Miscellaneous

GCC exhibits “What Were You Wearing?” Art Installation

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By Pinn Duong

Inspired by a poem “What I Was Wearing” by Dr. Mary Simmerling, Jen Brockman and Mary Wyandt-Hiebert created the first exhibit of “What Were You Wearing” in 2014 at the University of Arkansas. Since then, many “What Were You Wearing?” survivor art installations were developed across the US to shatter the decades-old myth that the responsibility of an assault lies in the victim. Similar victim-blaming questions, such as interrogating the victims’ alcohol consumption and their sexual history, bring shame and blame upon the victim and take the focus away from the real offenders. Such prejudices intimidate victims from reporting the assault and further feeds the rape culture. 

(Photo by Jennifer Sprague from HuffPost News) The original art exhibit “What Were You Wearing?” at the University of Kansas. 

“you see

i have been asked this question

many times

it has been called to my mind

many times

this question

this answer

these details. 

…

if only it were so simple

if only we could

end rape

by simply changing clothes.

i remember also

what he was wearing

that night

even though

it’s true

that no one

has ever asked.”

From “What I Was Wearing” by Mary Simmerling

On November 7th, GCC exhibited its own survivor art installation, displaying nine outfits hanging next to 9 rape survivors’ narratives about what they wore when they were assaulted. 

A long sleet shirt and Khakis. A T-shirt and jeans. A sweatsuit. A 6-year old girl’s dress. They were all there. Attendees not only see themselves reflected in the outfits “I have this similar shirt at home,” but also in the settings or contexts in which assaults took place, “a family’s friend came to visit,” “at a social gathering before entering grad school,”…

Within the exhibit were support groups and organizations at GCC and local communities: 

  • Al-Anon is a newly created peer support club for students at GCC that aids recovery for the families and friends of alcoholics. Weekly meeting will be held in room C201 every Tuesday from 12:30-1:30 pm.                                                              
  • Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA) is an alcohol and substance abuse prevention and treatment agency whose services include prevention, treatment, EAP and residential programs in Western New York.
  • GLOW Women March empower women of local, rural communities of the GLOW region to participate and rise to positions of power that create positive changes.
  • RESTORE, a program of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, leads the community response to sexual violence through advocacy and education, by providing the safety, support and validation that changes the lives of all those affected.
  • YWCA Genesee offers domestic violence crisis and prevention services, accessible childcare at Genesee County Family Court, and economic empowerment opportunities.
Al-Anon – new club at GCC
YWCA Genesee

More facts about domestic and sexual violence in the US:

  • October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
  • April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) – NSVRC
  • On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men (1).
  • Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime (1).
  • Only 34% of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries (1).

Sources:  

  1. https://ncadv.org/

Mental Health on Campus

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By Dennis Austin

College marks an important period in a student’s life. As students begin to transition into adulthood, college is a playground of sorts, a place where experimentation, deep thought, and pondering on what lies ahead are all on the menu. Some students define their college experience through partying, sexual exploration, intense academic rigor, or a combination of sorts. However, for many students they are not in the least concerned with these activities as their energy is more focused on getting themselves out of bed, dealing with an anxiety attack or flirting with the idea of suicide.

Over the past few years mental health has become a hallmark on college campuses across the world. More attention and resources have now been dedicated in assisting students who struggle with their internal demons, which for many, is a case of life and death. Here at Genesee Community College, there is a noticeable sense of despair which afflicts much of the student body. I myself have seen people in my own social circle openly admit to cutting themselves, failed suicide attempts, amongst many other tragic stories. One student in particular had cut themselves multiple times in their abdomen, an event which required an overnight hospital stay.

Earlier this month at the behest of GCC President James Sunser, me and College Village Resident Assistant Randy Bumbury, visited Monroe Community College and advocated for more resources on campus to deal with this crisis. In a room filled with State legislators across various regions we plead our case as to why this issue requires urgent action. Jeanie Burdick is a fine counselor here at GCC and has performed her job well, but she is only one individual. Given that our estimated student population is well over 1,000 (more if our campus centers and distance learning students are calculated), there is simply not enough resources available to address the needs of students.

