First lady fashion: Winning the respect, affection and approval of the American public BY JANELLE HOWELL STAFF WRITER JLHS47O@PSU.EDU In light of the 2008 presidential election, people often focus their attention to the candidates (rightfully so), but what about the prospective first ladies? Sure, they may not be running for office, but their presence still matters. Ultimately, there are three simple ingredients a presidential candidate's wife needs in order to make one fierce first lady a twist of appeal, a dash of fashion and three fourths positive perception, with extra sweetness. Sounds simple, right? Well, winning the respect, affection and approval of the American public is not an easy task, but through careful planning and image sculpting it can be achieved. For our current presidential election, two different women with completely different backgrounds have surfaced as potential first ladies: Cindy Ratemyprofessors.com: "Where the students do the grading" By JOSSELINE CARBNARE STAFF WRITER JA4C73O@PSU.EDU Older college students know a college course is almost only as good as the professor who teaches it. With the spring semester course registration underway, students can get the 411 on that calculus professor before stepping into a classroom. Ratemyprofessors.com is the place to go for "brutally honest and anonymous" student opinions. Just choose your state, type in the school you are currently attending and choose a professor. Ratemyprofessors.com has been online since 1999 and has the Internet's largest listing of college professors. The site has more than 6 million student-generated ratings. Inquiring students can find information on professors in schools from the United States, Canada, England, Scotland and McCain and Michelle Obama. Each woman encompasses unique traits, talents and passions; however, only one woman will win the title. Not surprisingly, there have been some tough acts to follow, mainly one in particular: Jackie Kennedy. EversinceAmerica'sintroduction penny-said.blogspotcom Jackie Kennedy Wales The students have a choice to rate the professor with "Good Quality," "Average Quality" or "Poor Quality." Then on a scale from one to five, students rate the professor on easmess, helpfulness, clarity and overall rating. Lastly, to top off the quality of the teacher, there's the burning question: Are your teachers hot or not? Those deemed "hot" receive the honor of a chili pepper icon. Even more amusing than ratings, are the comments which range from: "You can't cheat in her to Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy, wife of former President John F. Kennedy, women in the political arena and around the world have tried to imitate her classic style and grace from her French and European designer dresses right down to the matching accessories. Mrs. Kennedy carried herself with an undeniable sense of poise and femininity, complemented by her charisma and an attitude of selfless service. To this day, her spirit and powerful legacy lives on, serving as a positive role model for women of future generations. Even now, remnants of Jackie's style and image live on through Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama, as they have adopted pieces out of her classic playbook. In fact, much has been made about both of their images and fashion statements. First, there is Michelle Obama, an African American woman, graduate of Harvard Law, devout mother and philanthropist. She presents herself as a confident and down- class because no one knows the answers" to "Not only is the book a better teacher, but it also has a better personality." Photo courtesy of Ratemyprofessors.com Michelle Obama on "The View to-earth woman dedicated to community service. Through television interviews and appearances, Obama shines as a charming and humorous lady who speaks with articulation and grace. Her clothing is well tailored, fashionable and appeals to the everyday woman. According to the New York There's also, "Excellent teacher, really knows his stuff and teaches in an understandable way." "I've personally never used the site myself, but I've heard about it," said junior and engineer major Amanda Sullivan. "During a class discussion one day, a classmate of mine described it as a way a student can take revenge on a professor because they either didn't do well in the class or they didn't like the professor for some reason." Remarks such as "worst teacher ever" and "this professor is a disappointment" may only be harsh Daily News, the styli% boutique White House/13Iack Market sold out of the beautiful $l4B black and white leaf dress she wore on ABC's "The View" the moment the episode ended. On the other hand is Cindy McCain, the blonde, bright-eyed native of Arizona and heir to the Anheuser-Bush empire. Like Michelle Obama, she is an avid philanthropist, devoted mother and career woman. However, her pristine pearls, lavish outfits and designer accessories hardly appeal to the hardworking, middle class woman. Instead Cindy's clothes reaffirm her status as-a well-to do fashionista with a taste for the finer things in life. After all, it's not every day "Vanity Fair" gets to conduct a fashion audit on a politician's wife sporting a $300,000 wardrobe at a political convention. At the end of the day, image Please see FASHION on page 12 comments posted and provoked by an angry student after failing a test, but these comments have a vast effect on the which professors students choose to take. "If I see a really terrible remark, it will make me think twice about taking a class taught by that professor. If possible when I schedule my classes, I look for the best ratings and if there is a teacher that has bad comments, I don't take them because RateMyProfessor.com is coming directly from the students and they know first hand how a professor is in class," admitted junior Renee Balliet. Though these ratings appear to be increasing in importance among college students particularly, there are a few influences to consider. Online ratings may be useful when choosing a professor for a next class, but possible validity will always be a question.
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