We’ve Got Mail

Standard

weve got mail5

Last Friday, the fashion students here at GCC got the first glimpse of Buffalo David Bitton’s spring 2014 line. We actually received an entire box filled with men’s and women’s clothing that will be featured in GCC’s 33rd annual fashion show, “Ethereal”. How is all of this possible? Last year, the 32nd fashion show, “Fashion Forward” featured Buffalo David Bitton clothing after visiting their showroom in NYC. We had such a great experience with the Buffalo David Bitton team; we just had to go back! Last October, the fashion students took another trip to the city and met with Buffalo David’s Public Relations Director – Diane Alexander. We had another fantastic meeting with her; and again have the opportunity to showcase their clothing line in our show.

weve got mail4

As the scene coordinators of the Buffalo David Bitton scene pulled out each garment one by one, the class’s excitement intensified. By the time Shelby and Ashley – the scene coordinators – got to the bottom of the box, everyone had their favorite garment. From men’s and women’s jeans to dresses and jackets, there was something for everyone! Buffalo David sent around $2,300 worth of garments for the show, and we couldn’t be more excited.

weve got mail3weve got mail1

Along with the amazing clothing from the city, we’ll also have bridal dresses donated from M.A. Carr Bridal. Over $17,000 worth of bridal dresses came from the bridal salon, located in Orchard Park, NY. As soon as it was announced that the dresses had arrived, the fashion students rushed to the storage room to explore the gowns. As the fashion design students looked over the dresses, you could see the ideas flowing on how to re-purpose the dresses and create ethereal looks. Since M.A. Carr Bridal generously donated the wedding gowns, the design students have the opportunity to choose any dress of their choice to redesign, however they choose. Along with the Buffalo David Bitton clothing, M. A. Carr Bridal donated wedding gowns to the fashion show last year as well.

weve got mail2

Without the considerate donation from Mary Anne at M.A. Carr Bridal, and the use of the clothing from Buffalo David Bitton, our show wouldn’t be possible. From the amazing relationships built with these and other companies, our annual fashion show has surpassed others in the area, making it the largest fashion show in Western New York.

To see more of these and other scenes, be sure to attend Ethereal on April 26th at 3pm and 7pm. You won’t want to miss this!

College: A Whole New Challenge

Standard

I’ve only been in college for a few weeks now. When I stop and think about it, it seems kind of crazy that I could have learned a whole lot about myself as a student in such a short time, but the truth is I have. When I first started I was a little nervous but I had done well in high school. How different could it really be? As it turns out college isn’t as simple as I thought.

I now have to manage my time more efficiently than I ever thought I could. Assignment due dates are much more spread out in college than in high school, giving the illusion that there is plenty of time to get them done. Having an agenda has greatly helped me in managing my time, and I suggest that every college student use one. Dates, times, and assignments have a way of creeping up on me. Being responsible about my time has helped me greatly.

I am responsible for way more in college than I ever was in high school. No one is telling me what to do, where to go, or how to go about things. Taking responsibility for what needs to be done isn’t a new concept to me. However school has taken it to a whole new level. I am no longer only responsible to pay bills and go to work; I am now responsible to complete school work as well.

Finally, the greatest thing I have found with my college experience is a new confidence starting to blossom. I used to be afraid to say the wrong thing. Going to classes I have found that no one is laughing at me. Everyone I am in class with is feeling the same thing. We are all out of our element and we are all there for the same reason.

Over all I would say I have learned a lot about myself in the time that I have been at GCC. It’s defiantly a challenge but a rewarding one. I am looking forward to see how I grow as an individual in the next two years.

-Gina Constable

Deciding on GCC

Standard

Choosing GCC was a very interesting experience because I knew it was the school for me when I was introduced to it. I played AAU basketball the summer before graduating high school. I played in many showcases and tournaments is to be seen by many colleges. One day my dad told me that I had gotten an email from a college coach that seen me play in a recent tournament that I was in. I thought it was cool to have a college coach recognize me for the way I was playing. My dad and I looked online at the school website and found it to be very pleasing. Things where easy to find and they had a great Veterinary Technology program that I caught my eye on. That day I emailed the coach back and told her I was interested.

