Professional Dress with Personal Best

Susan Makai is the CEO and founder of Personal Best, which is a modeling and talent school located in Buffalo NY. Susan inspired everyone in the room by tell us of how she started Personal Best 24 years ago with just someone believing in her and her talent in making people’s dreams come true. Ms. Makai came to Genesee Community College and talked to the Fashion Majors as well as others who wanted to listen in. She began her presentation by telling us the top ten personal appearance mistakes that make employers shutter.

The fit of clothing- nobody cares what size you are as long as the clothing you have on fit you.
Provocative clothing- such as skirts that are too short, sheer fabrics and garments, garments that are low cut in the front. Provocative clothing can cause unnecessary attention in the workplace.
Denim- can give the wrong impression to your employer making them feel that you aren’t serious.
Trendy clothing- isn’t the best investment to make because they don’t stay in style as well they aren’t always a good fit for most body types.
Novelty wear– is not acceptable to wear in any professional setting.
Accessories-these should be subtle and shouldn’t take the attention of everyone else in the room.
Shoe don’ts- flip flops and crocks are not shoes that are appropriate to wear at the workplace, they give off a laid back vibe to employers.
Grooming- be careful how much makeup you wear and how you wear your hair it can give off the feeling that you aren’t clean to potential employers or current employers.
Mismatch- it might be cool looking but for work you must stay professional and consistent looking.
Distracting- different patterns on a garment may pull the focus off of business and on to you.

Ms. Makai also gave us advice on what to wear in the workplace such as black dress pants are always a classic. The suited look is always popular for men as well as solid sweaters are a nice change up for men’s apparel. She also discussed how to connect with others which was very inspiring. She showed everyone the proper way to do a handshake because as we were taught a handshake shows you’re confident and professional. Ms. Makai also told us eye contact body language and your tone of voice are three things that can give the person you are with the feeling that you’re not interested in what they’re talking about.

We want to personally thank Susan Makai for coming in and talking to us, you truly gave us some vital information that will stick with us forever.

Written by Natalie Brown, Kelly Wetherby and Shelby Wallenhorst

Mini Fashion Show for GCC’s Visitors

Natalie Brown

Today, April 24th, counselors from high schools all around came to visit GCC, along with their secretaries for a surprise event. This years gathering was to educate these visitors about the Fashion Program in a fun and exciting way. During the event, the counselors and secretaries designed their own t-shirts. The end product was then displayed in a mini fashion show. The 3 people that had the most creative design and knew how to strut their stuff, on the mini runway, were awarded with a trophy.

Natalie Brown, one of the project manager’s for this event, said, “they’ll learn by doing.” In order to better understand the Fashion Program here at GCC, today’s visitors participated in the ‘design process’ and through the mini fashion show, experienced a little bit of event management.

This event was a fantastic way to get the word out about the great Fashion Program offered here at GCC. In involved a great amount of participation and the visitors were able to see what the program has to offer. The rooms where the luncheon took place was decorated and set up beautifully by all participants and helpers.

I could tell the counselors and their secretaries enjoyed the time they spent here at GCC today. They learned a lot about the program and were able to have fun at the same time. They put on a show that was enjoyable to watch, and they will be sure to remember the greatness that GCC has to offer future students.

This event could not have been so great if it weren’t for the GCC staff, helpers, and participants.

Candice Cooper/Natalie Brown- Project Managers

Tanya Lane-Martin- Assistant Dean of Enrollment/Director of Admissions

Rachel Blecha- Enrollment Specialist

Kerrie Sputore- Admissions Specialist

Christie Hale- Admissions

Ebony Ross- Admissions

Judges: Rick Dudkowski, Candice Cooper, Natalie Brown, Donna Ehrhart

Resume Writing: Winners of the Resume Contest

Depending on the job you’re applying for, there are many different ways to write your resume. The two basic formats are chronological ( organize most recent history first) and functional (organize to highlight skills and accomplishments). Creating a resume and trying to figure out how to put it together may be difficult, however; you can build off your resume for the rest of your life. It’s important to have a resume to show off and exploit all of your skills. A few resume writing tips include:

Resume Do’s Resume Don’ts

1 page No “I”

to the point bad grammar/typos

designed with a focus photo of yourself

action verbs

include strong skills

Everyone likes to brag about themselves and a resume is a great way to do just that. Things you would include in your resume are education, work experience, special skills, and volunteer work. You could also include responsibilities/requirements of previous jobs, hobbies, and your career objective.

