From Braces to Barack:
A Gen-Y Look at Our World Since 9/11

Paul Eulette: Creator of Quarterlife Magazine

I was so thankful that morning, I couldn’t have been happier to be at the orthodontist at 8 in the morning. I was almost thrilled to be in an uncomfortable chair having my braces tightened, than be at early morning marching band practice with Mr. Walsh. For me, just like many of us (then) kids, it could have been any other morning. We were starting our school day, rolling our eyes at our teachers and texting our friends on our coolest monochrome Nokia phones.

It was the last day of our normality.

Normal, do you remember what that felt like then? It was the feeling of knowing what tomorrow held. We would go to school, read our Harry Potter Books and go to bed knowing we would do it all over again tomorrow. But that Tuesday morning changed everything, and we came to realize after 9/11 that tomorrow really wasn’t a sure thing. After 9/11, while many of us were trying to understand basic algebra or trying to get a (then perfect) 1600 SAT score, we were also trying to understand the malignant diatribe between nations, terrorists, and countrymen that have seemed to unravel our world with every utterance.

In 2001, I would have bet my newly downloaded Aaliyah CD from Napster that I was not the only one who thought, “will things ever be normal” after 9/11. And today, I’d bet my (rumored) iPhone 5 that a lot of us still don’t know that answer. To those of us now Gen-Y adults, the past 10 years have played out like an elaborate movie plot. Only Hollywood could interject such a level of political absurdity, death, devastation, and unknowing into our lives. As we’ve watched and listened, our developing minds have seemed to stand still since 2001, as the world continues to stumble around us.

Why does it seem that after 10 years, our world cannot regain its footing? Was this how the world felt for our grandparents after WWII? Did the young generation of that time find a gleaming and defining moment that reigned in “normality”? Many would say things are back to normal, but the truth is the past decade has raised a generation of children watching adults squabble, steal, and murder—and now as adults, what are we supposed to do?

The road to the “status quo” has been repaved over the past 10 years, and no one knows where the median is; leaving us to decide if we will be the ones to answer “will things ever be normal,” or are we still waiting for someone to tell us, “Mission Accomplished”?

Jenna Wessinger: Editor-in-Chief of Quarterlife Magazine

I remember exactly where I was on September 11, 2001 when I heard about the World Trade Center being hit. I was in the 11th grade, and everyone had just arrived to homeroom for 1st quarter progress reports. Everyone, including our teacher, sat in silence watching the news, not sure of how to react. It was completely inconceivable. First processing that we, our country, had been attacked; and secondly, the repercussions of this attack on our lives. The latter of which I don’t think is something that will ever be able to be fully understood.

In the aftermath of this day, in the last ten years, our country has shown incredible durability, and incredible hubris. Immediately following the chaos of 9/11/2001, our country, our leaders, our people, everyone showed a remarkable ability to band together and refuse to cower in the face of such unequivocal evil. While we mourned for the loved ones who were taken from us, we proved that we, as a country, are far more than the sum of our parts. We were attacked by people who simply had no capacity to understand what it was they were attacking. Freedom, simply put. Our inalienable rights as Americans.

Our enemies hate it, because they don’t understand it. And that’s something that should be remembered, but often seems lost in a world now consumed with hate and finger-pointing. This was not an attack on a religion. This was not an attack on a political party. This was not an attack on a race. This wasn’t Christianity vs. Muslim, Radical vs.Extremist, Black vs. White vs. Yellow vs. Brown, vs. Green vs. Blue. This attack was on the fundamental principle for which all of the Americans just listed live and base their lives.

Freedom.

My most fervent wish in the coming decades is that we are able to remember that all creeds and types of American citizens were attacked that day – “We are all Americans”.

How are you feeling 10 years after 9/11?

It is an age old question that shows no signs of resolution, but I ask you this, do we as women, intentionally or accidentally, misread signs as love?  Allow me to clarify: “He had coffee waiting for me when I got up this morning”.  For some women this surely means, “He loves me!”…But is it possible he had a need for coffee, made a pot for himself and, serving sizes being what they are, there was enough for you as well…I say YES, yes it is, and more often than not, this is the case.

Various relationships suffer from this innocent, but noxious decoding of action.  Casual flings, newlyweds, daters, even friendships are all taken through an emotional roller coaster simply because of looking deeper than needed into simple actions and words.

