If The Gloves Don't Fit You Must Acquit

Quite a year in terms of breaking news in the court room. O.J. Simpson was found innocent on two counts of murder involving his wife Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman in October of 1995. Simpson's ordeal was considered to be the "trial of the century" by most in the media due to the massive publicity endured. Perhaps the most memorable piece of the trial was the leather glove O.J. was asked to try on. When it became obvious that the glove didn't fit, Simpson's defense attorney Johnny Cochran coined the phrase "if it doesn't fit you must acquit." Essentially Cochran was able to convince the jury that there was reasonable doubt in terms of the DNA evidence as well as misconduct in regards to handling the Juice's celebrity status.

1995 also marked the Oklahoma City Bombing incident. Timothy McVeigh and his accomplice Terry Nichols killed 168 people in all after they chose to bomb the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in OKC. At this point in American history, the Oklahoma City Bombing became the biggest criminal investigation ever. McVeigh had various issues with the federal government and ended up driving an explosive filled Ryder truck into the building to show his displeasure.

I remember my kitchen table being loaded with tabloids concerning these two key issues. Anything from the Sun Times to the National Enquirer telling each one of their compelling stories. I also think this is really the first time I watched the news on a regular basis. My parents both followed each of these cases so I suppose as an attempt to act old for my age i tried to follow suit. Although I probably didn't understand the ramifications of either situation, I'm surprised that I took interest in the subject matter. Whatever the case may be, there is no question that both of these incidents will forever hold a place in American history.

90 Fo

Music lost one of the generation's greatest talents when Kurt Cobain decided to end his life in April of 1994. Cobain is arguably one of the best singers and guitarists of all time. The Nirvana front man propelled the "grunge" movement from Washington to the rest of the United States. He is also considered the spokesman for his generation. Cobain struggled with drug addiction as well as identity issues, which inevitably caused him to commit suicide with the use of a shotgun. I feel that it was certainly a huge loss for the industry, but also for alternative music as well.

1994 was an interesting year in sports as well both in the historical and unimaginable sense.

• The NHL locked out players over salary issues
• Major League Baseball players strike
• U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan attacked

The lockout and strike of 1994 are just two examples of the ramifications and seriousness present in the sporting world. We all saw examples this past year in both the NFL and NBA. The Nancy Kerrigan attack is one of the craziest things I have ever heard of. Essentially Kerrigan's rival Tonya Harding had her boyfriend attack Kerrigan before the Olympics to try to gain an advantage. The attack backfired entirely on Harding because she didn't even medal at the games with her terrible performance. I just thought this story was important to look at because I found it amazing to see what extent people will go to in order to win even if they sacrifice their morals or reputation in the process. I also find it hilarious that Tonya Harding would later compete in "Celebrity Boxing" to try to keep her bad girl image in tact. 

Spring Break

Every time I have logged on to a social networking site this week there are either new countdowns or lists of things needed to get done posted by people in anticipation for Spring Break. This has given me a bit of inspiration into looking back to a time where Spring Break became a staple in a college student's curriculum: the 90s.

A bit of general history shows that the decade brought a change to the norm of the traditional Spring Break. A shift from vacationing solely in Ft. Lauderdale and Daytona allowed college students the chance to venture to current hit locations like South Padre and Panama City Beach. 1995 brought the creation of www.springbreak.com which helped spark a revolution in planning the week. For the first time, people were using the internet to assist in planning their Spring Break.

From what I can remember, Spring Break during this time was about one thing: MTV. Celebrities like Tia Carrere (Wayne's World) and Pauly Shore (Biodome) brought music to the biggest "hotspot" that particular year. Live performances as well as interactive challenges/games for their fans really pushed MTV into the position of premiere catalyst for a succesful week. I would always catch a a portion of these festivities from watching MTV. I can honestly say that my perception of Spring Break was shaped by the network and generally held true when I participated years later.

 I'm taking my talents to Chicago this year and missing out on all the hype for the first time in three years. It's definitely time to concede the reigns to this new generation of young guns. With that being said, I am excited to hear the ridiculous tales they return with as well as having the opportunity to preserve my liver and more importantly my bank account.