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With The Insiders: Voting, Views, and Vest Jackets
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INTERVIEWS
"WITH THE INSIDERS: VOTING, VIEWS & VEST JACKETS"
B Y : M I L L A N G U Y E N
2020. A year filled with unexpected events. As I wrote this article, I asked what purpose it would serve. By the time this is published, the United States will be on the brink of a very crucial election. And while on the surface it might seem like a war between political parties and twitter debate memes, I assure you that it is more important, more essential than that. Still, one thing remains the same. Voices. Sure, many of us have seen politicians, teachers, and even our own parents preach about the importance of our voices yet I don’t think people will believe it until they see it on paper. That’s where I come in. As you skim this article, I have selected a handful of people that have answered my questions in sworn, utmost honesty. They come from all diverse generations, stories, and backgrounds. Voices is about being heard but it’s also about listening—a balance that must be upheld by all of us, otherwise we let the divide widen. It’s inevitable that there will be a difference in opinions yet the key is to know that starting the conversation is better than sitting idle.
(A grateful thank you to the interviewees: (under their full and complete permission)
1. Cindy Furukawa (high school student)
2. Alyssa Le (high school student)
Age/ Generation: 17/ Z
Age/ Generation: 17/Z
School: Casteel High School
School: Casteel High School
3. Gabriel Béatrix (high school student)
4. Anupama Rao (high school student)
Age/ Generation: 18/Z
Age/Generation: 17/ Z
School: Franklin High School (16th dis.)
School: Treamis World Trade School
Location: Paris, France
Location: Bengaluru, India
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5. Roxanne Holder-Kumer (college student) Political Science Major Age/ Generation: 19/ Z School: Arizona State University
6. Ronan Doss (college student) Film major Age/ Generation: 21/ Millennial School: Arizona State University
7. Lena Nguyen (author) Age/ Generation: 28/ Millennial
8. Jeremy Conigliari (financial services) Age/ Generation: 27/ Millennial
others, I've noticed that professionalism, in fact, represents something different based upon the environment people work, live, and communicate in.
Question 1: What does professionalism mean to you?
[Cindy Furukawa (high school student / Z)]: “Professionalism is about being responsible and knowing what your strengths are. At the same time, it's equally important to remain humble rather than entitled. There’s always room for improvement."
9 . Brett Stachler (Arizona State University Coordinator of Student Engagement) Generation: Millennial/ X
10. Anonymous (Arizona State University Faculty, The College) Generation: X
As I’ve observed in my life, professionalism is something that trickles down on an international, federal, and local level whether it is connected to politics or not. Professionalism may seem like a framework that can be easily googled, something that might look the same in people’s minds. Yet, after interviewing
[Alyssa Le (high school student / Z]: adds onto this as she comments on the importance of innovation and creativity- an element that cannot be lost within the storm of politics, “Personally, it depends. In general, being professional is the ability to adapt—to be versatile in any kind of environment. The leaders are the ones that can be creative and innovative during any difficult time. In relation to our government., people should be professionally understanding. Before becoming politicians or presidential candidates, they are normal people. They are picked out of the masses to represent people; they should be understanding to the general public.”
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[Jeremy Conigliari (loan officer/ Millennial)]: Jeremy Conigliari is a 27 year old working as a loan officer. Because he works in a field that requires attentiveness and trust, professionalism is one of the most important functions to him, “Professionalism is taking into consideration the needs of who I work with- especially in the context with finance. There’s a misconception that loans, financial services are self-motivating. People who work in this business are often thought to take advantage of others. Professionalism means considering the client as a human being, treating them with respect-- they are not products, Serving the community and getting to know its members is essentially a deeper understanding of finance. Ethics—is really important. A lot of businesses imagine it, but I’d like to challenge moral standards in terms of business not just customer service.”