When so much relevance is placed on tiny actions or even grand gestures, we can suck a relationship dry with unnecessary arguments over what you “thought” a person meant. Worse yet, instead of enjoying a simple gesture that was done for you and made you feel nice, it is obsessed over and picked apart until little remains of the intent with which it was offered.  We are so busy playing “the game” that we miss out on the just enjoying another person.

People (because men do it too), it is not your position to play detective or clairvoyant in order to seek out hidden messages.  It is more likely than not, that a person will state his or her intentions and then follow through with action (at least the good ones will). Do not allow yourself to be sucked into the notion that if he changes your light bulb SURELY he is ready to move in. Maybe he was just helping out and leave it at that.

My advice would be just embrace the moments as simple pleasures, and maybe your experience with love and life will take on a different perspective. . .

Hey sometimes coffee is just coffee…

-Ms Dare I Say

I will be honest – I could spend the better part of a day at Target, Old Navy and TJ Maxx and I am not ashamed. People who only buy things for “the name” make me sad – you could be doing so much more with your money…like searching for and buying awesome and affordable items from that new fashion blog you’ve started reading. News flash “Buckhead Betty”: I bought the same top at “La Targe” (my oh so posh name for Target) and saved the 200 dollars you wasted – sorry I’m not sorry!

How To: The Messy Bun

No matter the season the “messy bun” – is always IN. What girl doesn’t LOVE to just throw her hair up and bee-bop out the door to a party, function, dinner, the store…wherever? The “messy bun” is a staple in my wardrobe – comfortable, simple, versatile and very sexy – this “do” is sure to turn a head or two!

1.   Flip all of your hair down in front of your face 

2.  Quickly whip it back at the top of your head.  Willow Smith taught me that move .

3.  Once all of your hair is at the top of your head, gather it and begin to make a ponytail.

4.  Don’t pull your hair all the way through the hair tie (only pull halfway through) and secure the band (you will see the bun forming at this point).

5.  Take a strand of your hair and wrap around the rubber band (so it looks like you have actually knotted your hair).

6.  Pull the hair around your head to make the up – do look looser (not quaffed).

7.  Pull out strands around the face to make a softer/slightly messy look. 

8.  Voilà!

How did your bun turn out?  Catch ya’ll later Wrappers!

-Boe

Meaning of Names, What’s in a Name?

What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;

What rests upon the shoulders of Generation Y is perhaps best exemplified in the sheer number of labels applied to us by our ever-worried and ever-weary parent generation.

As if the burdens of rampant unemployment, floundering industry, staggering national debt, and a severe crisis of leadership that some call “the deficit of trust” are not already heavy enough to bear, this young and rising American generation is assumed to lack the will, ability or authority to resolve yet another bestowed dilemma: our own name!

Generation Y has been labeled with a litany of tag names and titles, such as Generation Why, the Echo Boomers, the Net Generation, the First Digitals, the Trophy Generation, the Entitlement Generation and, more popularly, the Millennial Generation. With a population approximated at just over 76 million strong, Generation Y has barely had the chance to step into “the real world” before having been collectively forced onto the proverbial examination table.

As Generation Y has grown into young adulthood, we have been perpetually misdiagnosed―long before we are even given the opportunity to truly realize and understand who we are. What are our true strengths and weaknesses? How can we collectively harness our skills, talents and fortes while simultaneously minimizing the faults, flaws and limitations that’ve been dictated by the circumstances of our culture, society, and upbringing?

Caricatures gracing the likes of the Sunday New York Times depict of Generation Y as trendy lowbrows and hipsters with shaggy hair who mash microscopic buttons on new-fangled devices that effectively allows them to broadcast anything and everything to an entire world that probably isn’t listening. However, GenY culture is much more significant than that. The culture that has come to be embodied by Generation Y spans vital qualities of leadership, responsibility and initiative, as well as noble pursuits of happiness and fulfillment.

Before Generation Y can grow and mature and come to realize these important aspects (about our individual selves, let alone our generation or nation), the severity and magnitude of the Great Recession has caused our parent-generation to bestow us with even more labels, like “the Chump Generation,” “the Lost Generation” and “the Dead End Kids.” They forebode our demise before we’ve had the chance to live!

