Hampton men "loaf" everyday

by Deron Hogans

In this transitional stage in life, from primary education to careers in fields of work, young men at Hampton University choose casual loafers as their shoe of business and pleasure.


Tristan Lewis offers his view in the Harvey Library; video courtesy of Deron Hogans via Youtube

Tristan Lewis, a senior and chair of the Student Government Association’s Men’s Caucus, wears loafers most of the time.
“They [casual loafers] allow me to be ready for any occasion as a student of business, and in today’s job market you have to be prepared for anything,” he said. “You may get invited to dinner on a Friday afternoon on your way from the office, and it’s good to already have a hold on your appearance, especially your footwear.”
A close friend of Lewis’, Evan Nave, a senior with a major in broadcast journalism, says that he only owns one pair of sneakers, but he keeps a shoe rack full of casual loafers.
“I don’t really have a use for them [sneakers] anymore,” he said. “I feel like I’ve outgrown them in many ways, and grown women don’t like men that wear what boys wear.”
That sentiment is shared amongst upperclassmen males, but some of the younger male students beg to differ. Timothy Carver, a freshman who doesn’t call himself a sneaker enthusiast but is in favor of them over casual dress shoes, feels that sneakers are more of an art form than a type of shoe.
“I like expressing myself through the kicks that I wear,” he said. “Anybody can go buy some Sperry’s, but most of them are bland and boring and I like to do something different.”
The split feelings about footwear aren’t only found amongst the male students but also their female counterparts. Some girls agree with Nave, saying the loafers are the shoe of a young man and represent maturity.
“Loafers are very becoming of guys, you know,” said Shante Stewart, a junior with a major in broadcast journalism. “I think that here at Hampton University, since this is a professional setting, it’s good for the boys to start learning how to be men in every facet, especially fashion.”
Other female students side along with Carver, saying that a guy who knows how to wear a nice pair of sneakers stands out and is more likely to catch their attention. But through all of the opinion, it is clear that loafers are an easy way for young men to venture into the world of business attire.
Students in the School of Business dress in business casual attire for most of their careers at Hampton University, and the shoe of choice for many of the male students is the casual loafer.
Akil King, a second year student in the 5 year Master’s in Business Association program, says that the casual loafer is a convenience for him. “Man, when I’m getting out of class and have a meeting on the other side of campus at the same time, I can run in casual loafers. Dress shoes don’t allow me to do that,” he said.
Students at Hampton University can be seen wearing casual loafers at any occasion on campus from the classroom to meetings, and even at parties and social events. Dr. Opel Jones and Sharieff De’Johnette, assistant professor, refer to the loafer as an “example of the versatility needed in a professional’s closet” during sessions in their University 101 classes, and it looks like their students were listening.

Enterprise more powerful than education?

by Juston Washington

In a generation where values have taken a backseat to materialism, many of today’s students feel that the cost of getting a four-year degree outweighs the benefits of having one.
In Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, he states that growing up he was taught to make good grades, go to college, and get a good job. He then goes on to say that this is no longer a recipe for success in America, and many students are starting to agree.

With college tuition being “sky high”, most students are unable to afford the tuition and fees or take out loans that put them tens of thousands of dollars in debt, sometimes more. Most students are content with the fact that they will have student loans for 10 – 20 years after graduating and get a job paying $30,000 - $40,000 at the entry level. However, there is a new breed of students emerging on campuses across the country that make various financial and business ventures while attending college.
During my freshmen year at Hampton University, I was a resident of James Hall. During my stay in James Hall, I met nine other students that I now call friends and would hangout with for the rest of my time at Hampton. Most of the group came from modest backgrounds and were facing the peril of being a “broke” college student, with loans. We also shared another common interest, like making money. After our first semester, we realized that having parties was a profitable venture on the Hampton University campus, so we immediately went to the drawing board. After much debate, we came up with Syndicate Entertainment, an entertainment company that would sponsor social events. By this time it was nearing the end of freshmen year and we all either had summer internships or jobs that would lead us back to our hometowns. When we arrived back at Hampton University for our sophomore year, we each had developed another common interest. We did not want to work a traditional “9 a.m. – 5 p.m.” job. This realization drove us to put our plans, for Syndicate Entertainment, into action. Our first Party was at the Hampton Golf Club, where we each took on different roles: securing a venue, promotions, and getting transportation for freshmen, to make the party a success. Syndicate Entertainment hosted three parties that year and still has yet to host its fourth, but the learning experience of putting together those three parties was invaluable and it led a few of us to set our eyes on bigger business ventures. The summer after our sophomore year, my current roommates Martin Williams and Anthony Reynolds and myself all took summer classes. We also came together to incorporate a limited liability company named WRW Investment Group, LLC. Williams and I also interned at Pulse Management, LLC, a company owned by Marquetta Tyson, a professor at the Scripps-Howard School of Journalism and Communications. After a few classes at the Small Business Administration, SBA, located on the Thomas Nelson Community College campus and meetings with the SBA Director of Minority Businesses Wauna Doomes, we learned that our business plans would not and should not be carried out hastily. We learned preciseness and order were some of the most important factors to starting a business. To this day, we are still working towards the goal of franchising several services and eventually moving on to economic development.