To be blunt, we need money. Monetary backing would ensure we could afford more than one full-time, qualified counselor as well as expanding our services at the Counseling Center. Thus, GCC could provide more options for students to better manage their health outside of what currently exists, such as Therapy Assist Online, a useful tool students can use, but doesn’t completely solve the problem. The issue we have is not a lack of motivation or skill. That much among faculty is present. We just don’t have the “cache” if you will, to go beyond our constraints and truly make a difference.

Dennis Austin is a graduating sophomore, majoring in Liberal Arts & Sciences. He is graduating this semester and will be attending the University of Illinois in January.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or dial 911. If you need to make an appointment with our Counseling Center, please contact Jeanie Burdick at jlburdick@genesee.edu or call (585)-343-0055 ext. 6219. The Counseling Center is open weekdays, Monday-Friday, from 9 AM to 4:30 PM.

Interviewing Janet of Rocky Horror Show: Runo Suzuki

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By Pinn Duong

Runo Suzuki is a sophomore majoring in Theatre Arts at GCC. She is an international student from Hokkaido, Japan. She’s currently a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Student Government Association, Forum Players Theatre Company and a Resident Assistant at GCC’s College Village.

During high school, Runo partook in at least six theatre productions in various roles as an actress, lightning crew, stage manager, and director. At GCC, she had participated in four productions including Bakkhai (as one of the Bakkahs), Single Black Female (as a dancer), Encounters (as an actor), and Children’s Theatre: The Lamp is the Moon (as an ensemble member). Together with the Forum Players Theatre Company, Runo Suzuki performed The Rocky Horror Show as Janet Weiss on October 17-20, 2019 at GCC’s Stuart Steiner Theatre.

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“Your heart will thump and your blood will sing / So let the party and the sound rock on / We’re gonna shake it til the life has gone” (lyrics of “Wild And Untamed Thing”). Runo Suzuki and cast performing “Wild And Untamed Thing.”

Were there any difficulties being an international student at GCC?

Absolutely. Last year I was too scared, too shy and too embarrassed to talk to people, ‘cause I thought my English was not good. I’m involved in theatre, have to communicate with the crew and the cast, I was in the situations that I have to talk. Also, my American roommate, Brittany, who is also a theatre major, was also extremely helpful; she always stayed to help me and we hung out a lot, and that boosted my confidence in English speaking.

Why did you choose GCC? And why the theatre major?

I’ve always loved theatre since I was little. In Japan, there are very few colleges that provide theatre programs, and they are mostly very expensive. And I love English, so I want to learn more about it, and I want to learn theatre in New York, since it is the hotspot of theatre and arts. I searched through various colleges with theatre programs and specifically chose GCC to start my English and theatre studies.

What’s your favorite theatre course or professor at GCC?

My favorite course was “Lighting the Stage” taught by Instructor Brodie McPherson, who is also the director of the show. Brodie is so amazing, he can do everything, from light tech to staging and building set props and designs. Currently, I’m working as a lighting design assistant under Brodie as well.

How was the audition process? Why did you choose to audition for this role?

Actually, I initially chose to audition for Frank-N-Furter (Big laugh). I only wrote down Frank-N-Furter and that’s it, I did not write down any other roles. I just loved Frank-N-Furter and after I auditioned for the character, and I was shocked when I was cast for Janet. Because Janet is a pretty, girly and extremely Janet, and I am absolutely not that kind of person.

And I’m shocked to hear you were shocked that you were cast for Janet. I skimmed over the main cast and I could not imagine another cast member that can fit the role and exhibit the bubbly and mischievous innocence as well as you did. It’s either the director cast really well or you acted really well, or both. Why were you shocked you were cast as Janet?

Long story short, I attended an all-girls high school and I mostly played male roles, so I have always been used to the masculine role-playing, so my mind and my comfort zone has always been filled with male’s roles. This was one of the reasons why I auditioned for Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Then one day, I had to be Janet, an utterly feminine, cute and sexual woman.