How many more labels can we acquire before we are even given the chance to succeed or fail? Let us call to end this trivial name-game! The extent of the problems facing our country and our world are so significant and severe that Generation Y is at least owed to manifest its own destiny: to live up to the privileges that have been bestowed upon us and to collectively harness the culture of unsustainability and overextension that has come to characterize the Baby Boomers (and give way to our modern economic woes).

As Generation Y’ers, the time has come to cast out the judgments and labels of others. Let us escape from the examination table, pursue what we must, and rise to the occasion. While many will surely find relief in the ultimate end to our psychological examination, few among us have anything to celebrate amid the absurdity of our generation’s labeling―the world we are striving to rise, meet, and save, envisaging our collective funeral before we have yet to even leave the doctor’s office.

Why is Chatroulette so Popular?

Chatroulette was the latest internet phenomenon to impact the lives of twenty-somethings with a webcam, and time to kill. The non-administrated website was created by 17-year-old college student, Andrey Ternovskiy for him and his friends. The site now allows anyone in the world to log in and talk to/watch another person picked at random.

While the website is still up and running (unfortunately) and can provide a titillating and exciting experience…the allure of Chatroulette is still amiss to many.

If you didn’t know, Chatroulette gives you the name “You” and then you are matched up with a partner at random, via webcam, named only “Stranger.”

Because there is no way to pick your chat partner there’s no telling if you would be paired up with a man, a woman, a college kid, a curious celebrity or a man in a Nazi uniform.

While some people log on to genuinely chat with someone else and browse the pou-pou platter that is the internet; a majority of the time you stumble upon one of the numerous men masturbating. You encounter the horny teenager asking a female to flash their breasts for Haiti, or an ignorant person shouting racial slurs.

So the question we must ask ourselves…is an unsupervised medium like Chatroulette harmful, helpful or just a benign form of entertainment for our generation?

Generation Y has set the breeding ground for Chatroulette to thrive. Since we are the most connected age group of all times with social sharing sites and mobile internet, we have given Chatroulette the opportunity to push the limits of social sharing and social consumption.

Myspace, Facebook and Twitter are some of the media used to (over)share with your “friends.” However, unlike the free-for-all that is Chatroulette, the aforementioned sites are (for the most part) moderated. So when certain things are deemed inappropriate, they are flagged and subsequently removed from public view. Chatroulette’s original premise was based on just the opposite of this, although they’ve recently added a “flagging system.”

You are able to chat freely and openly with anyone that you are paired up with, or with the blink of an eye can click next and move on to the next “partner.” With this freedom however comes good ,bad and the very, very strange.

So what does this say for the 18-20-something year-old population today? Are we okay with connecting with strangers from MySpace to Twitter…and then watching even stranger people on Chatroulette?

Is this the digital version of our parent’s “Free Love?” Or are we 10x more weird, because instead of unprotected “encounters” we’re amused by people via a webcam?

While I’m sure there are social-theorist and anthropologists studying Chatroulette, I’ll bet to say it’s probably reflective of some preexisting human-social-habit manifesting online, and we have nothing to worry about.

However, if you still have a MySpace account…you should be evaluated.

It is a rarity these days to find an individual in the entertainment industry who is influential, responsible, humble and under the age of 30. Moreover, one who neglects the trappings of life’s successes and turns their trying past experiences into a genuine positive message. This rare culmination of positivity only begins to illustrate the elemental character which is Nina Brown.

“Be creative with your hustle, committed to the grind & fearless of the world”
- Nina Brown

Images by: Allen Cooley (@AllenCooley)

Self-described as “God’s Girl 24/7,” Brown is the successful radio and television producer of Atlanta’s V-103 “Frank and Wanda” morning shows. Leaving the corporate world behind at a young age and entering the entertainment world as an underpaid broadcast intern, Brown, through her “hustle and grind” mantra and blessings from God now radiates the self-confidence and passionate drive many in their 20’s dream of.

However, like most in Generation-Y and previous quarterlifers, Brown was not immune to her own self-doubt and has turned the lessons of a rambunctious teenage rebellion into a professional and inspirational path.

So when does one go from being the epitome of a rebellious teen, to an accomplished 29-year-old with a sense of purpose?

