What made '08

BLOOMINGTON
Sampson lost, but the Democrats won

Bloomington’s buzz words this year were “basketball” and “presidents.” Indiana mattered in the primary for the first time in 44 years, and the Democratic candidates came after the youth vote with unusual passion. IU students not only had a free chance to see both the rivaling Democratic candidate contenders live on campus, they also got a free Dave Matthews Band concert out of the deal.
Meanwhile, we gained notoriety on the sports front with the exit of Kelvin Sampson. Although we hired a reputable coach with a pun-inducing last name, nearly all of last year’s basketball team left after Sampson.
Bloomington was also victimized by major flash flooding in June. Many local stores suffered water damage, but we evaded the more serious long-term flooding that affected counties around us and gained the chance to dive in the Jordan River and wade down Kirkwood Avenue for an afternoon.

By Amanda Lowry


FASHION
Hippie chic prowled the catwalk

Despite the (now admitted) yearlong recession, the fashion industry was alive and well in 2008. Among many trends that appeared on runways and sidewalks alike, the retro hippie look ruled.
This year, multi-hued patterns, distressed leather satchels and the “hippie headband” transported us back to the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco in the 1960s. Celebrities like Nicole Richie and the Olsen twins repopularized the style, but others from all over loved the trend for its fiery attitude and casual style.
Rediscovering old trends is known as “historicism” in relation to the fashion trend cycle, said Deb Christiansen, a professor in the Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design Department. Christiansen said she had seen evidence of hippie chic’s resurgence, but also said it’s one of those trends that never truly disappears.

By Alexa Altman


TECHNOLOGY
Political blogs spread, drove us from reality

Despite deliberate attempts by many cell phone developers to try to craft the “iPhone killer,” this year was a bit of a bust on the technological front. Just like any year, we became simultaneously more connected and less connected to the world around us, and more obsessed with applications.
For the most part, technology in 2008 will be most be remembered for its influence on this fall’s election. Long known as a place to go to warp the mind, the Internet became a haven for at least some intelligent discussion on important events. This year was all about the disgusting number of political blogs, podcasts, etc. that churned out countless tales from the political trail. The election proved the Internet is a damn good place to start rounding up support if you’re in the mood to be the next president of the United States.

By Cory Barker


POLITICS
Presidential election coverage reigned until the economy started collapsing

For many people on and off this campus, the election of Barack Obama was a moment of political and social redemption. He ran an effective insurgent campaign against Hillary Clinton in the primary, overtaking her or staying on her heels in almost every state.
His opponent in the general election, John McCain, was long admired as a maverick but from the beginning drew the ire of many conservatives. McCain then tried to manage the perilous balancing act between the Republican base and independent voters by choosing Sarah Palin as his vice presidential candidate.
Palin turned out to be one of the most polarizing figures in American politics, but in the end it was the faltering American economy that caught everyone’s attention. The mortgage crisis and the resulting credit crunch pushed voters toward Obama, even here in Indiana where he won by 25,836 votes, but also ensured that Obama will face no shortage of crises when he takes office in 2009.

By Nathan Dixon


MUSIC
Indie gobbled up the mainstream

With another Britney comeback, more Jonas Brothers and a record-breaking single about tasting cherry chapstick, 2008 did not have many watershed moments. Album sales dropped, proving yet again the industry needs a wake-up call on how to make money. While Coldplay, Lil’ Wayne and Kanye tried to save the mainstream, indie artists continued to proliferate in listeners' ears.

The best albums of year:
TV On The Radio – Dear Science
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
Coldplay – Viva la Vida
My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
The Black Keys – Attack & Release
Jack’s Mannequin – The Glass Passenger
Beck – Modern Guilt
Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter III
She & Him – Volume One
The Roots – Rising Down

Compiled by Cory Barker,
John Barnett, Alex Benson,
Wes Jakacki, Kelsey McArdle and Michael Mellini


TV
WGA strike sent industry into decline

This was a rough year for TV: It began with the WGA strike crippling the industry, and things never improved. Ratings declined even more as people watched more things online, great shows were canceled, and NBC continued its descent into the worst network state ever. The only bright spots for the medium were the constant election coverage and the summer Olympics, but those don’t come around all the time. TV may be in trouble.

The best shows of the year:
“Lost”
“The Wire”
“Mad Men”
“Battlestar Galactica”
“Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”
“Doctor Who”
“Pushing Daisies”
“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”
“30 Rock”
“Supernatural”

Compiled by Cory Barker,
Michael Mellini and
Brent Williamson


MOVIES
‘Dark Knight’ cast a shadow on competition

This year had the tall task of following one of the best in film history, and though most flicks released this year won’t touch “No Country For Old Men” or “There Will Be Blood,” 2008 will be remembered as the year of the bat. “The Dark Knight” ruled the box office, won over critics and turned millions of people in to Batman fanboys and fangirls. It’s a rare occurrence when the most popular film is also one of the best, but “Knight” turned every cliched expectation on its head and became so popular stores opened at midnight just to sell the DVD.

List based on movies we’ve seen:
“The Dark Knight”
“WALL-E”
“Iron Man”
“Rachel Getting Married”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”
“In Bruges”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Tropic Thunder”
“Australia”

Movies we haven’t seen yet, but expect to be good: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Milk” and “The Wrestler”

Compiled By Cory Barker,
Doug Evans, Jordan Greenberg,
Paul Mattingly, Brian Welk and
Brent Williamson