Pointlife
Interpretations of sophistication vary across the UW-SP spectrum
The Pointer
mbaum925@uwsp.edu
In the average life of a college student, there is not a lot of spare pocket change to paint the town red. Staying glued to a textbook and doing an infrequent stop by the University Store to buy a University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point sweatshirt may be the sum and total of all shopping experiences for many. Once students obtain a degree, they can then start to entertain thoughts of what could be obtained and, consequently, displayed. A few students in the beginning of their college journeys have lent their thoughts as to what they deemed sophisticated, both now and in the future.
Most people throughout their lives point to a few benchmarks as finally having made it; the purchase of a car, and some time later, the purchase of their own home. When uttering her opinion as to what determines if a car reeks of sophistication, freshman Casey Bahr was quick to express her thoughts.
“One that runs,” said Bahr.
As it came to home ownership, particularly “dream houses,” Bahr had a bit more to say.
“The house must have a pool, a distinct color scheme and a bedroom, all tricked out,” said Bahr.
Ashley Tabaka, a fellow UW-SP freshman, had similar things in mind for her dream house of the future.
“There would have to be the newest utilities, building materials available and the choicest decorations,” said Tabaka.
Another freshman, Valorie Knaus, simply believed that having cars with her house of the future would denote refinement and elegance.
Certainly, television programs of today, like MTV’s “Cribs”, and Robin Leach’s “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” of the past, point to this image of 17 cars, eight motorcycles and dollar-symbol shaped swimming pools. Outside of shows on television and now on YouTube, commercials also point to living in the lap of luxury.
“Those ads create an image in our head we have to be like that,” said Bahr.
“It’s as if that is the way we are supposed to look,” said Tabaka.
Certainly, in the everyday lives of students, images of product classism also play a role. But one of these freshmen wasn’t buying the outward flash and dash of the advertising world.
“Just because an iPOD is thought of better than an MP3 player doesn’t mean it is [better],” said Bahr.
Another part of sophistication, clothing, echoes in many minds on campus as well. Tabaka thought that Gucci, Calvin Klein and The NorthFace were very highly regarded brands on campus.
“Just because clothing has that brand name on it, it does not discount it from being fake clothing,” said Bahr.
Students in this learning and growing environment at UW-SP will do what they can to come to gain a better understanding of the world and all that it holds. It may be the case that tastes will change for these students between now and the time they cross the stage and are handed their diplomas. And who knows, even by that time, a college degree may not be as highly regarded.