Brown always thought she was “late and behind in her professional development,” claiming if she had only completed “x, y and z” earlier, then she would be further along in her profession at a younger age. However, she has come to realize her quarterlife maturation is just on time.

Brown says maturity is a recent event for her, occurring only in the past 5 years, and it has been a spiritual awaking…

“I didn’t find real peace within and wasn’t truly comfortable with what God created in me until now. I no longer have the feeling of needing to compete, or being insecure about my life experiences…or even feeling guilty about mistakes I’ve made. I’m not ashamed or embarrassed by my mistakes – because I now realize it has played a huge role in who I am today.”

It is ironic, because when we were “growing up” (I use the term loosely) we all probably thought “maturity” happened somewhere in between puberty and high school graduation. However for Brown and many others, we now realize “growing up” is a continuous process, including the time period of your quarterlife, which most people call it becoming “responsible.”

Brown, who has called Atlanta, Ga. home since 1994, says she loves this city because she can be the inspiration to the youngest of Generation-Y by culminating her “cool factor” with the importance of her inspirational messages. Brown says, “…there’s no place in the world where you can see so many successful people from the same background as you, and be leaders and trendsetters for success, especially in media.”

Brown, who gives more than her fair share back to the community, reiterates this point to her youth audiences, telling them mistakes made earlier in life are not the end all of life, but a beginning to show you a better path. Brown stated she was once an out of control 16-year-old who, in order to “find herself,” went against authority. Her passion for working with at-risk-youths, who are crying out for attention in high schools is close to heart, because as she stated, “it wasn’t that long ago that I went through the same things, and I can show them the light at the end of the tunnel.”

When she visits those students and listens to them detail their trials of peer pressure, sex, drugs and being lost without a stable home life, Brown is more than willing to jump in and spread her wisdom.

Brown said lightheartedly, “I tell them, ‘Yeah! I know Rick Ross!’ and ‘Yeah! I know Young-Jeezy, we hangout, we kick-it, we talk’…” but she doesn’t say this to boast or self-promote her own agenda. Brown uses it as a tool to connect with and illustrate to these kids how you can be a responsible adult and at the same time live within your passions and be successful.

Now, success and passion are things we all hear about a lot, usually as two separate entities, however Brown has her own definition of success that includes passion. She defines success as your personal drive to obtain the peace of mind of knowing who you are, and your worth and value as an individual.

Brown said, “You can have as much money as you want in the world and be very unhappy – and I don’t want to be in a position where I have the buco amounts of money and not the family or friends who I can trust, because that’s a lonely world.”

When Brown spoke about leaving her “Corporate-America Job” to become an underpaid intern in broadcast, she said “Look, I’ve always had a passion for radio and television, more along the lines of radio for the love of music…and I am a big proponent of finding your passion; this is one life you have.”

Finding your passion to obtain success sounds great, but some believe you have to do what needs to be done, no matter what. Brown said some of us have our mind set early in life that “this” is what we were meant to do, or “this” is what I have to do to make money, but “this” may not be your passion. We may have a dream or at some point in our lives realize we are really prolific at something, and that becomes your passion. However, because of fear of failure, Brown says, we give up on our passions, and ultimately our success.

“Fear is or worst enemy, it keeps us from being unable to succeed, because you allow that fear to hang over your head for the rest of your life.”

Brown states, you need to go for what you would do for free, and this is your passion, and fulfilling your passion is where you will make your money. Plainly put, she said “I mean, who wants to spend the rest of your life at a job that you hate – always watching the clock and saying ‘ugh – I have HOW many hours left‘?”

It seems simple enough, “do what you love, to make you happy,” but many still do not know when their passions have led to “success” or if it ever will. Brown said she has been able to gauge her level of success, not through paychecks, cars, houses or fame but through the e-mails, tweets, Facebook messages and face-to-face interaction she receives from her listeners.

Brown said, “I have people tell me I made them want to do better in life, and through them, I know people are watching and listening, and if I know I can improve one person’s life ,then I have succeeded at what I’ve set out to accomplish.”

Brown’s mantra to completing her success is, “Be creative with your hustle, committed to the grind and fearless of the world.” As she further explains to her teen audiences, this means you essentially have to be quick on your feet and never give up – and that when people tell you “no” or you face rejection and adversity, that those obstacles are not the end of the line – they are just a part of life. In summary, Brown believes you have to believe in yourself and your path, because no one else will, and if you believe in you, you can have everything you want.