So the most difficult for me was transforming my gender identity as an actress from masculine roles to feminine roles. There are many different versions of Rocky Horror Picture Show and I watched everything I could find and especially focused on Janet’s pretty and womanly movements. The part I felt most difficult was performing Janet’s “Toucha, Toucha, Touch Me,” which was about her pent-up sexual frustrations and lust awakenings. The scene I feared the most was the scene at the start of Act II (shyly giggles), in which Janet had her first sex with Frank, who disguised himself as her fiancé, Brad, to seduce her.

What are your strong and weak points as an actress? Let’s start with your strong points.

I think one of my strengths so far is adaptability [to different roles]. I’m overly facially expressive. I think another one of my strengths is craziness. Brodie always told me, “you’re a weirdo!” I’d proudly response, “I know!” – maybe that’s a strong point for an actress. I love moving my body, I can’t stop moving my body and dancing whenever I’m hyped.

For weaknesses, I’m not a good singer. I’ve played the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast” in high school, but I think I was terrible, I think no one was moved by my singing. During the first few weeks of rehearsal, the musical director, Lauren, taught me vocal lessons on learning how to breathe, how to project my voice. I also need to improve more on understanding, analyzing in-depth and empathize with the character’s backgrounds and motives.

Did you learn anything new about American culture through this production?

YES! Americans are more open-minded regarding LGBT and they are not too bothered about what others are wearing or what their gender and sexual identity labels are. In Japan, it’s more conservative, the topic is not openly address and people of Japan’s LGBT community in most of the time feels they have to hide a huge part of themselves.

What are your plans post-graduation?

I plan on transfer to a 4-year university or work in a theatre-related position for a year on OPT (Optional Practical Training).

Any words or tips for future GCC theater students?

I experienced so many wonderful experiences with the theatre people here and I couldn’t be more proud. I do hope they will get to have the same terrific experiences as I did.

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Rocky Horror Show
Runo and cast at a dance rehearsal for “Wild And Untamed Thing” musical performance.
Rocky Horror Show
Runo (at the front of the line) and cast rehearsing for musical song “Time Warp,” a timeless catchy symbolic song of the Rocky Horror Show.
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Innocent ‘Janet’ (played by Runo) and ‘Brad’ (played Samuel Rigerman ) arriving at a strange castle and overwhelmed by Frank-N-Furter minions’ uncommon greetings.
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Runo Suzuki performing “Toucha, Toucha, Touch Me” with Chris Barbis (who played Rocky Horror) – a scene where Janet realizes her own pent-up lusts and explores sexual maturity.

Credit: Photos by Kotaro Watanabe from GCC Photo Club.

Meet our newest blogger: Pinn!

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Heyo GCC fellows!

I’m Pinn and I’m an international student from Vietnam. This is my first semester at GCC and I’m majoring in Computer Information Systems at GCC. This is an intro blog so I’ll will throw at you some random intro points about me:

  • Having been at GCC for 6-7 weeks, I’m pleasantly surprised to find so many international Japanese students are enrolling at GCC. I’ve always been fascinated with Japanese culture and I never imagined coming to GCC would offer me an indirect cultural exposure to “The Land of the Rising Sun.”
  • Coming from the tropical and humid equatorial climate of Vietnam, I’m preparing myself (physically and mentally) to fight head on with the intense winter sneakily creeping into Batavia.
  • One thing I crave the most after coming to the US is coconut water, which is much more expensive here compared to my home. But on a brighter note, I have easier access to fresh blueberries, cherries and certified-quality nuts (walnut, pecan, almonds…) which can be considered a luxury in Vietnam.
  • I love K-pop and my favorite group is Epik High. Tablo, a Korean-Canadian leader and producer of the group, studied English Literature at Stanford University so many of his songs are produced in English. I am rarely interested in rap, but many of Epik High’s rap songs are at the top of my playlist because of their poetic nature and clever wordplay. If you have only heard about K-pop for BTS, I recommend you check out one of Tablo’s English raps, “Dear TV” which tackles the modern demon of tech and entertainment shows.
  • I love graphic design and have been tinkering with and learning to use Adobe software since middle school. I used to think I could take on graphic design as a career but I later realized I lack the artsy-ness and patience, so I’m keeping it as my hobby.  

