we better also be doing things and putting things to action.”

“If we’re gonna post something, we better also be doing things and putting things to action,” Zeigler said.

Regardless of all the hardships and burdens, Gen Z has gone through. They have proven themselves as strong, resilient and hopeful in the challenges that they face. Gen Z can take inspiration from these words from Zeigler, “You as you are right now today, matter… There’s so much to come, and there’s so much we’re gonna accomplish.”

It is important to get help and work through trauma.

Counseling services at Hamline University are free to students, contact them to make an appointment: Hamline University Counseling and Health Services (651) 523-2204 www.hamline.edu/offices/counseling-health/ ILLIUSTRATION | BY LEO COUGHENOUR, ORACLE

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Channeling our childhoods A list of classic TV shows from the early 2000s that provoke nostalgia.

Written by: Leslie Perez lfarreraperez01@hamline.edu WE ARE LIVING in what some people call television’s second golden age. In the early 2000s, television aired some of the most successful and memorable shows we still consistently quote and rewatch today.

Here is a list of classic TV shows from the 2000s that will make you more nostalgic than ever.

For the little ones: “Dragon tales” (1999-2005): This Canadian-American show revolves around the adventures of Emmy and Max, who have an enchanted dragon scale, and their dragon friends.

“Blue’s Clues” (1996-2006): This show invited viewers to come along with Steve and Joe to figure out what a dog named Blue wants to do based on clues.

“Rugrats” (1991-2004): Rugrats gives an inside look at how a group of toddlers looks at the world.

“Dora the Explorer” (1999-2019): Dora the Explorer has viewers participate in Dora’s adventures as she speaks Spanish, spends time with friends and overcomes obstacles.

“Barney & Friends” (1992-2010): Barney is a purple dinosaur who educates children with songs, and dances along with his friends.

Nickelodeon/Disney/Cartoon Network: “Spongebob” (1999-present): An iconic show telling the adven tures of a burger-flipping sponge living in a pineapple under the sea and his friends.

“Fairly Odd Parents” (2001-2017): The adventures of ten-year-old Timmy Turner, who is granted two fairy godparents named Cosmo and Wanda who secretly grant him wishes.

“The Amanda Show” (1999-2002): A show within a show full of comedy sketches.

“Hannah Montana” (2006-2011): The life of a normal teenager, Miley Stewart, balancing her secret double life as pop star Hannah Montana.

“Wizards of Waverly Place” (2007-2012): Teenage wizard Alex Russo learns how to navigate life in the ordinary world of non-wizards along with her siblings.

“Drake & Josh” (2004-2007): Two stepbrothers with entirely different personalities learning to get along and getting into crazy shenanigans together. “iCarly” (2007-2012): Carly Shay, living with her older brother Spencer, gets together with her two best friends and creates a web show that eventually becomes extremely popular.

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ILLUSTRATION | LEO COUGHENOUR, ORACLE

“Foster’s Home of Imaginary Friends” (2004-2009): In an orphan age full of abandoned imaginary friends, a boy named Mac and his imaginary friend Bloo live life.

“Kim Possible” (2002-2007): High school cheerleader Kim Possi ble fights off the world’s bad guys in secret missions along with her friends, Wade, Ron and Rufus the naked molerat.

“Dexter’s Laboratory” (1995-2003): In his secret laboratory, child genius Dexter creates crazy inventions and conducts dangerous experiments. All the while, his parents have no clue about it.

“Phineas and Ferb” (2007-2015): Two young stepbrothers, Phineas and Ferb, are seizing every day of summer vacation by building unbelievable things as their older sister Candance tries to tattle on them.

“Zoey 101” (2005-2008): Main character Zoey goes off to a Malibu boarding school that used to be for boys only. She navigates teen age life along with the friends she meets there.

“Lizzie McGuire” (2001-2004): 13-year-old Lizzie, along with an animated version of herself that expresses her emotions, navigates middle school life along with her closest friends Gordo and Miranda.