Though Brown said she had the “American Dream” of the suburban house, the SUV, revolving credit and cash in the bank – she states personal success is not achieved through these monetary and material keepings – but by finding your inner passion and God given path in life.

“When I die, do I want to be known for this nice house I own, or to I want to be known for this legacy I am creating, because I was able to change people’s lives by setting the example?”

Being a twenty-something athlete has some advantages. You are probably at or nearing the peak of your career; your muscles throb with excitement, legs feel faster than a car…hell, you could lift a ton with one hand. Yes the world is yours; well, partly yours. These young people hold the major chunk of it, as they are the ones making the big bucks and making us jealous of their athletic talents, and bank accounts.

5 Top Paid Athletes

Lewis Hamilton – Easily one of the best drivers in Formula One right now, Hamilton can make a car move, and he makes it look easy. Recognized by many as possibly the next Michael Schumacher, Hamilton from age 8 has been driving karts and has not stopped progressing since. He has won numerous races and championships including – The British Championship, the Super one series, Formula Renault UK championship, and the GP2 championship. Now this is by no means any small feat as anybody who watches motorsports will tell you.

While doing this he was listed as SI’s 11^th highest paid athlete in the world in 2008, and also given the “Most Excellent Order of the British Empire” title (member level… or MBE), and is in place for a great future in f1.

Honourable Mention: Sebastian Vettel

Michelle Wie – Wie is an American golfer born in Hawaii of Koren parentage, who started playing golf at the young age of 4. (Yes–while you were busy discussing which power ranger was cooler, Wie was playing a golf.) In the year 2000 at 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for the womens US Amateur Public Links Championship, a year later she won the Hawaii Women’s Stroke Play Championship and the Jennie K. Wilson women’s invitational.

Her early wins at many events and drew the eyes of sponsors throughout her youth, and eventually in to 2005, when she decided to go professional, signing sponsorship deals with Nike and Sony. She later signed a deal with Omega Watch Company raking in (reported in 2007) over $19 million dollars a year from sponsorship alone. Currently ranked 14^th in the world, which may bring naysayers, Wie is only 20 and she has a bright golf future ahead of her.

Honourable mention: Jiyai Shin

Lionel Messi – A name most Americans will say, “huh…who?” when they hear. Despite that, Lionel Messi is a world renowned name in the football (soccer) world. Messi, an Argentinian football player who currently plays for Spanish La Liga giants, Barcelona. Messi has been receiving accolades from a young age, winning world young player of the year awards for 3 consecutive years between 2006-2008. He has also been regarded as Sports Illustrated’s 4^th highest paid player in 2008 raking in over $35 million dollars a year, a minority of that figure which comes from endorsements by companies like Adidas. He is also estimated to be worth a transfer fee equal to or more than Christiano Ronaldo’s, aka: £80 million pounds.

Honourable Mention: Christiano Ronaldo

Lebron James – Come on, you cant tell me you didn’t expect to see this name on the list. Lebron james is right now at the top of the basketball world, I mean seriously, his nickname is King James. At age 18 (2003) he was the number 1 draft pick and had already signed a shoe deal with Nike – the monetary value of which I will tell you later. He has won numerous awards including Rookie of the year (2003), Most valuable player (2008), and has also been both an NBA all star for every season since 2005. In addition internationally he has also won Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing games and bronze in the 2004 Olympics. Now remember that Nike Sponsorship deal I spoke about earlier? That was for $90 Million dollars, but he also has endorsements with Sprite, Glaceau, Bubbilicious, Upper Deck and State Farm. Sports Illustrated estimates that James made over $167 million during his first 5 seasons in the NBA and currently places his yearly earnings at $40 million most of which come from endorsements. The man is simply a ball playing, money making fiend.

Honourable Mention: Rajon Rondo.