[Gabriel Béatrix (high school student) / location: Paris/ Z]: Gabriel Béatrix is a high school student who is in his senior year, living and attending school in Paris, France. To him, professionalism is intimately linked with many levels of visibility, “Professionalism is often described as the competence and the skills expected from a professional. It's the warranty of a factual and informed work which is the necessary foundation of any
[continued] serious structure, whether the structure that is a school project, a public administration or even a paper supply company (as hilarious as Michael Scott is). Public administrations, which are the pillars of a State, must be professional in order to secure freedom for their citizens. When it comes to public and democratic matters, professionalism is not optional. I personally share Jean-Jacques Rousseau's morale, a French philosopher from the XVIIIth century, who essentially says that mankind formed political systems using their intuition. Furthermore, I would say professionalism is ultimately what will save us from falling into misinformed opinions.”
[Brett Stachler is Arizona State University’s student engagement senior coordinator, also a Millennial]: as he offers his stance on professionalism in a workplace environment, especially one that takes place within an educational institution, He says, "Professionalism is a loaded word for me, for a variety of reasons. I try to view everything in a lens that encompasses equity. And being aware of the privileged social identities that I have, I know that I’m not a perfect person. When professionalism is Googled, images of one- piece (men) or two-piece (women) attire come up. In more ways than just professional attire,
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[continued] professionalism is rooted in heterosexism and gender dynamics. How you show up in a given space is your choice. I more or less conform what cis males wear in the workplace. I have queer cis males colleagues who wear heels and its part of their gender expression. You start to ask: What do I bring to an authentic workspace? When I was working for the University of Chicago, I was able to help develop a community of practice that grew in a tough environment. It was about sustaining each other.
{Lena Nguyen is the author of the upcoming novel, "We Have Always Been Here" (set to release in 2021)]: as she offers her view of professional standards which is complimentary to Brett Stachler's point of view, "Professionalism is appropriate in civil conduct in the workplace. Professionalism as an artist or author is different from a lawyer or doctor. It is the way you act so that people have the respect to believe in your work and your skills. Speaking honestly, I believe that certain standards of professionalism are outdated. For example, Millennial attorneys in New York City have varied appearances but that doesn't impede their ability to do work. While our society's standards are changing, it's important to maintain personal expression-- especially from those who are in an artistic field."
With all this talk of professionalism, dressing to part is an integral part of first impressions. As a fashion major, I have explored how fashion in a political environment/ work space makes all the difference.
Question 2: What are your go-tos when dressing professionally? What do you recommend to others?
[Roxanne Holder-Kumer (college student) / Z]: Roxanne Holder-Kumer adds her advice on balancing patterns to prints, “Dressing to impress means two things—knowing what the occasion is and fitting your style. Aesthetic is essential. It means expressing yourself but wearing work- appropriate clothes. If you’re working in an office, dressing conservatively is good but that doesn’t mean you have to be boring. My go-to is black dress pants, a pink blazer, and my loafers. You can’t go wrong with formal wear especially in a professional setting—just make sure styling patterns/ prints is toned down! For example, ladies: wear a solid-colored blouse with a patterned/ print blazer.”
[Alyssa Le (high school student) / Z]: on her recommendations of color matching and sophistication, “In the context of a formal event, I'd recommend pantsuits or form-fitting dresses.
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[continued] Many of them allow you to be comfortable but also accentuate your body in a flattering way. Personally, I think off the shoulder cuts can add sophistication but this depends on the structure of the garment itself. For those who have amore tanner skin tone, I recommend warm tones: mustard yellows, blacks, and oranges—colors that bring out the undertones in your skin w/o washing you out.”
{Lena Nguyen (author) / Millennial]: on the balance of letting your professionalism shine through but not overdoing it, “Not being overly formal is important—it could come off as trying too hard. Be yourself, but don’t be too casual either. Finding the right balance between looking like a smart professional is about making a good impression. My go-to outfits include a variety of pencil skirts that define my waistline, white blouses, and women’s jackets. I’m not a fan of skinny stilettos, they don’t necessarily equal professionalism. (refer to Japanese breaking heels movement) so I’d opt for flats, booties, or dressy sneakers. Style tip: dark palettes are nice in autumn/winter seasons, pale whites pair well with navy blues outerwear."
