Jamie Edwards and her Purple Briefcase

On the GCC website in the section for Career Services, it says this, “In support of Genesee Community College’s mission and vision, Career Services is committed to providing assistance in navigating career and educational planning. Our office develops and sustains positive relationships with students, alumni, faculty, staff, employers, and our community members. These meaningful partnerships, in addition to customized educational experiences, are designed to coach, prepare, and support individuals to become a career confident citizen in the global work environment.” The key phrase from that statement was, “Our office develops and sustains positive relationships with students and faculty,” and their office was doing just that by Jamie Edwards, a Career Services Specialist, coming into Mr. Dudkowski’s Professional Sales class this past Friday to talk with our class.

Freshman, Kourtney Shearer, invited Jamie to come in and speak with our Professional Sales class about Career Services and what they do. Doing this presentation was a way for the Career Service office to develop and sustain positive relationships’ with the students in the class along with the fabulous, Professor Dudkowski. Jamie had a wealth of knowledge that she shared with our class about the services available to students and how we can best take advantage of the wonderful opportunities offered to us by Career Services.

There is so many opportunities offered by this office. One of them being Purple Briefcase. This is an amazing website for any GCC student to participate in. This website allows you to create a visual resume. You can virtually get in contact with businesses who participate with Purple Briefcase and explore the job opportunities around in a efficient manner. Along with the resume there is other parts to the website, such as the job bulletin, that allows you to search through all available job posts. You can easily apply and learn about the company by clicking on there posted profile. Also there are career tests you can take which will evaluate your strengths. weaknesses, and interests to narrow your career choices to ones that best fit you.

The information Jamie provided us was invaluable and will definitely help GCC students apply and get jobs or internships during and after their GCC career. Along with Purple Briefcase, Jamie’s job responsibilities include, but are not limited too:

Providing career orientation, job placement, and the advisement of students and community members
Coordinating job placement functions including job fairs, maintain a job bank, and employer on campus recruitment
Designing and implementing workshops, career networking events, and opportunities for students that promote career exploration and job search strategies

After Jamie presented the information, we were able to ask her questions about the programs and her job. A student asked what her favorite part of her job was and her response was, “working with the students.” A great response to go along with a fantastic presentation!

Guest Contributor Kourtney Shearer

Domestic Violence Awareness: Breaking the Silence at G.C.C.

The month of October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Students and staff from G.C.C. and other SUNY colleges have been wearing purple and setting up educational demonstrations this month in effort to break the silence of Domestic Violence at their schools.

Today, at Genesee Community College, students are in the Forum painting nails, selling purple Domestic Violence Tees, cupcakes, and chocolate bars, giving students the opportunity to write messages about why Love Should Not Hurt, and giving out prizes to “spin the wheel” game participants.

The price of a Tee is $7, and the price of purple socks are $5. Cupcakes, purple necklaces, and the chance to win a prize by spinning a wheel are all just 25 cents each. 100% of the proceeds goes to the local Domestic Violence Shelter.

If you are being abused, whether mental, physical, or emotional, by anyone, whether by a friend, acquaintance, family member, or stranger, please speak up and tell someone. Get help for yourself. You are not someone who deserves to be mistreated.

If you know someone who is being abused in anyway (read above) please get help for that person. Respect their right to privacy, but at the very least be a supportive person in their life by reminding them that they are unique, special, and that they don’t deserve to get hurt.

When I asked one of the students why she volunteered to help out with Domestic Violence they said, “Well, no one asked us to get up here and do this, but I want to be a voice that encourages people to speak out about Domestic Violence, and let them know they don’t need to be ashamed.”

The students will be out there until 4pm today, so please go and support! In doing so, your doing your part in stopping domestic violence.

Calling all Dapper Dans for Dandy Day!

Bust out the minks, and wax your mustaches GCC! You’re in for a dazzling treat! On Wednesday, October 28, at 1 p.m. the ever elegant Rose Callahan will be on campus for “Dandy Day!” For those who may not be quite up to snuff on their men about town trivia, here’s a quick (by no means definitive) definition of a dandy:

dan·dy

n.pl.dan·dies

1. A man who affects extreme elegance in clothes and manners; a fop.

2. Something very good or agreeable.

Rose Callahan is a photographer and filmmaker based in Brooklyn NY, and runs a fabulous blog entitled The Dandy Portraits: The Lives of Exquisite Gentlemen Today. Go take a gander at it, I promise it won’t disappoint! She is also co-author of the delectable book “I am Dandy: The Return of the Elegant Gentleman.”

