Author: Ami

Fata Morgana: The Power Of Community

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As the 34th annual fashion show at GCC is coming up, everyone is putting things together in order to make certain that the show is a stunning success.

I participated in the 33rd annual fashion show at GCC by assisting with make-up. In this role, I experienced the chaos behind the runway, but it was so much more to showcase the whole show to the audience. The most important thing that I have learned from the first day of fashion production class until this moment, is the power of community. When the class started, everyone had amazing presence on their own part and tried to showcase the best of their talents for the sake of our originality, creativity, and success of the show. People not only worked on their own scenes but also held responsibilities as a committee member for the show. To get to this level of strength, we needed a strong sense of community; there is no success without the cooperation of this community. The selection of the theme of the show, poster design, runway design and all of the decorative items were discussed and decided by our community named Fata Morgana.

This year, I have the wonderful opportunity of working as a coordinator for the scene “BARE by Jocelyn Eade.” I worked tirelessly to earn this opportunity, and I have learned how to find which people I work best with, as well as how to be organized and coordinate things well in a short span of time, and how to assist my group within the best of my capabilities. As a coordinator, I take responsibilities for the arrangement of meetings, announcements, and all other communications for the  “Bare” scene. This pleasing burden I currently carry on my shoulders has allowed me to break out of my comfort zone, perform the best I can on my part, and become a better person for the communities I belong to.

I strongly believe every mistake and hardship “team Fata Morgana” faced was worth it for the success of the GCC 34th annual fashion show, Fata Morgana. I am so pleased to be part of this community and showcase this tremendous fashion show. Yes, the show is coming up. Only twelve days until the audience will be amazed for Fata Morgana!

This blog was contributed by Fashion Merchandising Student Eunice GoEun Park.

An Opportunity of a Lifetime

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My name is Erica Cheman, I am enrolled in the Tourism & Hospitality degree program where I have two more semesters to complete. I waited until I had reached my 30’s to attend college and it is the best decision I have ever made. The present semester is actually my fifth because I decided to take it slow at the beginning in order to become re-acclimated into school. Genesee Community College in Arcade, New York has been perfect for me because the campus is close to where I live and work.

The experiences I have had and the opportunities available to me are more than I had ever dreamed were possible. I was nervous at first about attending college; mostly due to the thought of ambiguous situations and awkward moments. However, I have learned to challenge myself and have actually surprised myself because of the amount I have added to classroom conversations and the initiative I have taken with group projects, papers, and homework. Overall, my fellow students and the staff have been great to work with, they are all very helpful and friendly.

The greatest advice I can give is to be present and try to actively participate in every class. I have learned that by applying what I have learned into real life not only serves to make connections with the given material but helps one to remember its importance. One of my favorite classes was Management Principles because I learned a lot about who I am, why I am the person I have become, and the importance of managing oneself before attempting to manage others. Our professor also assigned fun yet challenging homework assignments such as recording a five minute conversation with another person in order to determine how we carry ourselves and how others respond to us. It was an interesting technique, but it worked!

Although being a full time student is time consuming I have learned to manage my responsibilities and my time because I love college and what it has done for me. It has opened so many doors and I am truly grateful for the experience.

This blog was Contributed by Tourism & Hospitality Student Erica Cheman.

Why GCC Is Great for Returning Adults

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GCC offers flexible classes, a plethora of available courses, easily accessible campus centers, and an incredible staff. I am a returning adult studying tourism and hospitality management and without GCC I would not have had the opportunity to continue my education or to be able to advance in my career.

Top Four Reasons Why GCC Is Great For Returning Adults:

1. GCC’s flexible classes
Whether you work night or day, there are classes offered at many different times in order to accommodate your schedules.
2. Availability of courses
There are numerous degree programs you can choose from, and many classes as well! So, depending on if you want a whole new career change, or are simply just taking a few classes to learn more, the opportunity is there.
3. Close Campus Centers
There are several different GCC campus centers where you can study, some include: Batavia, Warsaw, and Arcade. This offers current, as well as potential students, more time to learn since they can pick a location that is closer and more convenient to them.
4. The Staff
The staff is amazing! Many of the GCC campuses are small, offering teachers the opportunity to have more one-on-one time with their students. The professors also bend over backwards to help their students. It is truly a community at GCC.

If you are looking to return to school or to even get a few of your major classes out of the way before moving on to a four year college GCC is definitely the place to go. Studying at GCC will lead you onto the road to success!

Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 9.54.33 PMThis blog was contributed by Tourism & Hospitality Management Student Olivia Lawrence.

Blooming Onstage

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The day of GCC’s 34th annual fashion show, Fata Morgana, is coming up on April 25th. The theme Fata Morgana is inspired by beautiful deserts. However, the direct meaning of a Fata Morgana is a mirage. A mirage changes rapidly and shows us different views, and sometimes may bring unpredictable materials. Similar to a mirage, we will provide individuals with a rapidly changing view as each color of the desert blooms onstage.

For last year’s fashion show, I was in charge of the Front of the House committee. As a part of this committee, I watched and experienced many things. I was amazed to see the world that GCC students were able to create. Now, we’ll be the ones creating, and will provide viewers with a stage set to show a more fabulous world. This year, I am a part of the Front of the House Committee once again, and will support and contribute to the success of the fashion show fully. I am happy to contribute to the stage yet again as a part of this group of fashion students.

Our fashion show is coming in just a couple of weeks, and we are making steady progress in our preparations. The success of the fashion show will be made by not only our efforts, but also the audience member’s reactions while watching the show. Please don’t miss this moment! We look forward to showing you all what we have to offer.

This blog was contributed by Fashion Merchandising Student Kaho Sugisawa.

GCC: Home To Teachers Who Care

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Professor Messenger, one of the many teachers who makes GCC a great place to learn and succeed!

Why choose Genesee County Community College over any other college? The answer is simple, because of the teachers. GCC is the third college I have attended and I can say for certain that it has the best teachers out of the three! They care more about the students and actually want them to succeed. If a student has a problem (family/medical), or just doesn’t understand how to do homework, they will work with you until you understand, because they care.

GCC faculty also learn of job openings and share them with their students, keep in touch to see how students are doing, and share their personal experiences to help everyone learn. They also support their students when looking for employment.

For one of my classes I had to do community service. Not being from Genesee County, I had no clue where to look for a community service opportunity. I went to my teacher and asked for their help, they were very understanding and gave me places to look into. After being turned down from three different places, I almost gave up on passing the class. But, I eventually found a place very late in the semester and the teacher was willing to work with me. I was able to hand in my volunteer hours after the deadline without a penalty; they even let me do an extra paper for the hours I wasn’t able to complete at my request!

In my experience other colleges I had been to would not have been so nice. They would have just said, “not my problem, you had all semester to find a place.” Just one reason as to why you should pick GCC as your school is for the teachers, there are many reasons, but the teachers are the best!

This blog was contributed by Kristina Yadloczky.

Two Halves Make A Whole

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Untitled.jpgAs the 34th annual fashion show approaches, everyone is working harder than ever to make sure it is the best one to date. While the fashion students have been preparing their scenes, stage, and gift bags, to ensure the fashion show is a success, the tourism and hospitality students have been perfecting the decorations, refreshments, and door prizes to make the reception memorable. It is crucial for these two halves of the event to be cohesive, and it wouldn’t be possible without the teamwork and communication that is exhibited between these two distinct majors.

Untitled3.jpgMany details go into transforming the forum and cafeteria for the fashion show. We want guests to feel as though they’ve stepped into another world when they enter the building. This year, the forum will be packed with chairs, a beautiful stage, and hundreds of twinkling lights. The decorations for the cafeteria will include tapestries ordered from India, countless lanterns, as well as centerpieces decorated with beads that the Tourism and Hospitality Management students have spent countless hours assembling. Just as the posters say, you really do have to see it to believe it. See for yourself April 25th !         

This blog was contributed by Rebecca Meloon.

Preparing for Fata Morgana

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44e0f675764ac4587f283370bcfd3309It’s the beginning of April, and that means preparation is fully underway for GCC’s annual Spring fashion show. This is an event that many people at GCC look forward to all year. Students in Fashion and Event Planning majors have been working diligently to prepare for this event. This year, the students are working with the theme of “Fata Morgana”. This is a challenging but fun theme, and every student seems to have fully grasped the theme and is now working to utilize it. Decorations, outfits for the models, and door prizes are in the process of being completed. Students are now deciding exactly how to decorate in a way that will best fit the theme.

There is also a great deal of preparation involved in the food and beverages that will be served after each fashion show. Fata Morgana will take place on April 25th. There are two shows within this day. The first will be in the afternoon at 3:00 PM, and the second will be a nighttime show at 7 PM. There will be a reception with light food and beverages immediately following each show.

In addition, there will be various vendors at the reception for anyone wishing to make any purchases. Friends, relatives, fellow students and members of the community are all encouraged to attend the show and reception.

