Goody! Two Shoes!

Tennies, sneakers, trainers. No matter what you call 'em, when it comes to casual footwear, two names reign supreme: Converse and Vans. Each has its admirers. Chuck Taylor All-Stars, manufactured by Converse since 1932, are an enduring favorite. "I love Chucks. Simple, comfortable, and cheap," declares Justin T. from Missouri. Despite the fact that All-Stars were originally designed as a basketball shoe, "it's usually the artists, the skaters, and the emo crowd" who wear them now. College student Wendy Farica reports that, on her California campus, "Chucks seem to be a staple in every one's wardrobe. Even a professor or two. They'll come suited up except for the shoes." However, Sean C. from Washington puts the shoe on the other foot when describing the trend at his school. "Up here, Chucks have been in awhile and I don't know about the rest of the country but Vans are heading for a comeback." Vans, the "off the wall" skateboarding shoes that first surfaced circa 1966 and rocketed to popularity in the late 1970s, are once again gaining a foothold. Jas Il tells us about a tune originating in his homestate of California that some credit as a contributing factor. "It's a song by The Pack. The chorus goes: 'Got my Vans on but they look like sneakers.'" Rachel Z. from Pennsylvania doesn't feel the need to favor one brand over the other. ""I love my black Chucks! I wear them with everything." Yet she also adds, "I have the [Vans] Estila in the black/white/teal. Because I used to skate and these shoes seemed to last me the longest, not to mention they're super comfy." Cool Campers, if the shoe fits, wear it.

Fashionable Phrases

Looking to add some style to your speech? Some pizzaz to your pronouncements? Here is a roundup of the latest phrases:

Ernestine K. from Tennessee-- "junt" (rhymes with "blunt")
Meaning: "1. A junt is a VERY good-looking male or female...girls are mostly referred to as junts when they have a VERY nice physique and an alright, cute, or beautiful face. Sometimes a girl doesn't have to be cute to be considered a junt. Mostly girls with big booties and small waistlines are considered junts. A VERY handsome guy could also be considered a junt...if he is very good-looking with a nice body or ok looking and has 'money'.
2. an object.
3. a party."
Example: "'That junt over there is orange.' (That book over there is orange...or that cup over there is orange, etc.)"
Who Uses It: "Us Memphians!"

Vanessa C. from California-- "hoodie" (rhymes with "goodie")
Meaning: "Hoodie is another word for dogg/budd/friend."
Example: "'What's up, hoodie?'"
Who Uses It: "Mainly everyone uses it but the athletes use it most."

Alyssa B. from Minnesota-- "shotgun" or "shotty"
Meaning: "It doesn't even really make sense when shotgun refers to the passenger seat of a car," but it means to have first dibs on something.
Example: "Like the other day I brought in cookies for my class and a few people yelled out, 'Shotty chocolate chip!'"
Who Uses It: "It is used by the 'preps/ athletes' but others use it as well."

Hey Hoodies (a.k.a. Camp Cool readers)! Thanks for reading this junt (our blog) over here. Shotty (dibs on) your computer next Wednesday, when we post up the new entry! Help us out by e-mailing your suggestions!

Pretty Kiddie

When Ashley H. found her brother's old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunchbox one morning and decided to take it to school, she had no idea that she was part of a national trend. Far from being the lone Ninja on her Iowa campus, Ashley writes, "Someone actually offered to buy it off of me because they thought it was so cool." Turtle power is, indeed, making a comeback, along with webcrawler Spiderman and many other icons from years past. "A lot of people are wearing Care Bear T-shirts, too." Ashley admits that, though some might scoff at sporting such youthful paraphernalia, she thinks they're awesome. "It almost takes you back to that time when you were at the age of innocence and nothing could touch your happiness." Alexandra A. from California agrees. She, too, has noticed guys, "mostly the emo group," wearing Care Bears and Ninja Turtles T-shirts. Kiddie backpacks are also making the scene. "Girls tend to wear the Tinkerbell, Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues, and Strawberry Shortcake." When asked how the trend got started at her school, she says, "I don't really have any idea about why the trend started." For Happy Campers who want in on the kiddie craze, Alexandra advises hitting up your local Target, K-Mart or Wal*Mart.

What Would Chuck Norris Do?

Did you know that Chuck Norris's tears cure cancer? Too bad he never cries. Facts about the tough-as-nails martial artist (don't call them jokes!) are roundhouse kicking their way across American campuses and guys like Joshua and Jonathan B. from New York are continuing the assault. Joshua popularized the fad at his school by swapping facts in class with his friend, Jon, and by telling others about "a great website: http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com." Once a mere mortal, the facts have elevated Norris to an almost godlike level. Every time Chuck Norris kills a man, an angel gets its wings. Jonathan admits than when the going gets rough, "we look to the wisdom of Sir Charles Norris". And what wisdom it is! After all, Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice. In a similar fashion, John H. from North Carolina says that, at his school, "it started out between two guys and then it went to the school's morning news show." Drew B. from upstate New York first heard about Norris's exploits when the sister of a friend of his "started rattling off a few that she happened to know." He thought they were funny so he looked up more on Google. "I remember finding this website that said something about someone who started it, but I can't quite remember who it was talking about." That's okay, Drew. Even Chuck Norris forgets things. For example, he eats steak for every single meal. Most times he forgets to kill the cow. Norris facts experts agree that it was 17-year-old Ian Spector's Random Chuck Norris Fact Generator that truly kicked off the admiration for the rugged actor. How cool!