About The Dandy Portraits

“The Dandy Portraits began in early 2008 as I started to meet gentlemen who had exceptional personal style. Their “extreme elegance” seemed to be the present day expression of The Dandy.Dandyism has been a passionately debated topic since it’s beginning in late 18th century England and France. Today, the question, “What is a dandy?” has no simple answer, and I do not claim to have the last word. Rather, this is a very personal exploration of dandyism – in it’s “infinite variety” – thru the gentlemen I have had the pleasure of meeting. With each new portrait comes more curiosity, and the realization that a true dandy is a rare thing indeed.” -Rose Callahan

Once again, she will visit Genesee Community College on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 1 p.m. for an afternoon that includes an hour long presentation, a Q&A opportunity, an autograph session and a special Dress Like A Dandy Contest.

All students, staff, and attending community members are ENCOURAGED to dress the part, and don their most fiendishly foppish apparel! The top five contestants deemed most elegant, stylish and sophisticated by a panel of GCC judges will win an autographed copy of Callahan’s book. So don’t hold back, and dress to impress!

Oh and don’t forget, The new official GCC women’s scarfs and men’s neck and bow ties are now on sale for just $20 each by contacting GCC’s Fashion Business office at 585-345-6830. These lovely accessories are 100% silk, high quality, and yet highly affordable. They would add the perfect touch to any dandy ensemble.

Inspiration Around Every Corner

While exploring the streets of New York City, I came across a building featuring an inspirational quote (pictured above) encouraging residents and travelers to become inspired by their surroundings and to create something new; whether it has to do with fashion, architecture, or music. Inspiration can be found around every corner, especially in a city as eclectic and vibrant as The Big Apple.
As a fashion merchandising major, the fashion aspect of the quote really stuck with me throughout my time in New York City. While walking the coveted Fifth Avenue and observing the window displays, this quote kept making its way into my mind. Each and every store on Fifth Avenue displayed garments that reflected the metropolitan reputation for which New York City is known. Monochromatic window displays were the current trend, as stores mainly featured all black outfits, with pops of reds (such as the Versace window displays) and neutral hues (such as Burberry). There was also a notable presence of metallic gold, specifically in the Christian Louboutin windows, which featured several displays of their new lipstick collection. With imaginative backdrops which included oversized lipsticks hanging as if they were ornaments, in addition to being featured on the quills of a peacock. The window featuring the peacock was an interactive display, which allowed those passing by, the opportunity to become part of the display, where their face would become the face on the peacock (by the use of a vanity mirror). In another series of window displays by Christian Louboutin, the public was given an inside look into the designing process of their signature red-soled heel. I found their windows to be the most artistic and inspirational. The window displays at Christian Louboutin, to me, represented the excitement, the imagination, and the inspiration that can be found around every corner.

Guest Post by Morgan Ripley

A Learning Experience

This blog post was written by sophomore, Hailey Rizzo.

New York City has started a fire inside me that will never die. Every time I go to this beautiful, crazy, exciting city I fall in love more and more. I’m sure this applies to many other people as well. After visiting for my third time, I was able to determine that my dreams are possible, all thanks to the big city. I never realized the amount of opportunity the city has to offer until this most recent trip. This NYC trip was amazing, but there were a few things that stuck out to me and made me understand that the city is where I want to end up.

Seeing past GCC graduates

Growing up in a “small town” and going to a school such as GCC, I thought I would probably stay in upstate New York forever. After a lot of thinking and especially after seeing the GCC alumni at their current jobs, it gave me hope and made me realize that the city is the place I need to be in order to make it in this industry. It was amazing seeing every one, and it was hard to believe the amount of success they’ve already had even though they only went to GCC a few years ago. That was definitely very motivating and encouraging. All of their advice helped me answer many questions I was wondering and I’m grateful they took the time out of their busy schedules to speak with us.

2. Buffalo David Bitton

This was my second visit to Buffalo David Bitton and I almost forgot how much I love that company. Diane Alexander is so amazing and after listening to her talk she showed me how much passion and dedication you need to have to be in this industry. Not to mention how much hard work you need to put in. She is someone who I respect greatly and I’m definitely going to try to get an internship at Buffalo next year.

