4 minute read
Recap, Rewind, Relive The 2000s
A recap of pop culture in the last two decades that made up BVN students’ childhood.
By Charlotte Raley
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There are 19 days left in 2019. For many students, this means the end of the decades that marked the nostalgic years of childhood. Since the turn of the century, students have grown up surrounded by advances in technology, shifts in pop culture, and local events. With new technology, social media emerged, causing trends to spread faster than ever. Among those fads, fashion rose as a prominent identifier for the decade according to some students.
Fashion
Junior Alex Doege grew up shopping at Justice, where she was exposed to the decade’s trends of everything from embroidered low-rise jeans and tube tops to a revival of vintage clothing. “Justice cami tank tops were a huge thing in middle school,” Doege said. “I believe I had every color. Also, sparkly sketchers. If you did not have them, you were not cool.”
Justice, with locations in Town Center Plaza and Oak Park Mall, has sold many of the decade’s popular accessories including choker necklaces and sequin headbands, according to Bustle Magazine. According to Business Insider, in 2006, stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle and Aeropostale were the most popular but Forever 21 and Brandy Melville have replaced these brands in more recent years.
Although Doege remembers her childhood as a time full of exciting clothing trends, she believes that older generations will view these same years in a different way. “I would say adults in society today will remember and think of the past two [decades] as being very experimental with all sorts of trends,” Doege said. “There have been a lot of new things, especially with the inclusion of technology.”
Technology
The invention of the iPod, Nintendo DS and Wii generated a new market for kids’ entertainment and standards for children’s toys. Quickly following the invention of these gaming consoles and audio devices was the iPhone and new social media platforms. The introduction of smartphones to everyday life created an environment different from every generation before. “The inclusion of technology has made trends catch on quicker in the past two [decades] and to spread the word about lifestyle easier,” Doege said.
Junior Sofia Lamento’s favorite technology during her youth was the Nintendo Wii and her favorite game was Wii Sports.
“Technology has impacted my childhood by giving me
Chase Uhlig (Left), Oliver Scoggin (middle) and Jeffrey Raley (right) stand with 800,000 other royals fans at the Royals World Series Championship Parade in downtown Kansas City.
Submitted by Oliver Scoggin.
a form of entertainment that nothing else could,” Lamento said. “And the ways of communication that were impossible five years before us, which is really really crazy.”
Looking Local
The 2000s have harbored numerous events and local changes within the walls of BVN and the streets of Kansas City. At BVN, North Time was implemented in 2017, creating a completely new school schedule. Upperclassmen at
BVN remember a time before the hour-long lunch period while underclassmen see North Time as a norm.
Sophomore Luke Brethour has only been at BVN for two years so he is part of the group of students that have almost always had North Time as a regular part of their day.
“North Time is a really good break,” Brethour said. “I use it to get all my work done. I can’t imagine school without it.” Most BVN students also remember when school
was canceled in 2015 for the Royals parade. 800,000 Royals fans flooded the streets near Union Station to see the 2015 baseball World Series Champions. Junior Oliver Scoggin, 12 years old at the time, remembers the environment of the parade. “The parade was very crowded,” Scoggin said. “It was just a different atmosphere. Everyone was excited [because] the Royals won and it was an experience that I’d never felt before.”
TV, Tunes and Trends
Lamento’s favorite TV channel was Disney. Shows including “Hannah Montanna”, “Suite Life of Zack and Cody”, “That’s So Raven”, and “Phineas and Ferb” were popular on Disney at the time. Lamento remembers watching her favorite show “Fish Hooks” during her childhood.
“I remember watching Disney Saturday mornings when I would sleepover at my grandparents,” Lamento said. “I look around and see the shows on Disney now and I see the stuff that they’re putting out for kids It’s so poor quality and just crappy… compared to the early 2000s.”
Although many of the shows from the 2000s are no longer on air, Lamento continues to watch the shows from her youth, such as “Wizards of Waverly Place”. She also listens to music from her younger years because of the nostalgic feeling it gives her.
“I have a playlist called childhood anthems because they just remind me of good times and make me happy,” Lamento said. “They give me some energy because all the early 2000s songs are really pumped up and hype and fun.”
Doege also listens to these “throwback” songs, but reflects on how the songs are great for groups of people. Since most BVN students grew up listening to the same music, Doege thinks of music from the early 2000s as a universal language for students her age. “My ‘throwback’ playlist is definitely great for the car,” Doege said. “And I listen to them because they’re fun and you can throw it on with any group of people and everyone knows the words.”
According to the Oxford dictionary, nostalgia means a sentimental longing for the past with happy personal associations. For Doege, nostalgia means the changes in music, TV and fashion in her childhood.
Alex Doege