This years 2nd annual resume Contest’s first place prize was an I-pad. Second place prize was a $50 gift card and third place prize was a $30 gift card. This year the three judges were, John McGowan Career Services Coordinator, Cindy Carpenter Verizon Wireless Recruiter, and Jim Bucki Director of Information Technology. The competition was tough, and the resumes were excellent. However, only three could win:

1st Place- Ashley Rickets (I-Pad)

2nd Place- Sarah Testa ($50 Gift Card)

3rd Place- James Draper ($30 Gift Card)

If anyone needs help with their resumes or have any questions, contact John McGowan at (585) 343-0055 x6383 or jmmcgowan@genesee.edu Mr. McGowan provides helpful services to assist students in preparing for their futures.

Mr. McGowan working hard in his office

Our Perfectly Imperfect World

“Equality is not in regarding different things similarly, equality is in regarding different things differently.” Tom Robbins. In our age of political correctness we have the tendency to overcompensate in the name of equality. We stifle our own preferences, turn a blind eye to differences, and make one size fits all solution to every problem. In the interest of being fair we have stopped treating people as individuals. It certainly seems like no harm can come from passing laws with the good intention of making things fair for everyone. The problem is, you cannot rid the world of hate and inequality by passing laws. All you succeed in doing is making it invisible.

The government seems intent on passing more laws. Tougher gun laws will certainly stop crime. Problem being, criminals do not follow the law, so more likely the result will be less law abiding citizens with guns. Our nation is unhealthy and overweight. so, the government responds with heavy taxes on cigarettes and tax penalties, for going without health insurance. Surely hitting people in their wallet will encourage them to do the “right” thing. There is no chance its just going to succeed in making the poor people poorer. Our nation is in a war against obesity, so they try to pass laws to ban happy meal toys and super-sized fries and drinks. Clearly Americans need the governments intervention in order to make good choices.

Lois Lowry creates a world where it is considered impolite to point out peoples differences, in her young adult novel, “The Giver”. The book shows the benefits and sacrifices of a world of “sameness.” The government makes all the choices for the residents, to be certain no one makes a mistake. What is left is a Utopian society without crime, acclimate weather, or even pain. Even the people all look the same, because differences in color have been eliminated. Granted, this is with the good intention of ending discrimination, but it seems a few steps too far. This book portrays a possible future if we continue to allow the government to limit our freedom of choice, under the guise of doing whats best for us.

I’m not saying that the concept of a world without hunger and disease, natural disasters, and hate, isn’t worth striving for. But I am saying it is simply not possible to legislate morality. I may think its bad to smoke, eat fast food, and own guns, but that doesn’t mean I want to infringe upon other peoples rights. Further, I am not willing to trade my freedom of choice for someone else’s idea of right and wrong. Maybe you could care less about these issues, but the next rights that the government wants to infringe on might be something that is important to you.

The point is, there is not a one sized fits all answer to our problems. Complex problems require complex solutions. I think instead of trying to solve the world by looking around, we look within. Instead of trying to change everybody else, work on changing yourself. Don’t look at the fast food on your neighbors plate, and judge…look at your own, and be thankful there is something on it. Don’t look with jealously on the good fortunes of others; I’m sure, you honestly wouldn’t want to take it away. Know that fate smiles on us all at different times, in different ways, and soon you will see the gifts you have been bestowed. Soon, you will realize you do not want the same life as everyone else. You want a life as rare and wonderful as the person in charge of it…YOU.

New Fashion Concentration: Event Planning

Events can be thought of as, “a creative solution to recognize products,” and “an experience people will write about,” says Professor Amy Slusser. From my own experience with event planning, it’s fun, exciting, and a hands-on job. When planning/creating an event, whether you’re planning a birthday party, business meeting, or a fashion show you’re able to put your creative side to work.

“An academic concentration is a cluster of courses focusing on a specialized topic,” says Michael S. Stoll, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. The students who pursue this new concentration will receive a Fashion Business Degree.

The need for events, especially retailing events, is growing. Students completing this concentration will be able to apply the knowledge they have learned and put it all to use for free-standing events and for complex event projects. In addition to events, students will be able to conduct activities at trade shows and conventions.

The coursework included with this concentration are classes, such as; Customer Relationship Management, Principles of Event Management, and Meeting and Convention Planning. These courses will assist in being able to understand topics like customer behavior, how to decorate, food choices, entertainment, and other elements.

Tasks of Meeting | Convention | Event Planners

monitor event activities to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and laws
converse with staff at chosen sit to plan the details
inspect event facilities to make sure they meet the requirements
coordinate services for event; accommodations, transportation for participants, facilities, catering, signage, displays, security, etc.
consult with customers; meetings, conferences, conventions
meet with sponsors and organize committers
review bills for event/ approve payment
evaluate and select providers
arrange audio-visual equipment, transportation, displays.

The average wage of an event planner is $46,020 annually. In 2010, the employment was 72,000 employees. The projected growth is 29% or higher from 2010-2020. All-in-all there is a bright outlook for this position.