1. Usain Bolt –  For all you people whom were living under a rock, Usain Bolt is a Jamaican (yea, I’m biased) sprinter who is a 3 time Olympic Medalist and also a 2 time World Youth Champion. He took the world by storm by winning and destroying the world records in the 100 metres, 200 metres and the 4×100 metres races (which he shares with teammates Michael Frater, Asafa Powell and Nesta Carter). In 2009, he then furthered his dominance in sprinting by not only winning in these events but yet again breaking the records he set the year before (minus the 4×100 metre record)…By the way, his nickname, freakin’ “Lightning Bolt!” This man is so fast, he has broken records which scientists had deemed impossible to break. Also to add to his awesomeness, Blot is also an avid footballer and cricketer as has been shown in recent accomplishments.

Bolt is endorsed by Puma, Gatorade and a Jamaican Telecoms company named Digicel, earning him a paltry $3 million dollars in earnings per year; but his endorsements have grown and he has been offered a $115 million deal from a Chinese sports company, and also commands $250,000 in appearance fee’s – as in, each time he races he is paid $250,000 (remember he races the 100 and the 200 so multiply by 2 if he runs both), if he enters 4 races in a week, he would earn a million dollars, if he does that for 4 weeks, 4 million dollars… you do the math. Also to be added in is the fact that he’s given a bonus each time he breaks the world record (he’s done it 5 times) and is planning to enter the IAAF diamond league next year which will be 14 different races (28 if he decides to run both the 100 and 200), and if he manages to gain the most points he will then be awarded a 14 karat diamond. Lets just say, money is no object to this lightning Bolt.

Honourable Mention: Shelly Ann Fraser

I am what you would call the typical black sheep of my family. From a predominantly conservative and religious household came a blond-haired, green-eyed child that managed to become none of those things. However, from these Southern roots, I have managed to obtain attributes like compassion, loyalty and a spunkiness that may be mistaken for attitude.

Don’t Make Lent about You

Fat Tuesday is where a majority of people are celebrating everything that is sinful, because tomorrow brings the first day of Lent. Typically, fried food, soda, cigarettes, alcohol (everything that is wonderful in this world) will be given up for the next 40 days. However, during this time I have decided to ask all my quarterlifers to not remove something from their lives but rather add something. For the next 40 days I will commit a random act of selfless, kindness everyday to strangers, families and friends.

As a generation that is labeled lazy, selfish and indifferent let’s take a stand to change people’s minds one day at a time. Let’s become a generation of movers and shakers, believers and makers. Move people’s opinions of this generation by shaking up stereotypes, making no excuses and above all else believe that one person, one generation can make all the difference.

Lent represents Jesus’ time in the desert where he spent 40 days enduring the Satan’s temptations. So what if I’m addicted to cheap bourbon and French fries. If I give up these for 40 days what does that make me? Cranky and skinner. Who needs that? So instead of making this Lent a small victory for yourself, why not make a quiet statement that will hopefully become contagious. I may be alone in this effort, but if one person decides to join this evolution of Gen. Y then that it will make all the difference.

I know perfectly well how these things work – there’s always a reader sitting at home asking “What about…” and “How could you not include…” whilst shaking their heads, stewing in a political rage that could move the heavens.  But never fear, readers…I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please comment below! – Jenna

Top 10 “OMG” Major Political Events of our Generation

Picking the Top 10 Political Events of the last decade is no easy task, especially since our world leaders have given us plenty of fodder to populate a Top 100 list of events. However, we like the number 10; not only is it the number of years we’ve been in a new millennium, but it makes you really focus on what was important. So this is my list, arranged in chronological order, that left us all OMG-ing over the past 10 years.