I was going to my last showcase which she said she would attend. After I finished playing my first game I finally met Coach Christie McGee-Ross. Reading her bio was very compelling, she was nice and polite and I could tell that she was a very accomplished coach. That made me figure that she came from a school with other polite people. I also met the assistant coach, Dena. Coach McGee-Ross even introduced me to her 11 year old daughter. I wanted to go somewhere to where I knew I could create a family, and meeting the coaches made me feel a family vibe.

From then on I stayed in contact with the coach to set up a visit. I was hoping that the campus was really nice, and upon my arrival to Genesee Community College the campus I wasn’t let down. When I was going to meet the coach, a former player gave me a tour of the entire school. It was very fun. Once again everyone that I met was very polite and I even met another recruit while visiting, and she seemed extremely nice as well. That made me more excited about GCC and even more ready to commit myself to this school. In weeks time I was signing a letter of intent to be a Genesee Cougar!

-Breana Gleaton

Donation aids Creation

Standard

This blog post contributed by Amber Coan, Fashion Design student

GCC’s Fashion Design students are thrilled about a recent donation of two brand new dress forms from PGM Incorporated representative, Andrea Quintana! If you walk into the sewing room, you’ll find about eleven handmade dress forms in a wide variety of sizes from 2 through 24. The forms are a huge part of our design and draping class, one of the most significant classes for fashion design majors. While some of us strive to master the creation of plus-size garments, there are many, myself included, who would rather work with smaller sizes; to fit this demand, we were absolutely in need of more narrow-bodied mannequins–I speak for all of the design majors when I say that we are very thankful for Andrea and PGM’s donation!

Outside of class, many students use the PGM dress forms for our own personal projects for clients, to build our portfolio, and to aid in creating garments for GCC’s annual fashion show–which is now the largest in Western New York!

dress form

PGM dress form with student draping

I, personally, am using one of the forms to fit an evening gown of my own design for next year’s fashion show. The dress will consist of a black leotard base and a very long flowing skirt. My inspiration for my scene proposal next year is fierce, dark, and strong–contrasting this year’s “Ethereal” theme. Bringing my inspiration to life has to start somewhere, and that somewhere is the blank canvases that Andrea Quintana and PGM so generously donated to us.

I would highly recommend that design majors–or anyone interested in pursuing fashion design–check out the wide range of beautiful, top-of-the-line dress forms (including customizable and colored!!!) at PGM’s website, http://www.pgmdressform.com.

Once again, I’d like to publicly thank Andrea and PGM for their contribution to our fashion program!!

A Tale for Three Counties Brings Karen Thompson Walker to Campus

Standard

The Tale for Three Counties Committee has worked to invite award winning author Karen Thompson Walker to GCC to speak about her newest book, The Age of Miracles. After her talk, she will be available to sign copies of her book.

Thursday, March 20
T102 – Batavia Campus
1:00 p.m.

kt-walker

Karen Thompson Walker was born and raised in San Diego, California, whereThe Age of Miracles is set. She studied English and creative writing at UCLA, where she wrote for the UCLA Daily Bruin. After college, she worked as a newspaper reporter in the San Diego area before moving to New York City to attend the Columbia University MFA program.

A former book editor at Simon & Schuster, she wrote The Age of Miracles in the mornings before work, sometimes while riding the subway.

She is the recipient of the 2011 Sirenland Fellowship as well as a Bomb Magazine fiction prize. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband.

Image

There will also be four book discussions at GCC before Karen’s talk:

Tuesday, March 18 – 11am in T119
Tuesday March 18 – 12:30pm in T123
Wednesday, March 19 – 10:15am in T119
Wednesday, March 19 – 11:15am in T119

All GCC students are eligible to enter an essay contest to win lunch with Karen! Two prizes will be awarded. Entrants: read the Participation Agreement for more details.

How is Batavia NY is Different from my Hometown?

Standard

Batavia NY is much different from my hometown in East Asia. Even thought they have about same population size, they have a quite different characteristics.

