Meet Alya Albert New Editor of the Prattler joins next Spring page 8
The Return of the Living Dead Dealing Dirt on the Dorms Whats Coming to Pratt?
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page 3 page 5 page 8
PROFILE: President Schutte An indepth understanding the Big Man On Campus himself and revealing the future of Pratt page 6
PRATTLER
Eviction Notice
Words and Cover Photo by Alya Albert
“I WILL TO TALK TO YOU, but my answers will be guarded.” This was Conrad Milsner’s response to our request to interview him on the townhouse situation. Most of us first learned of Conrad’s impending ouster only when an October 11th article on the Gothamist broke the news. Within two weeks 3,215 people signed an alumni-generated petition on change.org, urging the administration to reconsider. They did. On November 5th, PresidentThomas Schutte assured the Pratt community, by e-mail, that “Conrad is not being evicted or asked to leave his current residence.” And thus Conrad has been spared, but what exactly went down in the month between the delivery of the eviction notices and the letter from President Schutte, and what does the future hold for the four families who Schutte did not write letters for? While the situation has garnered a significant
amount of press and conversation, much remains unclear. In the process of trying to understand the events that have transpired, we contacted all five of the townhouse tenants facing eviction, as well as several administration offices, in search of answers. With the exception of Conrad and Sal Westrich, one of the tenants, we were met with silence. STANDING ROOM ONLY What we do know is that Pratt’s current undergraduate enrollment is 3,145. Approximately 75 percent of freshmen and more than half of all students live on campus, where Pratt can accommodate only 1,642 students, or about 52 percent, with beds distributed as such: Pantas 226, Stabile 224, Cannoneer 182, Willoughby 850, Esther Lloyd-Jones 82, Townhouses 78. However, in the past two years students in Willoughby have reported being told that they would be living in a double dorm, but on move-in day come to find Continues on Page 4
TURN DOWN FOR WHAT Words by James Tae
DISSONANCE. That would probably best sum up this situation. If you haven’t heard by now, the beloved upcycle shop Turn Up Art is no longer at Pratt. Victim to the forces of bureaucracy, the alumni-run shop had to close its doors mid-October, only a month into its official opening. It is unfortunate that such a program cannot exist within a school that preaches about progressive ideas and environmental sustainability. Especially if the idea addresses specific issues within the Pratt community. Unless of course the idea was “made” by Pratt and started by them too. Turn Up Art started as an idea when Gunner Tierno was taking summer classes at Pratt during his final year. What he witnessed was Continues on Page 2
STUDENT STAFFERS SPEAK By Elizabeth McGuire
THE FOLLOWING STUDENT workers are required to interact with both students and faculty on a regular basis. We asked them about their experiences. They decided to remain anonymous. What are the biggest differences between interactions with students vs faculty? NL: It’s more tense and formal with the faculty. They usually act like they’re in a hurry and you’re in their way, even when you are helping them. Also, students rarely get mad about their fines. They’ll moan about it, sure, but faculty members will yell at you. I’ve never had a student get mad if we didn’t have something they’re looking for. They just shrug and move on. It’s not so relaxed with the faculty. There’s a sense of entitlement because of their status. And in some ways, they’re right to feel entitled. My department has a lot of rules, but we’re allowed to break almost all of them for the faculty. There are virtually no consequences if they’re late or mistreat our materials. The students don’t get that kind of special treatment. Continues on Page 6
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I DON’T WANT TO JUST BE (an illustrator)
Letter From the Editor My time at The Prattler has involved at least one major event per school year. The fire, the Pratt Show cancellation, and now the eviction of the townhouse tenants. Each time we’ve proved that as a community we help each other voice our concerns and usually a resolution is reached. The Main Building is back, the Pratt Show (kind of) went on, and Conrad can stay. Now that I’ve reached the end of my time as Editor-inChief of The Prattler, it has been nice to look back through past issues and think about what it means to have an outlet where student voices will always be the priority. It has been a privilege to work alongside students for six semesters as they pitch ideas they’re excited about and see those ideas become articles that are shared throughout campus. None of this would’ve been possible without our advisors, Sean Kelly and Michael Kelly, whom I have to thank for providing a backbone to our team. That said, I want to briefly introduce our new Editor-in-Chief, Alya Albert. Alya has been a contributor on The Prattler for several years now and has always shown an innate talent but also dedication to journalism and ensuring that student voices are heard. I have no doubt she will continue to take The Prattler to more exciting and innovative directions and look forward to seeing her at the helm.