1. Dot-Com Bubble burst & Pre-fix investing:  The new millennium kicked off during a time of economic booms. This wasn’t purely a U.S.-driven economic boom either; industrialized nations saw growth with the recent Internet explosion among consumers. Companies often found their stock prices rising if they simply added an “e-“ prefix or “.com” ending to their name (A “Get Rich Quick” scheme if ever there was one). It seems while everyone was paying attention to the virtual world, no one was keeping an eye on the real world. The Monday following the NASDAQ climax, a large amount of delayed sell orders were processed, triggering a chain reaction of selling the fed on itself with investors unable to keep up. This, coupled with the United States vs. Microsoft monopoly federal trial, and a disappointing ’99 Christmas season for Internet retailers caused the first (but not biggest) economic disaster of the new decade. What a great start!
2. 2000 Election: The ushering in of a new U.S. President for a new millennium didn’t come without some bumps and bruised egos (here’s looking at you, Katherine Harris). This election will forever live in infamy due to the unusual event of the winner receiving fewer popular votes than the runner-up and the chaos that ensued. It took over a month for the results to be announced, questioned, announced, questioned again, and finally finalized by the U.S. Supreme Court. After all the chaos had settled George W. Bush was pronounced the winner and 43^rd President of the United States.  “Dubya,” as he came to be known, took office in 2001.
3. 9/11: It’s a day that really needs no explanation. Over the past nine years, 9/11 have become more than a date. It’s a moment. It’s a feeling. Everyone remembers exactly what they were doing when they heard about two airplanes flying into the World Trade Centers of New York City. Many people remember watching in shocked horror, the images of the first tower falling, followed by the second; hearing of the plane crash at the Pentagon; listening to the stories of passengers aboard Flight 93 trying to retake control of their airplane before it could be used in a similar attack in Washington D.C. It was a day that the entire world knew one enemy: terror. It was a day when “we were all Americans.”
4. War on Terror: Beginning on October 7, 2001, less than one month after the September 11^th attacks, The U.S. and its allies launched a war whose main objective was to prevent further terrorist attacks from a number of terrorist cells operating under the umbrella of al-Qaeda. Over the course of this decade, the War on Terror has reached several different fronts in the Middle East including, most notably Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as included the involvement of many different countries and international organizations. One of the more significant events during this conflict was the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Hussein spent the majority of the ’90s in disfavor with its neighbors and the US.  However, after the end of Hussein’s regime, the US found another, more violent coalition in Iraq, the coalition of Iraqi nationalists and pan-Arabists. Argued by many on the world stage as a way to justify unilateral “preemptive” war, others argued just as loudly that such practices would have prevented an occurrence such as the 9/11 attacks.  As this decade saw the beginning of the war on terror, it can be hoped by both sides of the argument that the next decade sees the end.
5. Darfur: In February 2003, several Sudanese militia groups took up arms against the government claiming black Africans were being oppressed in favor of Arabs in the region. The government has a history of tampering with evidence and harassing journalists so many of the details surrounding this conflict are not known. Darfur became the center of such controversy due to the escalation of chaos and destruction in the region with little to no reaction from the rest of the world. Three years later, after numerous horrific reports of actions taken against civilians in the Darfur region, the United Nations agreed to send 26,000 peacekeeping troops to Darfur to assist in protecting civilians on both sides of the conflict. In 2009, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.  However, the Sudanese government is unlikely to execute it.
6. Same-Sex Marriage: Even though this issue has been in the public eye since the ’70s, and gained steam in the ’90s, it became a major political issue on November 1^8th, 2003 when Massachusetts became the first state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage. Since then, five other states have also adopted a similar stance. California’s Supreme Court voted against the opposite-sex marriage definition on the basis that it violated constitutional rights.  In November 2008, Proposition 8 was placed on voting ballots for the California constituency to decide whether same-sex marriage would be legal in the state or not. Though Proposition 8 passed, effectively nixing same-sex marriages in California, an appeal filed the next year was upheld by the state Supreme Court that all marriages granted prior to Prop 8 would remain legal.
7. Iran elects Ahmadinejad: In 2005, Iran elected its sixth President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  Immediately, Ahmadinejad became an outspoken critic of current world order though he does uphold the long-standing Iranian tradition of not recognizing Israel as a legitimate nation. With comments about Israel being wiped “off the map” and accusations of not believing the Holocaust really happened (and all with a smile), Ahmadinejad became a media darling and immediate target for the Bush administration. The major point of contention between Iran and the U.S. leaders was Iran’s continued nuclear program with Ahmadinejad claiming the program is being developed for peace instead of war. In August 2009, Adhmadinejad was re-elected amid charges of fixing the election from opposition supporters. Iran erupted in protests in late-August that usually ended violently. Several countries, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. announced that they would not send letters of congratulation as is usually customary.
8. North Korea tests nuclear weapons: North Korea’s October 9, 2006 detonation of a nuclear device re-instated the country as a nuclear threat to its neighbors and the world. Worried that North Korea would attempt to sell some of its nuclear weapons to terrorist organizations or other enemy states of the U.S., Bush named the country to his now famed “Axis of Evil.”  On May 7, 2007, North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear reactors immediately pending the release of frozen funds held in a foreign bank account. On September 2, 2007, North Korea agreed to disclose and dismantle all of its nuclear programs by the end of 2007. By May 2009, North Korea had restarted its nuclear program and threatened to attack South Korea.
9. An Age of Firsts – Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton…and Sarah Palin: Put aside the mud-slinging. Forget about the crazy and crazier accusations. Focus on the good. The 2008 Presidential election saw firsts on both sides of the political aisle, as well as that gender-specific glass ceiling. For the Democrats, it was a choice between the country’s first African-American Presidential candidate or the first woman to lead a major party campaign. For the Republicans, it was the first time the party had included a female constituent on the presidential ticket. No matter your political preference, it was an encouraging race for the leaders of the future and an affirmation for the leaders that came before. And with the election of Barack Obama, the world saw “change” brought to a political system long thought to be set in its ways. A system uninviting and unwelcoming to newcomers who wanted to change the game. Hopefully this started a chain reaction of “change” that will carry over well into the new decade.
10. The Great Recession: We all know this one. It’s been called the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. It was a slippery slope of a mess that left virtually no one untouched. Key businesses failed, the U.S. lost over a trillion (wait for dramatic pause) dollars, and the entire world saw a decline in economic trade and activity (and that’s the good news). What followed was, arguably, even more depressing with world leaders and business aficionados attempting to point fingers and lay blame instead of trying to solve a problem that left the rest of us floundering. Governments have since taken aggressive, unprecedented, and yes, even questionable steps to recover. But we’ll keep our fingers crossed that the next decade Top 10 Recap will include a line item for the economic rebound we’re all hoping for.