2013 Ducky Derby!

The 5^th annual Ducky Derby fundraiser for United Way was a success! The contest was sponsored on March 7^th, 2013. We raised a total of $1,821. Our first place duck was sold for $1 so the winner, Cathy Costello, received $182 while the remaining amount, $1,629, went directly to United Way. The race itself was fun and exciting, and the turnout was great!

A special Thank You goes out to:

Student Project Managers: Amber Sharick, Natalie Brown, Candice Cooper, Emma Peirick, Kelly Wetherby, and Maria Pia Camarra

Swimmers: Kylynn Bank, Jennifer Merle, Leah Staley, Chuck Malone, Nick DeFelice, Devon Phillip, and Gary Batchellor.

Swim Coach: Mr. Eric Fix

GCC Staff: Cheryl Young, Elizabeth Downie, Diane Marchese

GCC MarCom: Donna Rae Southerland, Michael Garrett, and Ilkia Solano

GCC Cheerleaders

GCC United Way Committee Members

GCC Student Activities Office

GCC Business Forum Club Members

GCC Faculty: Rick Dudkowski, Barb Shine, and Lauren Paisley

Door Prize Sponsors: Mr. Todd Plouffe, General Manager The Del Monte Lodge Hotel & Spa and Mr. Michael Horan, Assistant Manager, GCC Bookstore.

Self Defeating Ideology- The Pitfalls and Remedies of Common College Personalities

The Perfectionist-Procrastinator– “I cannot be the best- so why try?” Ironic as it seems, a perfectionist desire to be perfect makes them their own worst enemy. They are more likely to do nothing, then risk failing. This personality type procrastinates the starting of projects until the final hour and often turn things in late or not at all. They make up excuses like, “I work better under pressure”. They have trouble getting started on an assignment due to a feeling of being inadequate.

Remedy- Start the assignment immediately after it is assigned, before there is time for self doubt to creep in. If you start early, chances are you will finish early as well. Once you experience the freedom of the project no longer hanging over your head, you will be motivated to change your procrastinating ways. Trust enough in your ability that you will not fail, while accepting the fact that failing is okay. That concept isn’t an easy one to accept, and seems contradictory at first. If you understand that learning is a process, you will be more accepting if the highs and lows. The only real failure – is failure to try.

The Crammer-Hoper “I hope the class is cancelled.” “I hope the teacher grades on a curve.” In the minutes before the test this typical college personality frantically grabs a text book and proceeds to dump and cram as much information as their brain will hold. Bits of knowledge races around in their head bumping into each other. Their head literally explodes and test answers fall through the art like snowflakes…melting before they reach the test. Realizing these efforts were in vain, they rely on their ability to BS the way through the test, as they have done in the past. Then the promises come, “Next time I will study more.” Of course, The next test is just a repeat of this same vicious cycle.

Remedy- Cramming has never been an effective way to study; it does little more than elevate your blood pressure. Further, a reliance on hope or BS will not get you very far in life, as both can run out. Study to learn the information- not for the test. Long ago, someone came up with the brilliant ideas that knowledge must be tested, to be certain that it is possessed. This inevitably shifted the focus from gaining the education, to passing the test. This could be a fatal mistake in a person’s educational pursuits. Think about it, do you want the doctor that squeaked by with passing grades, or the one who had such a thirst and passion for the subject that they absorbed every bit of knowledge, and sought out more? You are only cheating yourself (and future clients) by taking your opportunity to be educated for granted.

The Low Self Esteem-Excuse Maker– “Everyone who gets good grades, is just smarter than I am.” “I can’t learn this!” “I do not have time to study.” If this typical college personality spent half as much time studying, as they do making excuses for why they didn’t, then they would be one of the “smart” people they complain about.

Remedy- Be smart enough to study. You are capable of learning anything that you put your mind to. Learn some study techniques. (I wrote a blog about it.) Avoid distractions like Face book, You tube, and Twitter. These waste time, and although you can claim you are multi-tasking but you are really just dragging your feet. Take responsibility for your own actions and do not compare yourself to those around you. You are not in a competition against them Your job is to be the best you, that you can be.

Mardi Gras for HomeCare and Hospice Follow-up

The event at Batavia Downs Casino went great! We raised a lot of money for HomeCare and Hospice. Everyone enjoyed the food and had a great time. The bands, M.A.C. and -1, were phenomenal and the crowd loved the calm atmosphere. The GCC volunteers were in charge of the 50/50 raffle tickets, chinese auction tickets, handing out raffle baskets, taking tickets at the door, and helping Linda Cumming, the Developement Manager of HomeCare and Hospice, with whenever she needed it.

The event was held in the in the Batavia Downs Clubhouse. It was set up beautifully by the Batavia Downs staff and decorated by the GCC volunteers. After the event was over, our guests went lose and had a great time gambling with their $15 Free Play. A lot of hard work was put into the event and the turn out was great!