At first, a climate between two towns was killing me! My hometown belongs to the Temperate Zone, so I never experienced such a crazy snow and freezing temperature until I spent a winter in Batavia. Otherwise, summer weather in Batavia is very enjoyable, but my hometown is not because of its humidity and seriously high temperatures.

Another difference is the topographical factor. There is no ocean in Batavia, but it is located right next to two large lakes; Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Plus, it is a flat field suitable for farming corn and dairy farms. My hometown has both mountain range and inland sea, and prospers oyster farming while making use of the terrain.

Without having my own automobile in Batavia, the limited transportation reduces range of activities I can participate in. The B-line Bus Service and taxis are the only ways you move in Batavia without a car. Those services are not enough for people who do not have an automobile. My hometown has bus, taxi, train, and bullet train. The train is very expedient for communing to downtown, and bullet train is the easiest way for traveling to all around an area.

The difference between living in these two towns gives is challenging to adjust to.

-Makoto Le

Returning to school at age 38

Standard

I was nervous about starting Genesee Community College. As an adult I felt that I was a little out of place. I figured the students would make fun of me because I’m old enough to be their parent. I have grown a lot because of my experience returning to school as an adult.

Returning to school had me a little frightened due to not knowing how much academic work was expected of me. When I went to college the first time I didn’t have to study that hard because I was able to retain a lot of information without writing anything down. I didn’t know what to expect 20 years later. Half of the time I can’t remember my own husband’s name. How was I going to retain class lectures plus homework information?

Now that I’ve been at Genesee Community College for a year, I’ve learned that I’m smarter than I thought. The kids in my class like me and some admire me. I’ve learned that there are many different ways for me to study. The method that works for me is using flash cards as well as taking notes during class. I often set aside time on the weekends to study the flash cards or read ahead to have all the weeks reading assignments completed or at least attempted. These techniques have helped me assimilate to being a college student. These methods have also helped in my acquiring Dean’s List status every semester so far.

To conclude, the experiences that I’ve learned here at GCC as an adult student has prepared me to further my education. One thing that would help this school be more marketable to adult students is separate areas for 25 and older to hang out. Sometimes it’s frustrating sitting in the student union with younger students and not knowing where I fit in. If there was a designated area for adults than at least we could feel a sense of belonging.

– Yolanda Ransom

STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math!

Standard

The Career Services Department is hosting an Employer STEM Networking Event for students interested in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math on Thursday, March 6 from 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm in the Forum!

Register for this event to network with multiple employers, including:

  • RIT
  • Genesee Community College (IT & Media)
  • Liberty Pumps
  • GCEDC
  • Town of Batavia
  • Morton Salt
  • Genesee County Soil & Water
  • Xerox
  • Five Star Bank
  • Lapp Insulator
  • Oxbo Corp.
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • EMA Design

Dress to impress, and have your questions ready to ask employers about their career path, future internship and employment opportunities, and anything else you can think of!

LIM Takes GCC

Standard
This past Monday, GCC was able to receive a visit from a representative of one of the most distinguished fashion schools in New York and the world. Anthony M. Urmey, Assistant Director of Admissions and Transfer Services at LIM, spoke to the Fashion Business students of GCC about all that LIM has to offer. LIM is situated amongst the skyscrapers of NYC; with its academic buildings located in Midtown East, and dorm buildings a 15-minute metro ride away on 1760 3rd Ave, LIM is the best choice of school for fashion students who are looking to break-in to the industry. LIM offers a variety of degrees, including (but not limited to): BBA BPS in Fashion Merchandising, BBA in Marketing, BBA in Management, and BBA in Visual Merchandising. LIM is one of a few fashion schools that offers a bachelor’s degree in visual merchandising. During his presentation, Anthony Urmey made a point of mentioning that when looking at schools for transfer that it is important to be aware of the accreditation of the school you are looking to transfer to. LIM for example is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. Anthony also placed great emphasis on finding the transfer school that fits you best through the use of exploring the credentials of the school’s faculty. Professors tend to be most effective in teaching subject matter when they have experience in/worked in the field of concern. Many of LIM’s professors work full-time in the fashion industry while teaching, making them readily available to provide students with insight on topics of concern and professional connections.