I read almost all the student writing on this blog before arriving at GCC and their blogging provided many helpful tips about being in America and being a student at GCC.

I hope my future blogs will be able to do the same for other students.

GCC Plaid

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DSC_5560aGCC Plaid Inventory is still for sale, but time is running out as the end of the semester is quickly approaching!

There will be a table at the fashion show, Limitless on May 4, 2019. Buy your tickets to the fashion show here: Fashion Show Tickets

But, you don’t have to wait until then to purchase your T-shirts, socks, or ties. Email: Alexis Eighmey to purchase your plaid items!  aeighmey@my.genesee.edu

Stay comfortable and stylish while simultaneously promoting GCC and helping out the DECA Club. Look for us during GCC sporting events and on the Batavia Campus Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:20-1:15!

 

 

The following items are available for sale:DSC_5574B

Black long sleeve T-shirts $15
Blue short sleeve T-shirts $10
Plaid socks $10
Silk neckties $20
Bowties $30
Scarves $20
Tumblers $10

Catching Up With Finance Committee!

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There is a lot of work that goes into a fashion show, our students are doing an excellent job of working together and creating an entertaining show that everyone will enjoy. One of our five committees that create the show is finance, a very important department where they balance the budget and put together the final program.

The Finance group is small but mighty with Larry and Becca, they are putting together donations that have been coming in the past few weeks. Finalizing the program, putting in all of the people and business patrons that generously donated. Another major responsibility is preparing and collecting basket raffles and making sure there are a variety of different themes for each basket. As the show is getting closer everyone participating is working hard and getting stuff done!

Make sure to buy your tickets on http://www.dailynewstickets.com! Follow all of our social media Twitter-@trendygcc and Instagram-@gccfashionprogram for more updates on the show.

Get to Know Your Scene Coordinators!

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38th Annual Fashion Show Saturday May 4th, 2019 in the Richard C. Call Arena

As the 38th Annual Fashion Show gets closer and closer each scene coordinator is hard at work putting together looks, music and choreography. This week we will be featuring Kali Nichols who will be coordinating ‘Electricity’!

Can you explain how your scene will tie into “Limitless”?

“My scene will tie into the theme “Limitless” this year because I will be putting my own ideas and creations into the clothing.”

What season is your scene? And why did you choose that time of year?

“The season is Summer because of the metallic colors, glitter and shine being used.”

What is the inspiration behind the scene?

“My inspiration behind Electricity was just to have my own scene that really spoke to me. I’m excited to show everyone my scene and what I created!”

Make sure to follow GCC Fashion Program to get all updates! Get your tickets at http://www.dailynewstickets.com VIP- $25, General Admission-$5

Twitter-@trendygcc and Instagram-@gccfashionprogram

And follow the blog to get sneak peaks of scenes and updates for the show!

Get to Know Your Scene Coordinators!

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All of our scene coordinators are hard at work, preparing for the fashion show “Limitless”. With a combination of stylists, upcycling and designers this years show is going to be full of innovative and inclusive garments walking down the runway. Each scene coordinator is taking the theme and adding what ‘Limitless’ means to them; putting together looks and choreographing how the models will walk is all apart of the process. Each coordinator is very excited to show off their looks on May 4th, till then get to know the people behind the scenes!

Jewel Watters- “Promise”

Can you explain how your scene will tie into “Limitless”?

My scene will tie into limitless because, this show is all about having no boundaries and being inclusive. My scene will feature 20 models with all ethnicity, and body size.

What season is your scene? And why did you choose that time of year?

My scene will be taking place in the Winter season. I chose Winter because, I’ve always thought weddings taken place in the winter was extremely beautiful because of the snow, scenery, and the color palette for the dresses and suits.

What is the inspiration behind the scene?

The inspiration behind my scene is what you usually envision when you think of having a winter wedding. I think it’s the most beautiful time of the year and will turn into a really beautiful scene.