Words by Bradley Reily
THE THOUGHT OF TRANSFERRING into the Communications Design (ComD) department as a Junior seeking my BFA in ComD and Illustration was initially the coolest idea ever. As an illustrator I would be able to take more classes to cater towards my other craft: graphic design. Throughout the past three years, my enrolled courses at Pratt have introduced me to new avenues—or should I say buildings—like the Digital Arts department in Myrtle Hall or the third floor of Steuben which hosts my Fine Arts studio elective Drawing III. The exploration of these new areas has not only shown me courses outside of ComD, but the information found in these areas greatly differs from that on the ComD floor. It occurred to me that had I not made the choice to have two artistic practices, I would’ve not realized that although departments at Pratt exist on the same campus, very little interaction seems to occur between them. Some departments are better than others at creating cross-disciplinary spaces or classes but it seems that often students can go up to the stage at graduation and have never set foot on in a class outside their discipline. Creating a class that can help the fashion design major develop better packaging design skills for their clothing or a class where illustrators learn about narrative and story-telling, would help students who want that interdisciplinary discourse. This extends outside of the classroom. What if a company or artist was doing a talk on campus that could help you but you had no idea because your department didn’t organize it? Pratt tries to get the word out (weekly newsletters anyone?) but often, we go to the lectures or meetings we heard about through professors or friends—which makes for tunnel vision if you are only going to talks within your department. There is a way to change this however, as of now here are some studio courses that are available to all students in various departments which have properties that can apply outside of their classified major. DDA 300 Computer Modeling COMD 413P-01 Designing and Illustrating eBooks FVID-320 Sound Design & Editing DRWG-550 Drawing Anatomy I PRNT-211 Silkscreen I PHOT 413-01 Narrative Forms: The Photo Book FASD 112 Textiles IND-509 Advanced Space Methodology ARCH 559C.01 Critical Thinking: The Evolution of Form
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XOXO Lucille Pratt
TURN UP ART VACATES SPACE Continued from cover
an abundance of used and unused art supplies all across the campus. He started to collect and store these unwanted items. Not really knowing what to do with the supplies, Gunner joined a two week long think tank called Project Breaker. During his two week intensive, he learned the how-tos of start ups. With this knowledge Gunner was able develop Turn Up Art, originally called PrattCity. Later that summer Gunner was able to pitch his idea to Deborah Johnson, founder of the Pratt Design Incubator. Deborah was pleased with the idea and invited Gunner to join the Incubator with a promise of a space within Pratt during the fall semester. It wasn’t until the following year that
Gunner recieved a space in which he was able to fully install his upcycle supply store shop. At this point Turn Up Art needed money, which is when Gunner and Turn Up Art treasurer Yuliya decided to personally invest 10,000 dollars each into the program. With no one really aware of its existence yet, Gunner began posting flyers about the shop around campus. It was during the following semester that students began to visit the shop. “It was like a yard sale, everybody was coming by” said Gunner. Like the summers before, the Turn Up team began to collect newly discarded items. They catalogued and organized everything, which took roughly 2000 to 3000 hours. With only three weeks until the start of the fall 15 semester Turn Up Art had to move spaces. Gunner and the team put the shop together and it was open to students. Even though it doesn’t have a physical shop anymore, Turn Up Art is thriving and continues to do so with the help of the community. Just before closing, Turn Up Art gave away almost 7,000 dollars worth of supplies to the Pratt students. Turnupart.com is running an online store with even better deals than before. Students can buy upcycled supplies for super cheap and have it shipped to them. It even still has the vintage and weird items up for sale. Gunner is also currently trying to implement a mobile pop up shop where he would be able to come to campus to sell goods and receive donations. Donations are what make Turn Up Art happen and it welcomes all kinds of goods. Your donations help someone save money and their donations help you save money. If you have something to donate all you need to do is contact the team online and they can come pick up it up. So take a look around your room and if you have something lying around then turn up and donate it. ※
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The Return of THE LIVING DEAD Undercover investigation by Calvin LaValle