Anthony M. Urmey of LIM speaking to fashion students

Anthony M. Urmey of LIM speaking to fashion students

Part of what sets LIM apart from other fashion schools based out of NYC is its unique internship requirements. All students at LIM are required to have completed three internships (approximately 150 hours). The first internship the students are required to participate in is in the area of retail. The second internship is within corporate/management and can be picked based upon the specific career interests/goals of the student. The third internship that students must complete is the senior co-op, which involves intensive hands-on work and serves as a career transition for students. Anthony said this of LIM’s internship programs: “the more proactive students are going to get the better spots”, landing an internship in NYC is very competitive, therefore students who are looking to apply to LIM should have a strong passion for the fashion industry and be willing to work hard. Anthony advised the fashion students at GCC to also be aware of the employment rates of graduates from schools that you are looking to transfer to. The whole concept of university-based education relies on the hope of being employable after receiving your degree, by looking at these stats you become informed of your chances of earning a professional position after you have received your degree. In 2011, 97% of LIM graduates seeking positions were employed within nine months of graduation. Tuition at LIM is $24,225; though it may come at a high cost, the education earned from LIM is a great investment; this is proved through the very low loan default rate of 2 ½ % and high employment rates of LIM graduates. If the price tag of LIM is the only thing stopping you from sending in your application for transfer then its time to reconsider. GCC students have an advantage when applying to LIM; everyone who graduates from GCC will receive $1,000 tacked onto their financial awards from LIM. GCC and LIM also have an articulation agreement as of 2011, enabling GCC students to enter LIM as a junior in their program of choice. So get your applications in right away! If you’re planning on transferring Anthony recommends that students at GCC should send in applications as early as possible. Don’t forget to submit your college transcripts, high school transcripts, a well-written essay, two letters of recommendation, and your resume! Good luck to all those who are currently applying to LIM, and for all those who follow in their footsteps.

-Ami Cornell

Started from the burbs now I’m here

Standard

I felt like Harry Potter when he first arrived at Hogwarts when I got to Genesee Community College. I never visited the school before coming and didn’t know anyone before I came. I hopped on the Metra train at Chicago Union Station in Downtown Chicago, Illinois around 11 p.m. on January 11th and arrived in Depew, New York the following morning. I was greeted by Coach Sherman who took me into Batavia for the first time and gave me a tour. This is where my journey began.

After living in Lansing, Illinois my entire life, it is very odd for me to call Batavia, New York my new home. Lansing is a smaller town in the South Suburbs of Chicago, located approximately 25 minutes away from downtown. It is on the border of Indiana with neighboring towns of Cal City and Munster. The weather is actually fairly similar but mostly everything else varies. Lansing Illinois has a population of around 28,000, whereas Batavia’s population is much smaller. Lansing is a south suburb of Chicago and Batavia is in Upstate New York. The demographics are definitely not the same but I would say that Batavia is more diverse due to the fact that it is a college town.

Batavia appears to be an older town than Lansing. The houses are contrasting, not only structurally but also geographically. A lot of the local businesses are unique to the area and are not found in Lansing. Laws, rules and regulations differ slightly in Batavia. Prices are higher out here than in Lansing but tax is higher in Lansing because it is in Cook County. There is a lot less crime in Batavia than there is in Lansing. The scenery differs from Lansing because there is a lot more open land here.

I noticed that the language, slang, and terms used out here are different from what I am used to back home. The lifestyle is one of a kind here because of the location. Niagara Falls is in the area, as well as Canada and Buffalo. Before coming to Batavia I never heard of a garbage plate, but I think it is one of the best discoveries I have made. The last difference is that Batavia is a little wealthier than Lansing overall.

Nothing can replace Lansing because it will always have a place in my heart but Batavia is a really cool and unique place to live. I have met so many cool people and really look forward to living here for this whole semester and baseball season.

-Bobby Colantuono