3. FIT College Visit

After it was time for every one to go home, I stuck in the city and took a tour of FIT with my parents. After looking at multiple schools for my next step, I am very happy to say FIT is most likely where I will end up. The people there were incredibly helpful and the school itself was very pleasing. Also, the dorms are right across the street, which made me feel better when I thought of moving to the big city. Like any big city, New York can be a little intimidating, but FIT made me feel safe and comfortable. The school is amazing and I can’t wait to see where I will be in a year!

These three events were a few of the many things that made New York such an amazing trip.

Here are a few pictures below of a couple things I saw, and a very crazy transformation of myself from last NYC trip to this NYC trip.

Music that Keeps me Going

Sometimes, life is hard, other times it’s awesome. It’s easy to keep your hopes held high and a positive attitude when things are going smoothly. But what do you do when you feel down and out for the count? One of the things I like to do is listen to music that picks up my spirit, gets me dancing, and keeps me motivated. Here are a few of my favorite albums:

Daft Punk, Discovery & Homework

Andy Mineo, Uncomfortable

Stevie Wonder, The Secret Life of Plants

Jesus Culture: Reconstructed… that’s right Christian Techno. Boom!

Janelle Monae, Metropolis & Archandriod

Lecrae, Rehab

Britt Nicole, Gold

Danny Gokey, Hope in Front of Me

I hope you get a chance to listen to some of these songs, and I hope you are keeping your head held high, as the semester continues to roll on. Peace.

Selling with Enthusiasm

It was a cold and rainy Wednesday morning when Tanya Martin, the Director of Admissions here at GCC, walked into Mr. Dudkowski’s Professional Sales class. Tanya glided into the classroom with enthusiasm not willing to let the dreary weather influence her or her presentation. Tanya was invited to class because of her enthusiasm and energy. My Professional Sales class was given an assignment to interview or bring in a salesperson to speak to our class about the real world of selling. Mr. D suggested Tanya Martin, the Director of Admissions here at GCC, because she has the responsibility of selling GCC to prospective students. I jumped at the chance to bring Tanya in and I immediately raced to Admissions to persuade Tanya to come to class to speak. Tanya agreed and came in on September 30^th.

Tanya had an immense amount of wisdom to give in the short fifty five minute class. She started off her presentation by saying that as a salesperson you should never be late because it makes a terrible impression, however if you bring donuts and coffee it does soften the fact you were late.

She continued her presentation by following a timeline of her life by telling us where she was from (Alfred, NY), what she majored in (Business, but later switched to Communications), where she previously worked (New York Chiropractic College and St. John Fisher), and how she sells GCC to prospective students.

Tanya sells GCC by the features and benefits the college has to offer. She asked the class to write down what they thought some features of the college were and share them with the class. The three major features the students brought up were:

GCC is affordable
GCC has small classes
GCC offers flexible scheduling

The benefits that go along with those features are:

GCC is affordable- all of your credits transfer to a 4 year college or university and you do not have to worry about paying a lot for college.
GCC has small classes-offers hands on learning and as a student you are able to interact with your professor. The professor genuinely wants you to succeed and they will do everything in their power to get you where you want to go. Professor Dudkowski is a great example because he sincerely wants his students to excel and he has an amazing network to help his students do just that.
GCC offers flexible scheduling- GCC understands that the majority of students here have a job or family and they offer the students the ability to receive a degree while working.

Tanya gave us additional advice and information throughout the presentation and included:

Accept as many responsibilities and opportunities as you can.
Job shadow or intern to find out what you want and do not want to do.
Find a job you love.
When selling, make the customer understand that they could be a part of something bigger if the purchase the product.
Build a relationship with the customer and genuinely care about the customer.
Network as much as possible.
Do not promise something that you cannot deliver.
Be persistent, but not aggressive.
Smile and remember that public speaking is a comfortable conversation not a scary situation.
Do not miss out on something in life because you are not comfortable speaking.
Do not ever forget that everybody is somebody.

Tanya gave an amazing presentation and it was a great reminder of what is going on in the industry and how it relates our class. Her presentation was fast paced and filled with anecdotes. Each student in the class took away something different from the presentation and the most important thing I took away was to never treat anyone differently or rude because you never who you are going to meet or interact with in the future. I am very thankful Tanya had taken the time out of her busy schedule to come and speak with us!