This blog was contributed by Emily Pelton.

Among The Wild Flowers

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The 34th annual fashion show at GCC is coming up and I already know it’s going to be a huge success! Last year I interned for two scenes, the menswear and the children’s wear scene. I had a great experience interning for the children’s wear scene and was able to assist in picking out the merchandise as well as style the children.

This year I knew I wanted to produce my own scene, so Taylor Bunch and I are producing the children’s scene for this year’s show Fata Morgana. The overall theme of the show focuses on deserts around the world and the idea of a mirage. We decided to make the concept for the children’s scene very bohemian and natural in order to coordinate with the theme. We came up with the title “Among The Wild Flowers” from the lyrics of a Tom Petty song.

We picked out the clothing the children will be wearing from Lord & Taylor and Gymboree. We were very excited to find that the store had a lot of bohemian and floral pieces that we mixed and matched to create our vision for our scene. We will be doing some DIY accessories to make the overall looks more natural and make our little models look like flower children.

We are going to be very busy the next couple of weeks making sure to get everything perfect for the show. Make sure you come out on April 25th to see what everyone has been working so hard on! You won’t want to miss it!

This blog was contributed by Fashion Merchandising Student Katie Strong.

Beast To Beauty

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yoThe 34th Annual Genesee Community College Fashion show, Fata Morgana, is inspired by the beauty of the desert. What better place to find inspiration between the hot sand, the blazing sun, and the beautiful colors that stretch over the endless sky?

Together Sara Elliot and I have created Transcendence, meaning to go beyond or exceedingly ordinary limits. This scene will bring something new to the Annual Genesee Community College Fashion Show that has never been seen in the thirty-three years the fashion show has been running; a scene completely dedicated to costumes.

The inspiration of the scene is hidden among the dunes of endless sand and shrubs that grow in the deserts of the world. In the desert, not always seen but always there, are the plants and creatures that call the desert home.

kkkThese animals include the armadillo, the pangolin, the rattlesnake, the echidna, and more. In Transcendence, each costume is inspired by a plant or animal that inhabits the desert. The scene is also inspired by the cultural life of several deserts through the styles of the designs and the fabrics and prints used. With a combination of original designs, cultural flare, and bold prints, this is a scene that will turn desert beasts to beauties.

This blog was contributed by Fashion Design Student Angelique Porey.

De-stress Yourself

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There are only a few more weeks left until the GCC fashion show! Sounds stressful, huh? Why yes, it is. Putting on a fashion show is a rather tricky task, and tons of hard work. So much stress comes along with it including biting your nails, having the urge to snap, maybe even pulling your hair out. With very little time to make everything come together, where is the time to relax? Sure you might say that there is none at all and that you are always on the run. But for a successful fashion show to come together you need to eliminate that stress and just go with the flow. Sure, it doesn’t sound appealing and may even seem like that’s a no-go. Although, what sounds better? Stressing out to the point that you have no idea what to do and carrying an unbearable weight on your shoulders, or feeling calm and confident that you are doing things right? Sure the time might be disappearing quickly but you do have to take care of yourself as well. Especially since everyone says that your health is the number one thing.

Now, some people might already be thinking about the day of the fashion show, that’s when the stress fully kicks-in. At this point everyone is hoping for the best; hoping that the models you hired will come on time, that nothing rips before the show or gets dirty, and most of all hoping that none of your models fall down the runway. Of course, there’s so much that comes with the fashion show and the negative things are always thought about, but why not let the positive outweigh the negatives. Here are a few tips on how to de-stress before the fashion show arrives. Number one would be to perform a few breathing exercises that will stimulate the mind and calm down the body. Of course plenty of sleep will do justice, but if you are nervous for the show and with the added excitement mixed in, one night of rest might not cut it. Enjoying the day before by having fun with the rehearsals and thinking positively might help to eliminate some stress.  Go into another world and just enjoy the calmness of it. That’s where meditation comes into play, this can be effective in calming the mind and creating a sense of happiness. Eating healthy is another way to de-stress. The Next tip would be to keep your eye on the ball. Sometimes we can all get caught up in the planning and details rather than what it’s all about. Take some time for yourself, take a spa day or even a yoga day just to get your balance back into check. Your health is the most important thing; spend time doing anything that relaxes or de-stresses you. It always works and it’s the best way to relax and ensure that the fashion show will be a success.

This blog was contributed by Fashion Merchandising Student Maggie Blaszczak.