Stick-on earrings
Lisa Stemmons
Accessories of the ‘90s were innovative and irreplaceable. It’s normal for what seemed to be an exclusive fashion style to make reappearances, but I can’t imagine a day where stick-on earrings make a comeback.
The concept had good intentions. Many of us weren’t ready to commit to big girl earrings after hearing the wails from Claire’s echoing throughout the mall and the alternative clip-on earrings were too painful.
The more appealing option was the sheet of colorful hearts, diamonds, squares and moons, with a pair for every day of the month. If only they could have stayed on for longer than half a millisecond…
It’s a shame that they couldn’t figure this one out. They either ended up tangled in my hair or intertwined in the carpet, much to my mother’s dismay.
Kids of the 2000s will never understand the struggle of wanting to hold up my hair (with a scrunchie) in order to show off my stick-on earrings, only to have them fall off. If only we had the luxury of simpler problems back in the day, like no Wi-Fi.
Saturday morning cartoons
Zachary Dixon
I want you to journey back to Saturday mornings as a kid, and imagine yourself getting your bowl of cereal and plopping down in front of the TV to watch cartoons.
We all had our fix. From the journey of Ash Ketchum to become a Pokémon master to the Digidestined trying to save the world with their digital friends. Some of us went so far as to don colored suits, summon our robot dinosaur and fight giant monsters as Power Rangers.
The cartoon selection didn’t matter. What did matter was that we had them. For years, various cartoons would play in the early mornings of Saturdays, making way for lazy afternoons.
Nothing could beat watching a Batman/Superman team-up episode after a hard week of learning multiplication tables in school. Even as a college student, I will tune in online every once in a while to relive those easier days.
Sadly, those moments are gone, as stations like KidsWB, Fox Kids and Vortexx have gone the way of the Western. I guess that’s part of getting older. However, no matter how old I get, I’ll always have fond memories of Saturday mornings.
Webkinz
Hannah Snidman
As an elementary school kid, you don’t have much control over your life. Your parents hold the reins in almost every aspect of your life, including pets and toys.
However, if you were lucky enough, they just might have bought you your very own Webkinz pets (or Lil’ Kinz, the smaller version). They could be found in stores as plush stuffed animals, but each came with a secret code to play an online game.
This access code allowed you to set up an account and add all of your Webkinz. The account gave you the freedom to name your animals, choose what to feed them, set up playdates, design their house, etc.
Truthfully, I was never an animal lover growing up, but I adored my Webkinz. I had a variety of pets, nine total, including a pink poodle named Lacey and a Lil’ Kinz pink poodle named Macey. I tried to be a fair pet owner and not pick favorites, but I secretly preferred Macey and Lacey over the others (shh, don’t tell).
Having to take care of these pets instilled a sense of responsibility in everyone who played. The pets could feel a range of emotions and notified you when they desired food or needed to be loved. It was up to you to fulfill their needs and be a diligent caretaker.
Participating in the Webkinz online game doubled as a fun pastime for kids and as a first step in learning how to act as a responsible adult.
Heelys
Hannah Wolkowitz
Remember when you could choose to skate or walk at any given moment? Flashback 15 years ago when Heelys were introduced: Kids and teens across the world enjoyed rolling by in their new kicks, so what could possibly go wrong?
In high school, I had a friend that still believed Heelys were an appropriate choice of style. He wore them everywhere just to get places a few seconds faster. One day, he forgot to take out the wheels before departing from the school bus. As he stepped off, his wheel slipped on the step, and down he went.
When I saw people rolling in Heelys, I wasn’t hating. I was simply hoping that they would not have to experience any of the pain other victims had.
Heelys are still on the market, but the trend has died down. For anyone considering these shoes as a suitable choice of footwear, be warned that you are risking not just a mild injury, but possibly your life.