Some of Juston's colleagues rush to a meeting; photo courtesy of Juston Washingon

For students who have to take on the burden of debt to attend college, I think that business ventures and financial investments are just as important as your education. For students who can afford college without any help, business ventures and financial investments should be considered to maintain financial independence.

Money out of the bank and on your feet.

by Kayla Coleman

Many of today’s youth, and some adults, can be seen wearing a variety of high priced sneakers in an array of different colors and styles. People can be seen wearing them to classes or proclaiming their affection for them in Facebook groups and pictures posted on Myspace. One of the more prevalent lines of sneaker is former basketball player Michael Jordan’s line of Air Jordans. The Air Jordan line includes 23 shoes, and their releases span his career as well as after his retirement. With the average price of his shoes starting at 100 dollars, the shoe has made its way into a number of closets around the world. Although some see nothing wrong with collecting these sneakers, despite the cost, others feel that it is a waste of money for something that goes on your feet. Is it a guilty pleasure in the form of hobby or waste of time displaying the immature choices that exist with youth?

a clip from Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing; Courtesy of Youtube.com

Brandon Racadio, 19, is a college student in P.G. County, Maryland. He is the proud owner of a shoe rack that holds at least 10 pairs of Air Jordans. Racadio and his collection fall into the category of most fans of Air Jordans. He does not consider himself excessive but is still a fan of the sneakers. College life is generally one that does not include an extensive amount of miscellaneous funds. However, Brandon is one the many who seems to find a way to buy the latest Jordans no matter what. “Sometimes I’ll save up my money before a pair that I know I want comes out. If I don’t have the money, usually I don’t get them.” Brandon considers his purchases a hobby and not a hindrance to his bank account. “I like shoes and I always like the ones that Jordan puts out. I could live without them but right now I just enjoy having Jordans.”
Joseph Gibbs, 23, is a University of Maryland, College Park Alumni who currently works for the Department of Education in Washington, DC. After the making the transition from college student to a full time member of the working class, Joseph has developed a different perspective of his Air Jordan collection. “I started wearing them in high school. Now that I’m older I can honestly say now that when I started it was a little ridiculous because I mostly just wanted whatever was apart of the latest fashion. Now that I’m out of school and working, I buy Jordans because I can. I feel like I’ve earned them and it’s my choice to spend a portion of my money on whatever I please.” After interviewing Joseph, it seemed that his connection to shoes was one that was not on a high caliber. “I have to dress professionally now so my Jordan collection has been scaled back. They are still my shoe of choice when I’m dressed down though.”
Some people feel that the success of the Air Jordan line of shoes is attributed to a level of immaturity that most of the consumers share. Kristen Williams, 19, feels those excessive purchases of Air Jordans (or any sneaker) are a waste of time. “I don’t understand what’s so great about them. They’re just shoes and after a while they’ll get dirty or worn down and you won’t want to wear them anymore. You just wasted 150 dollars on some shoes you may only wear for a year.” Michael Turner agrees with Williams’ views. “I can understand wanting nice shoes but it seems a bit much to spend well over 100 dollars for them. I feel like there are ‘fashionable’ shoes that are just as good as Jordans and don’t cost as much.”
Standing on opposite sides of the shoes, some people value the 100 plus dollars spent on the shoes and some value the shoe. In the end, Air Jordans as well as other sneakers are very much apart of a trendy youth culture and are following these youthful indulgers into their adult years. However the question still remains, is it a harmless indulgence or waste of time?