Cross Walk

[EDITOR'S NOTE: When this blogsite was created, it was intended to publish what teens and young adults saw as the latest trends at their schools. We weren't looking to get serious. But all this week, what we're hearing from you is the "trend" of campus walkouts. Okay. If that's what you want to talk about!]

Today, April 5, the United States Senate is in session to decide on an immigration reform bill that will affect an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, many of whom are from Mexico. Last week, the controversial Senate bill S2454 had teens not up in arms, but on their feet, as thousands of students walked out of their classrooms and took to the streets to protest. There were no walkouts at Travis R.'s Oregon school, due in part to their being on spring break, but this teen still had much to say. "I'm fine admitting that we need the workers from south of the border, but we also need to be able to control our borders." He adds, "And if we need the workers, start a program to speed up immigration and get them legally into the country. That would allow us to control how many immigrants are coming in, and allow for only the amount we need to fill jobs to enter."

Jerry D. from Louisiana has a different perspective. "New Orleans needs all the Mexicans it can get cause they're the ones who are fixing up my teacher's house and the rest of the city after Hurricane Katrina. Illegal or not, I respect these people to the highest degree." There were no walkouts at his ethnically diverse high school, because "we don't care as much as those people in Cali."

Unlike Travis and Jerry, Erin T. from California tells us, "Over 150 students walked out of my high school this week." She notes that "the majority of them only wanted to get out of class and the other ones cannot present a decent argument if their lives depended on it." For Erin, the issue is one of fairness to those "good, honest people have been waiting" to enter the United States legally.

Happy Campers keep cool heads, no matter what the outcome!

Just a reminder that Camp Cool with be taking an all-too-brief Spring Break and will return on Wednesday, April 19th, with something fresh and fun for you! Keep those e-mails coming! We may just publish yours!

Spring Has Sprung

Students from all over the country are talking about Spring Break and Camp Cool is listening! Charles W. from Maryland is good to go across state lines to Georgia. "Actually, it's an orchestra trip. We have competition...but it's during spring break...so we get to go to Atlanta." Choosing to play it cool for her Spring Break, Caitlin L. traded the plains of her home state of Iowa for the mountains of Colorado. "We went to Telluride because my friend's parents have a house there and my friend loves to snowboard so, of course, I wanted to learn. Also, it is beautiful up there and I had never been to the mountains before so I thought I would give it a try. I'm from a completely boring place with nothing to do, so this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me." As for the Camp Cool staff, we will be taking our Spring Break hiatus starting on April 7th and there will be no entry for Wednesday, April 12th.

Does Your Town Ruehl?

Erin M. from Illinois and Auston C. from California are raving about Ruehl No. 925, the upscale clothing chain from Abercrombie & Fitch. “I LOVE that store!” Erin enthuses. With an attitude that's more Greenwich Village than Malibu Beach, Ruel has a different demographic than its sister company, Hollister. “It’s basically A&F for college students/post college people.” So exclusive that there are only seven in the nation (with two more opening soon), Auston, who works at an A&F in Los Angeles, made the two-hour pilgrimage to Ruel’s San Diego location. “It’s seriously so cool. The atmosphere and design and everything. I spent like an hour just walking around checking everything out.” With jeans running at $78 and tees costing $38, the clothes may be a bit pricey but it could be worth the cash to be the first to own them. Ruel’s website does not offer online shopping. Happy Campers, are you thinking road trip?

Have a hot tip about what's trendy?
Send us your ideas for our next entry! Maybe you will be quoted in Camp Cool!

Prom Dress Blues (and Golds! and Whites!)

Dreaming of the perfect prom dress but not sure what’s in style this year? Many girls who walk into the Florida boutique where Brie S. works, are walking out with sleek, low-backed satin gowns in turquoises and teals. But, she adds, “Golds and whites are in high demand as well, especially after the Oscars.” Another trend spotted by Brie are shorter prom dresses this year. She tells us, “knee length, tea length, and ankle length” dresses are gaining popularity. Cool Campers ready to shop might try brands like Jovani or Nicole Bakti, found in local boutiques such as Moda Park Avenue and bridal shops nationwide.

Rhinestones are Forever

Karen R. from California tells us that ribbed tank tops with rhinestones and sequins are all the rage at her high school. They can be found at several stores around the country, such as Forever 21 and No Fear. These aren't the "DIVA" and "ANGEL" BeDazzled message tees and tanks from a few years ago. Today's tanks glitter with abstract vine designs or with double rows of stones and sequins arranged necklace-like on the U-necked edge. Think pretty shine, not glaring gaudiness. Happy yet?

Have a shiny new trend you're just dying to share? Shoot us an e-mail and maybe you, too, will get a shout-out!

Luxe Lunch

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Seen on high school campuses in Southern California, stylish students are bringing their lunch to school in glossy mini shopping bags. Just the right size for a stowing a sandwich and a piece of fruit, these bags, often from high status stores like Coach, Tiffanys, and Abercrombie & Fitch, are a chic way to upgrade from a plain brown bag. They can be reused for several weeks and when the bag finally wears out (or there is a new "it" brand), what a great excuse to go shopping again! As if Camp Cool Happy Campers needed a reason!

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