Giving Tanya our GCC plaid as a thank you for coming into class.

Our Last Day In The City!

I can’t believe that today was our last day in this beautiful city! I don’t want to leave! Today was incredible, and jam-packed with enriching trips. Bright and early we headed to LIM, which was literally a dream come true. The campus is gorgeous, we were able to watch a video of the school’s most recent fashion show (absolutely breathtaking), and they were even sweet enough to serve us a lovely conntinental breakfast.

Here’s a quick break down of some pertinent LIM information:

87% of graduates are employed within six months of graduation.
41% received a job offer as a direct result of their senior co-op.
97% found employment in the Tri-State Area.
Graduates work throughout the industry: merchandising, buying, retail management, marketing, and visual merchandising…
Average starting salaries range from $35,000-$44,999.
Tuition: $23,650 (part-time tuition = $785/credit)
Housing: $15,850
Technology fee: $300
Student Activity fee: $275

The lovely GCC alumna Ashley!

And of course, the gifting of more plaid to the amazing LIM staff members who were kind enough to speak with us!

They even had this wonderful backdrop for tons and tons of selfies!

After LIM we headed to Brandlink Communications to meet with the adorable newlywed alumni, Samantha and Jamie Tyrell. After GCC Samantha attended FIT, where she initially landed an internship with Brandlink. She is now the executive assistant to the owner of the company. Jamie was fortunate enough to put in a stint with the iconic Lacoste company. We were also able to meet with Selmin, the managing director.

The power couple.

And MORE PLAID!!

The three had this advice for us, as we embark on our fashion show production journey:

-Exude confidence, people are willing to trust a confident individual.

– Don’t stress yourself out at the end of the day, always take a step back.

-BE CURIOUS! Everything is always moving so fast. Take inspiration from the world around you!

-Always show how you add value.

-And finally, you never know what information you are going to need, so hoard it all!

Last, but certainly not least in ANY sense, the Steampunk fashion talk at the National Arts Club. I was literally giddy about attending this event. I have been obsessed with Steampunk for about ten years, so this was a dream come true for me. The lecture was presented by Victoriana Lady Lisa, Victorian-Edwardian author/historian/lecturer extraordinaire. I was so excited by this event I even dug up some pictures from when I attended The Steampunk Worlds Fair in 2011.

I bought Lady Lisa’s exquisite book, and she was kind enough to autograph it for me. And I know you were wondering, that luscious hair took 18 years to grow!

Some items in her gorgeous vintage Victorian collection.

Positively drool-worthy.

There were some absolutely stunning outfits!

Ladies, and gentlemen alike.

Now let me show you a quick throwback to the Worlds Fair!

Just looking at some of these outfits makes me want to attend again, so badly…

A friend and I dressed for the Fair way-back-when.

This man hosted a Steampunk fashion event.

Same event, different day.

In between all the action we popped into Tiffany’s (of course), as well as Hermes.

Breakfast at Tiffs! Okay, so it was just after breakfast, but it still counts!

Everything was fabulous, as always.

Jenna spritzing some Tiffany’s perfume. It smelled amazing!

Well, NYC was absolutely amazing, but tomorrow we head back to good old Batavia! I’m happy to be returning to GCC and all of my great classes, but I just can’t wait to return to the city! Farewell for now Manhattan! See you next year!

Day Two in NYC! So much excitement!

Today began with our first field trip to Tommy Hilfiger. We met with the lovely and talented alumni of the Fashion Business Merchandising program, Kristyna and Conner, and were also fortunate enough to meet with the design manager for the handbag team. After graduating from the GCC program Kristyna and Conner attended Buffalo State University, and LIM, respectively. Kristyna stumbled upon a posting on Indeed.com for Tommy Hilfiger interns, and Conner was alerted to the position via LIM. The rest, as they say, is history. The two have been with Hilfiger ever since. They primarily deal with ad campaigns, showrooms, and launches, and work to ensure the consistency of art and design messages. Leah, the design manager, graduated from Cornell’s fashion program, and then but in stints with Betsey Johnson as well as Coach before arriving at Tommy Hilfiger. She explained that her team relieves seasonal briefs detailing the aesthetic of a collection, and the work begins from there. They draw inspiration from everywhere, and seek to filter trendy elements of high fashion, down to mass appeal. All while maintaining the signature “Tommy” look.