“The Powerpuff Girls” (1998-2005): Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup are three sisters who were accidentally created in a lab. They have superpowers and frequently save the town from evil villains.

“Danny Phantom” (2004-2007): In his parents’ lab, Danny accidentally obtains ghost powers and heroically defends his town from ghostly attacks while also navigating being a teenage boy.

“The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” (2005-2008): Twin brothers Zack and Cody live in a five-star hotel, often getting involved in trouble and making new friends along the way.

“That’s So Raven” (2003-2007): A teenage girl named Raven can look into the future, which positively and negatively affects her life and the lives of those around her.

The adult shows: “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-present): Based on the drama-filled life of Meredith Grey, the show presents the different stages of be coming a surgeon and life working at a hospital.

“The Office” (2005-2013): A documentary is being filmed within the show, giving an inside look at the diverse lives of a paper company’s employees.

“Friends” (1994-2004): A show following the life experiences of six friends living in the same New York apartment building as they are in their 20s and 30s.

“That 70s Show” (1998-2006): A look into the lives of a group of friends who are 17 years old, living in Wisconsin and entering adulthood.

“Codename: Kids Next Door” (1998-2008): A group of friends “Kids Next Door,” use a treehouse as their secret headquarters to fight against teenage villains and adults.

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The scars of ableism How Zuko from “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is an icon of anti-abelism.

Written by: Emily Brown ebrown15@hamline.edu When people think of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and disability, they probably think of Toph, the blind, funny, sarcastic kid who singlehandedly invented metal bending and helped start an entire city. As a child, I didn’t relate to Toph. I found her disability overpowered by her amazing earth bending. The trope of a character whose disability is their superpower pushes the narrative that disabled people have to go above and beyond just to exist, I do not think Toph fits into this.

Her earthbending has nothing to do with her blindness.

And while I can relate to her now as an adult, I saw myself

in another character, Zuko.

Although Zuko is not blind or in a wheelchair, he does have a visible disability: the scar his abusive father gave him when he was just fourteen after speaking up against him. Zuko was then banished from his homeland with a small ship, a small crew and his uncle to find the Avatar.

The Avatar, Aang, was a person not seen in a hundred years, but the most powerful person in the entire world.

If that’s not a metaphor for trying to navigate our ableist society as a disabled person, I don’t know what is.

At the beginning of the series, Zuko is chained to the identity of his scar and trying to rid himself from it, it’s causing his life to be a living hell.

He becomes obsessed with capturing Aang, barely gives himself time for food, rest or recreation. Despite having his uncle Iroh, who loves and cares for him, he isolates himself and

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tries not to rely on anyone. He views himself as a dishonored prince who brought shame to himself and his family.

Unfortunately, Zuko isn’t the only one who sees himself as just his scar. Throughout the series, multiple people accidentally say insensitive and offensive things, jump to conclusions, make false assumptions and go as far as trying to touch his scar without consent.

Aang and his friends, takes down his mentally unstable sister, and becomes Firelord.

He doesn’t do this to inspire or impress abled people. While he tries to prove himself to his father, we have to remember that this has to due to Ozai being an abusive dad who was gaslighting his son. Once Zuko figures out that his dad is abusive, he works to regain peace, not only for the world but also within himself.

“Throughout the series, multiple people accidentally say insensitive and offensive things, jump to conclusions, make false assumptions and go as far as trying to touch his scar without consent.”

One scene that sticks with me is when Zuko and Iroh had been taken in by an Earth Kingdom mom and daughter. While the daughter, Song, is alone with Zuko, she says, “I know what you’ve been through. We’ve all been through it.” She then reaches out to touch his scar without his consent, before showing the scars on her legs and saying, “The Fire Nation has hurt you.”

This scene comes across as the daughter trying to connect and Zuko putting up his guard, but I would too if someone tried to touch me and/or my wheelchair.