LAST ISSUE YOU MAY REMEMBER I looked into the supernatural phenomena surrounding the Pratt student body during the month of October. Despite the countless hours hassling the powers that be and questioning those who might be in the know in order to bring you some answers, my results were inconclusive. Now as the cold weather closes in and the semester grinds to its bitter end I have made a gruesome discovery. The undead are returning to campus…
and it would seem I am becoming one of them. My editor, various doctors and essentially all of my friends insist I’m just overworked and stressed, that all of the walking dead on campus are just tired people and I’m overreacting. But I know better than that. Through the following description of my own harrowing experiences I hope I can help keep you from becoming a soulless husk like I and so many others already have. 1. Find time to sleep. The effects of the virus appear to be slowed by a few hours of rest. On the days following a full night of sleep I noticed a dramatic decrease in the rate of my disease. 2. Go for a walk. The virus seems to thrive on negativity. Any time I went outside to get some fresh air, I found that the crisp (maybe not clean—but hey it’s New York after all) air was a good homeopathic remedy for my condition. 3. Speak with friends about the symptoms of your condition. It may seem futile to speak to those who don’t understand what you’re going through, who say you’re not sick, but just sharing your experiences can be therapeutic, and slow the progression of the virus. 4. Do things you enjoy. Leave time for yourself in your schedule. If you want to avoid being a shambling carcass of your former self, then you need to stay positive. Doing nothing but home-
work, even when it seems critical, will slow you to a crawl and affect your quality of work. 5. Listen to music. I’m no doctor, and if I was I’d probably be denying the very existence of a zombie virus in this article instead of telling you how to deal with it. I can’t explain why this works, but keeping yourself distracted, avoiding those creeping thoughts of sadness by cranking up some Black Sabbath, or what have you, can keep you going through all of your complicated sickness induced feelings. These are a few of the things I tried to slow the progress of the virus. I am as of yet not a husk, and I plan to continue following my own advice. I still haven’t found any definitive answers, but if you start to feel these symptoms, whether you believe it to be stress or the ghastly affliction I know it to be, take care of yourself. Those feeling of emptiness and grogginess are common this time of year. If you can help it, don’t let yourself turn into one of the undead. ※
“Can I see your ID please?” Brooklyn Tap House
The Emerson
Beasts of Bourbon
590 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205 ~ 8 mins. / 0.4 miles $$
561 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205 ~ 7 mins. / 0.3 miles $$
61 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205 ~ 15 mins. / 0.7 miles $$
Food: Decent
Food: None
Atmosphere: Casual, Sports Bar
Atmosphere: Casual (or “Hipster” if you use Yelp)
Food: On point. Kinda pricey but totally worth it
Bathroom: What your would expect from a sports bar in Brooklyn
Bathroom: Pretty clean, spacious
Best Nights: Fri, Sat, Sun
Best Nights: Thur, Fri, Sat
Bonus Points: Outdoor area, smoking on patio, WiFi, tons of TVs, takes credit cards
Bonus Points: Pool table, okay for dancing, outdoor area, smoking on patio
Party Fouls: Slow service, staff can be rude
Party Fouls: Cash only, sassy bartenders
Overall: Good place to watch a game, or grab a beer. They have 40 some beers on tap. Unfortunately you have to fight for the staff’s attention. So if you are a patient person who likes beer and sports this place is for you.
Overall: I really like this bar, it’s chill and has a great backyard. Not the cheapest drinks, but it’s a good spot to meet friends and shoot some pool. Plus there is a corner with leather chairs and when I sit there I feel like a VIP.
Black Swan
Putnam’s Pub
1048 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205 ~ 15 mins. / 0.7 miles $$
419 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205
Food: Delicious. Everything from bar nibbles to the more expensive meals is great.
Food: Great mac and cheese, but mostly good for overpriced drunk food
Atmosphere: Dim, elegant British pub
Atmosphere: Casual
Bathroom: Solid, reasonable.
Bathroom: Clean with pictures on the walls
Best Nights: Any Night
Best Nights: Tues, Fri, Sat
Bonus Points: Bar seating and tables in back - also can accommodate huge parties
Bonus Points: takes credit card, WiFi, Outdoor seating, sit down; the weihenstephaner hefe weissbier is amazing (if you can pronounce it) and has large drink sizes
Party Fouls: No dancing, one unpleasant bartender, and you might be turned away if you arrive already drunk. Overall: Great place, would recommend for parties if you call ahead. The food and drinks pair well, the people are mostly wonderful, and prices are reasonable.