A group shot in the fabulous lobby!

Kristyna and Conner being gifted GCC plaid accessories. This plaid, developed by a student is currently undergoing the process of being registered as an official plaid in Scotland! Incredibly exciting!

The two were kind enough to give us some advice regarding our upcoming fashion show, this show’s theme being “Fashion Is…”

*Work Well Together

*Have A Clear Vision

*Learn How To Manage Time

*Communicate Clearly

*And Be Willing To Work!!

Our next stop was to the beautiful new Buffalo David Bitton Showrooms, to meet with PR Director Diane Alexander. Her job is trying to bring widespread awareness to the Buffalo brand, primarily through ad campaigns, working with bloggers, and use of social media. She allowed us to take pictures of the gorgeous Buffalo merchandise (literally denim heaven), and educated us about the company as well. They sell to all of the major retailers, as well as Amazon, and men’s apparel comprises 60% of their business. She loves fresh ideas, and is always looking for interns!

She was of course gifted a lovely GCC plaid scarf.

A Buffalo designer hard at work…

And a student soaking it all in.

After our Buffalo trip, the last scheduled event for the day, my roommates and I decided to do lunch at Eataly. It was phenomenal!

The restaurant is just a small segment of this immense Italian market, offering everything from Italian cookbooks, to giant wheels of cheese!

I had calamari pasta, and it was everything I could have wished for, and then some.

Next we headed to Urban Outfitters, conveniently located very close to the hotel.

I always love looking at the displays in these stores, very edgy and well, “urban.”

They even carried Lime Crime cosmetics, a favorite brand of mine!

I had been dying to try their latest product, velvetines for a long time, so I happily picked one up! I’ll have to let you know how it performed, tomorrow!

Next stop was the lavish Ralph Lauren flagship store. This building is literally what dreams are made of.

The displays were simply amazing! Every room told its own story.

We took in the sights in Times Square for a while in the late evening, and then headed back to the hotel to recharge our phone batteries, and our internal ones. We then had the fun idea to do some Steampunk henna, in preparation of our exciting Steampunk event tomorrow night!

Some lovely “Henna by Jenna.”

Now it’s time to call it a night, as our trip to LIM is bright and early tomorrow! I can’t wait!

Day One in NYC!

Wow! We are finally here! After arriving at the hotel ahead of schedule, we were free to hit the town! Our first stop was Times Square to purchase some phenomenally priced tickets to The Phantom of the Opera, only my favorite show ever! Then we headed over to Rockefeller Center, did a quick lap around, drooled over an amazing chocolate store, and then headed over to Saks Fifth Avenue to soak up some fashion inspiration. It was paradise, as always.

By the Rainbow Room where fans wait eagerly to be on The Tonight Show.

Chocolate, chocolate everywhere, at La Maison Du Chocolat.

My personal favorites are the macarons however.

Saks!!

The visual displays were to die for!

A lovely Alexander McQueen display.

Gucci purses

Oscar de la Renta gowns. Gorgeous textures.

I absolutely loved this Moschino coat.

Who am I kidding, I loved the WHOLE Moschino collection!

And of course, Agent Provocateur.

Look!! Our Phantom tickets!! I could literally watch this show every night for a year, and sob every time. If you haven’t seen it, you really need to. But honestly, just attend any Broadway show, at least once! You won’t regret it!

Outside the theatre. It was the perfect night for a show, so warm!

The fabulous stage! Can I live here?

Well, that’s about all for today! I can’t wait to update you on all the excitement that tomorrow brings! First stop, Tommy Hilfiger trip! But for now, off to sleep!

Genesee Community College Blog

1st hand experiences from GCC students!

Jamie Edwards and her Purple Briefcase

Domestic Violence Awareness: Breaking the Silence at G.C.C.

Calling all Dapper Dans for Dandy Day!

About The Dandy Portraits

Inspiration Around Every Corner

A Learning Experience

Music that Keeps me Going

Selling with Enthusiasm

Our Last Day In The City!

Day Two in NYC! So much excitement!

Day One in NYC!

Share

Share

About The Dandy Portraits

Share

Share

Share

Share

Share

Share

Share

Share