Unfortunately, this is more than just a hypothetical. I’ve had all of these things happen to me and, let me be blunt, it all sucks.

But through all the stress and ableism, Zuko stays strong and stays focused. He (sort of) captures and kills Aang, goes home and regains the crown, figures out how evil his dad is, goes to train Aang in fire bending, makes friends with

Society views disabled people as many things.

Burdens, pity cases, magical special beings. But, they also view us as animals in a cage.

We are looked down upon.

Abled people give themselves permission to poke and prod us however and whenever they’d like. While touching disabled people or their equipment is somewhat frowned upon, disabled people are still fighting tooth and nail to get equality.

Zuko showed me, and a generation of disabled people, that we aren’t inspirational burdens and we don’t owe abled people anything. We’re people; nothing more, nothing less. We have the right to kick back and joke around with our friends. I’m so glad that I had someone who showed me that as a kid. I’m even more glad that I have someone to remind me as an adult.

Zuko is more than a fictional character. He’s a personal friend and I wouldn’t be who I am today without him.

Good reads from better times A dive into the many books that shaped Gen Z into the readers we are today.

Written by: Hayden Hayes hhayes01@hamline.edu Of course, most people know who Hannah Montana, Alex Russo and Spongebob Squarepants are. Disney, Nickelodeon and PBS shows fill our childhood memories like pictures in a museum, but what is something that has shaped so many of us, that we often forget about? Books. Books have enabled us to see life through the eyes of many different individuals like Junie B. Jones, Fancy Nancy and all the ghouls who haunted us throughout R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” series.

us, as we dreamed about worlds far away.

As Gen Z, the books that provided each of our escapes are ones we probably have in common. Books like “The Magic Treehouse,” where Jack and Annie allowed their reader to accompany them on escapades to places as far as the moon. Or when Greg Heffley lets us see his life through the cartoon caricature of his diary in “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” Even as far back as “The Giving Tree” where a little tree gives a lot to make the boy that it loves happy.

Just the name of a few books can ignite a whirlwind of emotions and past experiences.

An Instagram poll asking kids of the early 2000s and late 90s what books shaped their childhood, and over 80 replies came pouring in. Replies naming picture books like “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” “The Rainbow Fish” and “The Berenstain Bears.”

All the way to bigger, chapter books like “Artemis Fowl,” “Dork Diaries” and “The Tale of Despereaux.” A range of genres and artistic expression intertwined to represent a whole lifetime. Not to mention several books by the esteemed author, Roald Dahl who gives

PHOTO | ALI KIMBALL, ORACLE A collection of books from Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series sit on the shelf, waiting to be read.

In a study found on readingrockets.org, a site for parents, educators and authors, Bernice Cullinan and Brod Bagert, share that, “reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word.” The books that were read to us as children and even the ones that we read, had an effect on us and who we are. These books helped the Y2K generation understand the world around

PHOTO | ALI KIMBALL, ORACLE Roald Dahl’s infamous story of “The BFG” hangs off the shelf. The book was adapted for the silver screen in 2016.

us adventures in books like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach,” where we can indulge our sweet senses and find characters that we relate to.

PHOTO | ALI KIMBALL, ORACLE The first book in the Hunger Games series peeks out from beside the other books in the series.

Having a range of characters that you can see bits and pieces of yourself in truly has enabled better self-identity and confidence in personality. Express yourself through the embodiments of Augustus Gloop for his need of Wonka’s chocolate goodness, or Mike Teavee who seems like his addiction to television would be significantly less noticeable these days, or even Harry Potter! These characters have allowed Gen Z to develop into who they are today.

Though each individual comes from a unique background, these authors and their tales have enabled a sense of commonality amongst a generation of people, who now are more educated people because of them.

From “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” to” NO, David, NO” and “Goodnight, Moon,” early 2000s and late 90s babies have books to thank for little bits of themselves that can be accredited to no other place.

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