What would you have included on the list?

Know someone in Generation Y who is making a difference or a shining example of what it means to be part of the world’s largest global generation?

Then share it with us!

E-mail Quarterlife Magazine (contest@quarterlifemag.com) and tell us why your friend is an ideal Generation-Y individual and win them an iPhone – and if your nomination wins, you get an iPhone, too!

You can highlight the individual based on philanthropy, educational achievement, career notoriety, talent proclivity – just something that makes this individual standout amongst the wash of Generation-Y amazingness.

Your nominee has to be born between the years of 1980 and 1995. (I know, some of you feel really old right about now)…However to nominate, you just have to be alive!

All the Technical Stuff:

When should I nominate?
E-mail “Generation Nomination” CONTEST from 12:00:00 a.m. EST December 1, 2009 to 11:59:59 p.m. EST December 31, 2009.

What is EST ( Eastern Standard Time)?
Quarterlife Magazine is located in Atlanta, Georgia – we are going off of LOCAL “eastern” time. We are NOT the International Time Keepers, so ask Google for all time difference questions.

What exactly do we submit?
Submission are to be written nominations, (250-1000 words) highlighting the great things your Gen-Y friend is doing in life. You can add pictures or link a video if you care; just don’t write us a novel.

Can I nominate myself?
…seriously? No, you cannot – and split personalities do not count either.

When will you announce the winner?
The iPhone winners will be announced January 10, 2010 at 9 a.m. EST.

The Prize:

Am I winning an iPhone with Service?
No. You are entering to win an Apple Gift Card equivalent to the price of a new iPhone 3GS & 3G IF you were to enter into a 2-year-contract with AT&T.

• The person you nominate will win an iPhone 3GS gift card!
• You will win an iPhone 3G gift card!

We are not providing you with an iPhone or service ONLY a gift-card.

All services and eligibility for service is between you and your carrier you chose.

There’s no iPhone service where I live.
Wow – consider moving.

I don’t want to buy an iPhone.
You can do what you want to do with the gift card once we give it you. It’s your money – but seriously, why would you NOT want an iPhone?

Do I need to be a fan/follower?
Being a Facebook fan and Twitter follower isn’t necessary – but we’ll enjoy the company.

How about cash bribes?
You can try and bribe me – but I’ll just think less of you.

What if I’m affiliated with Quarterlife Magazine?
No, mother, I won’t give you the gift card, sorry…same goes for all Quarterlife Magazine contributors and henchmen (i.e. family members, interviewees, advertisers, guest posters and sanitation engineers).

Holiday Generation Nomination: iPhone Giveaway]]> http://www.quarterlifemag.com/2009/12/holiday-iphone-giveaway/feed/ 5