[Brett Stachler (ASU student engagement coordinator)/ Millennial)]: on accessibility, education, and identity, "For me, I try to be mind
[continued] -ful of having my dress reflect my accessibility. I like to wear really loud pants, it reflects my queerness. I diversify my patterns and prints but I try not to dress in a way to where I don’t look inaccessible to students. On normal days, floral printed ties elevate my look and add detail. Style tip: try something new once in a while. I tend to wear salmons, corals, and pinks- don’t be afraid of experimenting with color away from the usual blacks, whites, etc.”
Anonymous (Arizona State University Faculty, The College)/ Generation X]: "Personally, I don’t dress to impress. I dress to express.” Colors are essential to my wardrobe. It’s a way to express my personality. I always make sure to wear a chunky necklace, funky stockings, or statement pieces to make my outfits pop. My house is full of color, it livens up the place. Style Tip: choose a bright statement piece in your outfit to juxtapose the more solid shades. If you're wearing dark colors, wear bright accessories for flare."
Your appearance and fashion intersect with your professionalism. Whether that is a work environment or a political setting, formal wear is key.
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Here are some of my personal brand recommendations:
*UNIQLO *OAK + FORT *Kohl's *H&M *TOP SHOP *TOP MAN
Being professional and dressing well are just a couple of the minimal standards that are asked of government officials. Here, I have asked about not only the professional accountability but also the ethics of our government. Voting is closely linked with this. Voting dictates who steps into the sphere of political influence and policy-making.
Question 3: How has your idea of voting affected your generation and why is it important now?
[Alyssa Le (high school student )/ Z]: discusses how the uprising of generation Z will be the ones living through the future, "Voting for my peer group is something that I realize has more impact that I originally thought. We should care more than older generations because we will be believing in what we make of it. It’s our future. Whoever we put in office, those are the politicians who will dictate the state of our country and how it operates. This means we will
[continued] bear the consequences that come with them. There's a preconceived idea that that our vote won’t matter because of the electoral college. In reality, contributing to voting will matter in the long run no matter who the victor is. While I am not of age to vote yet, it still means a lot to me to be aware. Whether it’s browsing through informational posts or communicating with the people around me, I realize what I can do when I get to that point.”
[Jeremy Conigliari/ Millennial]: explores the differences between the behavior and trends between generation Z and Millennials. “Remembering the 2016 election, many people didn’t take it seriously. The truth is if you took everyone as an individual,-- specifically, millennials, they are upheld to confront politics in a whole new light. It’s not about electing a president anymore. It’s about the people, the communities. Recognizing the power of learning about government is important. There’s a shift—people are realizing how important voting is. With that, it weaves into education. Realizing how you are still a part of local/ state governments and how that serves a greater purpose, heightens our self-awareness. Self-education is powerful in that we’re confronting the dire times that we’re living in.”
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[Roxanne Holder-Kumer, {college student) / Z]: speaks on how voting is closely tied with social media, "One thing that scares me is my generation won’t take the time to understand why voting is important. Social media creates sensationalism, like, people will change political opinions based on non-facts. We need to understand why. Whichever party you like, one or the other isn’t a one-way street. Things aren’t as simple and plain-sighted. Assuming won’t do any good. You’re allowed to agree with values of both parties or neither. We have to remember to breathe, research, and find the decisions within ourselves—we can make a difference even if it’s a small one. The power is important and we shouldn’t let that be taken away from us.”
[Ronan Doss, (college student)/ Millennial]: realizes how self-motivation goes a long way, “My generation, myself included, seems to be very invested in voting. This will be the first election I'm able to vote in, and I'm 100% certain of which candidate I want to elect. I plan to vote with an unbroken sense of conviction, largely in hopes of being self-aware and voting who I believe is right for the country. It’s about the people who can’t vote, those who are restricted, those who rely on others’ voices to determine what happens to them.”
Gaining International Perspective, it's not just about the United States: Question 4: Why do you think global awareness of voting rights in other countries is important? What can you learn from people in other countries in terms of culture, government, etc.?