To stay up to date on all things fashion and get immediate updates from the Fashion Show on May 4th, Follow our social media and the blog!

Twitter-@trendygcc

Instagram-GCCfashionprogram

If you are interested in purchasing tickets go to http://www.dailytickets.com VIP $25 General Admission $5

Fashion Show Tickets – ON SALE NOW!

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GCC’s 38th annual fashion show, “Limitless” is on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 7 p.m. in the Richard C. Call Arena. It will be a night of fashion, inspiration, innovation and inclusivity. There will be a vendor fair starting at 6 p.m. and continuing after the show with businesses from all over the GLOW region.  In addition, there will be pre-show entertainment and a reception after the show to meet the designers, models, and more!

Tickets to the show are just $5 for general admission and $25 for VIP – which includes SWAG bags and preferential seating.

The best part – tickets are now easier to get! Click here!

Or, visit www.dailynewstickets.com and search for Limitless!

Follow us on our social media for all updates!

Twitter-@trendygcc

Instagram-@gccfashionprogram

And, of course, this blog on GCC’s website!FashionShowBlog.jpg

Carnival in Curaçao: A Spectacular Event

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By Navaily Petrona

GCC Student from Curaçao

NavailyPetrona2-smaller

“Festival di Tumba” (pronounced Toom-ba)  is one of the most memorable parts of Curaçao’s Carnival. It is one of the biggest musical festivals in the Caribbean and has been going on for 49 years. Musicians compete to become “Rei/Reina di Tumba,” King or Queen of Tumba making their Tumba the anthem for this year’s carnival.

There are two competitions one for children and one for adults. Tumba festival for adults is a weeklong event; contestants participate from Monday to Wednesday and on Friday the 30 finalists are chosen and then the winner.

If you are not at the Festival center where Tumba is held in Curaçao, you are most likely home with your family gathered around the television. Tumba has many traditions, and most families come together and either bring a lot of snacks or BBQ. My first year at GCC we all gathered at College village, our dorm and enjoyed the festival in a small group. This year we came together at the Root with snacks and games to watch the festival. The festival started at 8 pm, but as per Curaçao time most of us showed up at 10 pm.

This year titles, such as “Bos di pueblo” (The people’s voice), “Pa kar’i mi mama” (By my mom’s face), “Artista, Pint’é” (artist paint it), “Kòrsou ta den su Gloria”(Curaçao in its glory) and “Bai piki”(pick it up)  kept us warm in the chilly WNY winter weather making us feel like we were not missing out. Watching the snow fall outside while listing to Tumba is quite different.  While we enjoyed the music, we also played Twister, Four in a Row and “Mens erger je niet,”a German board game that we play a lot in Curaçao.

shelter1“Festival di Tumba” is only the beginning of the Carnival season in Curaçao. For the actual carnival there are a total of seven parades. To enjoy the parade, families make shelters along the parade route where they can hide from the hot sun and enjoy the parade in the shade. They decorate the stands with their imagination that is out of this world, and it helps creating the amazing atmosphere.

The route for the parades is approximately 6 km (3.7 miles). The parades jump-starts on Sunday, February 17 with a parade exclusively for horses, riders get dressed up in costumes decorate their horses. The following Sunday February 24   is the first children’s parade, and then Friday, March 1 is the teen’s parade. The next day March 2, is the carnival of “Banda-abou” (takes place on the west side of the island), and on Sunday March 3 will be the grand parade. On Monday, March 4 there is the farewell parade for the children and at the end a fire breather sets  a massive scarecrow in a colorful costume filled with fireworks on fire. Tuesday the 5th is the grand farewell parade which takes place at night. The different participating groups put the spotlight on their member so their beautiful glittery costumes can sparkle even adding LED lights to the costumes. The grand parade must be lit at 12:00 midnight because this is when lent starts.

If you ever decide to visit Curaçao to experience Carnival do not for get your earplugs because Tumba will be blasting!

To see a video of the Koronashon Rei  di Tumba 2019, click here:  https://youtu.be/lGlmSWrN1bwTumba fest group1

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