In 2021, the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) received an overall grade of a C on their racial and gender report card, an upgrade from the D-minus they received on the same report card just a few years prior. The curious thing about their C grade, however, is that they received a fairly strong B-plus in the race category, also an improvement on their race grades from years past. If the APSE is making such strides in their racial diversity by hiring a much more racially diverse group of employees, how is their grade still below average? 

The answer–women. 

Continue reading Get women off the bench – by Danny Webb →

While television has included characters with disabilities, they haven’t steered away from showing them in a stereotypical light. Popular shows medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy and Chicago Med aren’t excluded in this. In fact, after watching both of these shows, I believe they were two of the most stereotypical displays of people with disabilities. What makes these displays even worse is they are about the same across television, creating a constant image of a person with a disability needing help or playing a victimized character for the viewers. This constant image can lead to a downward spiral of how a person views someone with a disability, leading to bullying and mental health issues for the victim—in some cases even suicide. While research is limited, adults with disabilities are roughly three times more likely to commit suicide.

Bullying due to a disability based on how it was shown on television is something I have experienced myself. Epilepsy is shown the same way in every television show or movie—the whole foaming at the mouth, uncontrollable shaking, memory loss, barely being able to care for themselves, etc. When many people hear someone say they have Epilepsy, that is typically the first place their mind goes when in reality it isn’t truly like that. Hearing questions about Epilepsy based on what is shown on a television and having people say that they’d never go out in public with me because they wouldn’t want to have to deal with me having a seizure—or will be embarrassed to be seen with someone that had one—got to me mentally. 

Being outcasted from stereotypes of disabilities fueled by television goes for many disabilities. I have friends and family with varying disabilities such as Autism and Down’s Syndrome and they have experienced bullying and mocking based on what was shown on television as well. One of them started home schooling because the bullying got so bad, he had anxiety over the thought of having to go to school. It didn’t help him that our school wasn’t too tough on bullying because ‘kids will be kids’ and they ‘probably don’t mean it.’

We as a society have a long way to go in improving the view people have of those with a disability. While television has made some movements to improve the portrayal of someone with a disability with shows like The Good Doctor, the precedent is so deep-seated that it will take more than a few shows to help turn around the negative stereotypes surrounding people with disabilities. It is important for television to start helping change how people see someone with a disability to prevent a rise in mental health issues and suicide attempts for this group of people. 

Even though television is adding fuel to the fire, schools also can play a role in helping curve the bullying and limit the stereotyping. Late elementary school to early middle school aged kids aren’t too young to learn that sometimes people are different. They can also ensure that their faculty and staff will take bullying of any type very seriously instead of dismissing it because sometimes kids can just be mean to each other but still be good friends. Schools can add learning about how people can be different from them into the curriculum while stressing that different doesn’t mean they are bad or can’t do what they can. 

In the end, the issue can mainly start with the parents. The parents can control what a child is exposed to and how they treat others. Young children shouldn’t be allowed to watch shows where a person is bullied for a disability or when it is seen in public a parent should explain why it is wrong. Having kids going into school or a public area knowing that people are different and that there is nothing wrong with that is the first step in solving this problem. When people stop treating those with disabilities the way it is shown on television, they could lose viewership and almost have no choice but to change how they are portraying a character with a disability and their relationship with the other characters. 

This problem won’t be a quick and easy fix but starting the process now will help future generations feel more accepted by others.

Clothing is a major way people express themselves, making it important that clothing brands make clothing that is welcoming for everyone. Brands such as Brandy Melville offer only one size clothing, but the clothing is only for some. Their sizes say they are for everyone, but realistically they fit an extra-small to a medium. One-size clothing is not a true statement because everyone has a different body type, meaning a one-size shirt will not fit everyone the same. Brandy Melville markets towards short and small people. The shirts and shorts are extremely short, small, and cropped making it impossible for curvy or tall people to fit into. However, they sell sweatshirts that are one size but are labeled as “oversized”. This is highly offensive to people because their oversized fit is just a normal fit. What kind of message is Brandy Melville trying to portray? That the “normal” size of women should be an extra small to a medium? These are questions that need to be answered and not suppressed just because “smaller” people like their clothing.

Continue reading Diversity in Fashion Brand Clothing – by Madison Schutter, Kylina Caylor, Kate Hixon, Mya Mckinney →

Gender diversity in advertising has become a prevalent issue in today’s fight for gender equality. For many years women have been fighting within the marketing and advertising industry for equal representation in commercials and even landing jobs working behind the scenes. A lot of progress has been made with integrating more representation of women into advertising, however there is still more work to be done. There are, on average, twice as many men shown in an advertisement than women and men have about three times the amount of speaking time than women. While women are underrepresented within the advertising world, they are also stereotypically sexualized for the work that they are chosen for. It’s no secret that sex appeal is one of the largest selling aspects in today’s marketing world, and while this is also true for men, it is more predominant among women displayed in advertisements. 

Continue reading Gender Diversity in Advertising – by Katie Ghee, Lindsey Meisheid, Lauryn Allman →

The LGBTQ+ community continues to be facing diversity, as a new law was passed recently in Tennessee that restricts adult cabaret performances in public or in the presence of children, and bans them from occurring within 1000 feet of schools, public parks, or places of worship.” This law strictly prohibits people in this community from expressing themselves in a country that is supposed to be known for their freedom. My uncle is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and has done drag before. He was simply devastated by the news, as many others in this community were and he even called my Father and angrily ranted to him how awful this new law is. 

Continue reading Devastating New Law for the LGBTQ+ Community – by Sean Meehan, Leonardo Vega →

When I first met my partner, I could not grasp their pronouns for the life of me. In all honesty, I had never made acquaintances with a non-binary person until I met Koy in college. On the way to visit them, I would repeat “they, them, they, them, they, them” out loud behind the steering wheel. Of course, Koy and their friends would politely correct me each time I slipped up. Hey, we all have to learn at some point. Because the fact of the matter is: not everyone is comfortable with the gender that was assigned to them at birth. With the rapid discourse on gender expression changing every day, it’s imperative that we learn. I learned, and so can you. 

Continue reading Navigating Gender Non-conforming Pronouns – by Abigail Mann →

At the end of the corporate Pride rainbow lies a darker story to be told

Since 1999 when President Bill Clinton designated June as Pride month in the United States, the surface level social climate has grown to be more widely accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community. Corporations have been quick to pick up on this, adjusting their marketing angle during June to reflect consumers ideals. Similar to the social climate though, this effort appears to be performative when viewed through a narrower lens. At the end of the corporate rainbow is a money trail of donations to politicians who support anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation.
Continue reading The Corporate Rainbow – by Jules Jackson, McKenzie Malone, Anna Truss →

Growing up as a white woman in the south, I have always been aware of the privilege I have due to my skin color. I knew I would have an easier time dealing with the police than someone with darker skin. I knew people in society may assume I am more educated than others because of my caucasian skin. I knew all the major issues my privilege could play a role in but I failed to consider the mundane, everyday hardships people who look different from me face. That was until I met my college roommate, Janita Echagile. Janita is an African American whose parents immigrated from Nigeria. She shared many stories about growing up as a black girl in the south. These stories opened my eyes and helped me deeply understand the challenges people of color deal with. Growing up is hard enough but it is even worse when you feel as though your appearance doesn’t fit the beauty standards. Janita shares her experience feeling like that.  Continue reading Black in the South: A Complicated Journey of Self Love  – by Catherine Corcoran  →