Anupama Rao, (high school student,), location: Bengaluru, India] : speaks on her views as a resident of Bengaluru and how that’s shaped her personal experience and self-awareness, “It is important to know about the law and governments of other countries , just so you have the knowledge to stand up for what’s right. It's about urging the people of that country to take matters into their hands and act upon it. Not only is this helpful if someone decides to relocate to another country, it brings the world a little more closer and it helps a lot on the diplomatic front (eg: if you were to speak at the UN, you could bring up issues that affect your home country/another country and urge the ambassador[s] to act upon that issue). The most important issues in my city are the environmental factors. and Youth In Politics (it isn’t a big thing in India and I would love to see more organizations promoting YIP in schools and colleges."
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[Gabriel Béatrix (high school student), location: Paris, France] speaks on how he believes that learning about the culture and societal frameworks of other countries benefits him in different ways “I do believe that global awareness of voting rights in other countries is important. Since the Athenian democracy, voting is what saves us from anarchy tyranny and social violence. Today, we tend to forget the principle of voting is what we contribute to any society. It is elevation of the people—a journey towards moral ideals. One way we can spread this idea is by education and global awareness. Why do we educate ourselves? To understand. Because without understanding, there is only blind opinions, which deprives us from education, expression, and in some ways— freedom. And that starts by voting. "
Discussion about change: Question 5: Why do you think it’s essential to hold local and national governments accountable? What societal, economic, and social issues are most important to you personally?
Cindy Furukawa, (high school student)/Z]: tokens her experiences as living as a Japanese American, "I think we can hold both governments accountable to a certain degree. There’s not one way but, Gen z can start it. With
[continued] education, reaching out to teachers and bringing the issues out in the curriculum while addressing it to the class is a useful way. Issues with racial injustice are crucial to me because I have been affected in my day to day life. Like, being Japanese American, I have grown up being more cautious at what I do more than my peers. In some situations, I have been treated differently—my family has been treated horribly because they are unable to speak English fluently. I’ve grown up translating for them, checking bills, doing things that young kids aren’t expected to learn and do. Honestly, I wish there was more sympathy and less judgement that’s tied to race. Stereotypes in the work force has been something that’s personally affected me and it’s not easy to say one job is easier than the other."
[Ronan Doss, (college student)/ Millennial] talks about his support for women empowerment and how his experience as a film major weaves into future opportunities to telling such stories. "It's essential to hold governments accountable so they don't abuse their power. I'd say my chief principle is allowing women to do as they see fit, in the context if working industries,
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[continued] respect, marriage rights, childbirth, etc. Another issue I'd like to see change is positive representation in the media. Recently, there's been a beautiful upheaval in strong black characters. We've finally reached a point where people are seeing positive role models on television or films that look like them. Now that the precedent is set, I want to see this for other communities that have been marginalized in the past. I look forward to seeing wellwritten, three-dimensional Asian characters, Indian characters, etcetera. As a film major, I have an interest in seeing how these stories will unfold, especially with strong, female characters too. Films tells stories and allows people to see the potential that life is what we make out of it."
[Lena Nguyen, (author) / Millennial]: brings her perspective of moral crusading and it's limitations, "As for issues important for me, the rights of POC and indigenous people people specifically. A lot of times, we forget that indigenous people are overshadowed by other voices and sometimes, larger bodies of government. In our society, making people be aware of what they say circles around education, self-reflection, and effort. Moral crusades aren’t a good way to bring light to these issues -- it's a bit counter-
[continued] -productive for me. For instance,there is so much stigma surrounding the idea offeminism. Over time, the term has been twistedinto personal narratives and it gets lost in thefray so that now people don’t actually knowwhat it means. Being aware and creatingdialogue against misogyny, rape culture, andwomen’s equality in a respectful way thatdoesn’t put men down. Understandinghistorical context and social devices will taketime."