It was a great opportunity for the Travel Club to help such an amazing cause. Thank you Linda Cummings and Amy Slusser for the opportunity!

Batavia Downs CasinoAmber Sharick, Brianna Platt, Amy Slusser, Zana Silmi, Gary Neth, The Band -1

Chinese Auction

Table Setup

From left to right;
Gary Neth, Professor Slusser, Zana Silmi, Brianna Platt

Amber Sharick (left)
Brianna Platt (right)

The Band -1

Almost makes you look forward to the Zombie Apocalypse

Ok, so Zombies are the hip new thing with you young people. My daughter drags my lifeless corpse to the comedy movie “Warm Bodies”, and I came alive! This quaint story of a young zombie that falls in love with a human girl, is laugh out loud funny! Get ready to fall in love with a new kind of monster movie. These are definitely not your father’s zombie movies! With my recent Netflix subscription I have also been introduced to the AMC show about the Zombie apocalypse. “The Walking Dead” centers on a Sheriff who is shot and is unconscious when the zombies take over the planet destroying most of mankind. He wakes up and goes looking for his wife and son who had been rescued by his friend and co-worker. The Sherriff realizes his family left in a hurry, and wanders in a dazed state, doomed for certain death at the teeth of a “walker”. He’s rescued and brought up to speed by a man and his son whom are hankered down in an abandoned house. After making an agreement to stay in contact, the two part ways, and the Sherriff looks for his family. He goes to the city to find shelter, only to find it has been taken over by zombies. The Sherriff comes to a “dead end” when zombies trap him inside an abandoned Army Tank. He is contacted on the CB by a young Korean man who, after insulting his intellect, helps him escape. The sheriff joins a motley crew of survivors, who are not pleased that he has now put all their lives in peril. Quickly he earns the respect of the group by handcuffing the racist redneck bully of the group to a pipe. He launches an escape plan that involves smearing themselves with zombie guts. (How cool it that?) The group makes their way back to camp, where the Sherriff is reunited with his wife and son. They were still in the care of his co-worker, whom had left him for dead, and now was in a secret relationship with his wife. The Walking Dead may not be the most original premise for a series, but it is extremely well written and the effects are spectacular! I jump out of my seat from the action and the suspense is enough that my legs shake uncontrollably. (Yes, my family looks at me like I’m insane.) This is my family’s new addiction. I recommend it to anyone who liked Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Roswell, or anything cool and zombie-like.

Victoria’s Secret: Behind the Scene

In the 8:00 a.m. Professional Sales class, we were lucky to have a guest speaker from Victoria’s Secret. Allison Suttell was Shelby Wallenhorst, a Fashion Merchandise major, guest speaker who introduced Miss Suttell to the class. Allison Suttell was very successful at backing up everything that Mr. Dudkowski has taught us thus far.

Allison Suttell (Left)
Shelby Wallenhorst (Right)

Miss Suttell is the Beauty and PINK manager in Henrietta. She told the class that she actually fell into her current position. Going to school for teaching, Miss. Suttell decided to apply for a job on the side. After being hired at Victoria’s Secret, Miss Suttell gradually began moving up in the business. She is now responsible for 160 people; scheduling, payroll, evaluations, interviewing, and making sure her employees are doing what they should be.

Even though Miss Suttell, went to school for teaching, she enjoys her high ranking job. She went from no experience with sales to her current position. She stressed to the class how businesses that are “customer oriented” are more likely to be successful, and engaging customers with open ended questions is a tactic to build a relationship with potential customers. The word-of-mouth technique of marketing if more efficient than advertisements; she explains that if one can create a great experience for a customer, they will most likely return, tell their friends, or come back with others. Miss Suttell also explained the importance of training employees. If a person is trained in every category and aspect of the business, they will be more valuable, versatile, and most importantly, helpful to customers. Effective training keeps each location consistent; therefore, the customer who had a great first experience at one store location, can have that same great experience at another.

Having Allison Suttell as a guest speaker was extremely beneficial to the class. I think I speak for the whole class when I say that we gained more knowledge about real life experiences when it comes to professional selling. Thank you Shelby Wallenhorst and Allison Suttell for your time and effort!

Genesee Community College Blog

1st hand experiences from GCC students!

Campus Life

Professional Dress with Personal Best

Mini Fashion Show for GCC’s Visitors

Resume Writing: Winners of the Resume Contest

Our Perfectly Imperfect World

New Fashion Concentration: Event Planning

2013 Ducky Derby!

Self Defeating Ideology- The Pitfalls and Remedies of Common College Personalities

Mardi Gras for HomeCare and Hospice Follow-up

Almost makes you look forward to the Zombie Apocalypse

Victoria’s Secret: Behind the Scene

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