[Alyssa Le, (high school student)/Z] speaksabout the misconceptions of generation Z andthe gender roles that don’t necessarily apply towomen all together, "Generation Z believes thatthey are the most “woke” and most aware. Wemust all be willing to learn and to be educatedultimately, whether we were to labelled asgeneration Z or not. As for issues that areimportant to cultural awareness is a big one.Personally, when I was younger—society gearedmy mind to think that bringing my own culturedidn’t fit with the norm. People shouldn’t ridiculeother people’s cultures just because they aredifferent from their own. This includes the act ofgender stereotyping. As someone who is afemale and Asian American, I want to changethe way that people perceive women as frailand emotionally fragile. Women are typicallysubjected to dangerous situations and it takes
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[continued] away the moments where women can feel can feel comfortable. I’d like to really show that women have the ability to be versatile, empowered, and a driving force for the generations after us. We are equals, not objects.”
[Jeremy Conigliari (loan officer)/ Millennial]: discusses communication and self-identity, "Social media is an echo chamber of ideas. Millennials are the middle ground, a hybrid relationship to social media and there’s a slightly critical take on it. In person discussions are more effective because Millennials aren’t always fully trusting to social media. As for things that matter to me, environmentalism, period. On a global, national, and local level. There are so many important laws that are impacted by administration and businesses are not an exception just because they make profit. When it comes to taking care of earth, all people should be held accountable. Locally, as an Arizonian, many people from California migrate due to overcrowding. Yet, this puts stress on Colorado River and like a butterfly effect, this affects sustainability. One thing that I want to bring up is the idea of living in an online-savvy world. The fact is, privacy is compromised through the selling
[continued] of data collection to internet service providers, cellphone companies, etc. The more public surveillance, the more dangerous it can become. The importance of speaking out is extremely important, especially for family members/ friends who aren’t aware of these issues. People have let this go on too long without speaking up. For me, I have talked to my relatives in the intentions to educate them.
[Roxanne Holder-Kumer, (college student)/ Z] discusses her concerns regarding performative activism and its power to form peoples’ opinions whether it is based on true information or not. Roxanne says, “It’s important to hold both accountable because at the end of the day, they are representing people and their beliefs. If they’re not upholding that, you should know. Local governments affect day to day life. Our national government represent the US to the world. People don’t think it’s important. As for what I want to see be done, I want to get in touch with younger voters. One thing I want to see in politics is reaching across the aisle. Party tribalism is creating problems for legislation, tickets being passed, and creates a larger divide within the nation. The way we talk about politics needs to change—I’m concerned, we need to have real conversations rather than “if you don’t agree with me, I think you’re a terrible person.”— We need to find common ground.”
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[Brett Stachler, (Student Engagement coordinator at Arizona State University)/ Millennial], "Education policy matters to me. Obviously, it’s tangible because it’s the industry I work in. It’s policy that’s not talked about often. A lot of the people who don’t have a background in education are the ones that impact our education and funding. For example, in Arizona, (a lot of states) must provide public universities for funding to allow it to affordable for students. Particularly, for example, Proposition 208 is a tax structure system in order to provide more funding in the classroom, career readiness, and faculty salaries. We make such little money. Federally, it impacts no child left behind act and the idea of receiving money based on test scores . A lot of people don’t vote in off-year elections but those elections are important. We’re electing people to the house and the senate which also affects the supreme court. That's why: The idea that the closer we are to people, the more influential we are. My family are people who were living in Chicago during the second migration. The Black community was escaping dynamics of red-lining and the result of the Jim Crow laws. There was a systemic dynamic that Black people were left in generational poverty and racism, it just
[continued] looked different than it does now, I've talked with my family about implicit bias and self education. There's a lot of bi-poc people who have to step away from the emotionality of talking about their hardships, voter suppression, etc. because people don't acknowledge their struggles. We need to have influential conversations and facilitate personal conversations. even if it takes a long time."
Anonymous (Arizona State University Faculty, The College)/ Generation X]: "Public speaking should be a mandatory skill that has the ability to improve students' communication, It about social discourse. A lot of European countries call it civic engagement, a required class that is taken by students as young as elementary. It exposes young children to politics and upcoming elections, it is very common in Norway (where some of my family members are from). As an education professional, I recommend students (ASU) to participate in humanities labs so that they can expand their cultural knowledge and utilize research methods. Communication between faculty to students, students to each other, and among faculty is essential within any institution."
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