~ 10 mins. / 0.5 miles
$$$
Party Fouls: no pool table, serves bad brunch, not good for dancing Overall: Okay, not the best, not the worst. They don’t always card which is bennificial But in my opinion it’s overpriced.
Atmosphere: Casual Bathroom: It’s a tiny tin shack inside the bar with graffiti everywhere, but hey it gives it character right? Best Nights: Mon, Fri, Sat Bonus Points: Pool Table, takes credit cards, frozen drinks, outdoor seating, smoking on patio, live music, WiFi, and they make Old Fashions the old fashion way. Party Fouls: No delivery, they don’t make frilly drinks (sorry ladies get your malibu bay breeze elsewhere) Overall: A very lively place with bearded men in flannel shirts. The food is heavenly and the bartenders are nice. Even if you don’t like drinking bourbon they have frozen drinks and somebeers on hand too, (and hard cider which is my favorite).
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Eviction Notice
Continued from cover
their room has been converted into a triple. Are these bed additions counted in the supposed population of 850 students? In his letter, President Schutte explains that that,“the multi-phase renovation plan of the townhouses began in 2008 to accommodate student housing due to increases in enrollment.” Over the past 20 years this increase has become fundamental to Pratt’s operations. In 1993, when President Schutte took office, Pratt’s enrollment was at 2,994. Today, we are at an enrollment of 4,627, and 707 more students now live on campus. In his time here, President Schutte has indubitably revived a once declining Pratt, and is often credited as an integral player in the revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood, but it seems we now have to come to terms with the adverse consequences of a true success story. Conrad admits, “This is not the Pratt of my memories.” Describing the group meeting between the five residents and administration held in the wake of the eviction notices, Conrad tells, “Dr. Schutte’s response was that it’s 30 beds. He kept going back to, it’s a financial decision, 30 beds. In other words we can take in 30 more students out of an enrollment of almost 5,000 by kicking everybody out of the houses.” REAL ESTATE VS. REAL PEOPLE According to data recently released by brokerage TripleMint, rent in Fort Greene has been raised 22 percent in the past year alone, following a trend that has persisted for more than a decade, making proximate off-campus housing for students nearly impossible. We students are being forced to decide between commuting greater distances and living on campus in overcrowded dorms, which is a systemic problem for New York City colleges, but one that demands a solution nonetheless. As of now Pratt’s quick fix is the proposed dorm building on the lot at Emerson Ave, between Willoughby and Myrtle, and, oft course, the renovations of the townhouses. Conrad explains that, “When they started renovating, those of us who were in the houses, realized they were renovating four per year. So we were counting down, and all of us had more or less mentally accepted that we were supposed to be out in January of 2017. So we were rather stunned to get a letter in September saying that Pratt wants us out by January of 2016. They pushed it forward a year. It was a totally unrealistic date, you can’t just say to be people who have been here 15 and 20 or more years in a house, ‘Ok you have three months to get out.’” In an email to us, Professor Westrich who teaches history and has lived in his townhouse for 29 years, said, “It raises serious questions as to the sensitivity and humanity of Pratt’s administration, not to speak of questionable financial decisions.” Tensions are doubtlessly high, as the abrupt change in plans has left the four evicted tenants in a state of uncertainty. “Cathleen [Kenny], the vice president, came to me and said that they had decided that since my job required my presence on the campus 24/7, they would make
Issue 3
an exception for me and that I could stay in the house as long as I worked at Pratt. So I am in a sense out of the situation now. There are four other families; 3 are faculty members, they have tenure, they have unions, which may help out, I don’t know if the union would get involved. One person, my neighbor, is an administrator and he has nothing. So that’s sort of where we stand right now,” Conrad explains. IN THE FACE OF CHANGE While a student-housing crisis is a necessary and legitimate cause for action, these circumstances shine a light on conflicting and complicated issues for our school. That is to say, we are in the midst of a fraught situation motivated by practical financial incentives with ramifications affecting the lives of cherished Pratt community members and their families. Yet there is no simple solution. There are three camps with stake in the game—students in need of housing, staff and faculty in defense of their homes, and an administration dedicated to the advancement of the Institute. At this point it is apparent that the townhouse tenants have the least amount of agency within this strained state of affairs. With the recent publicity their story has received, we have been able to witness an outpouring of support from the Pratt community and beyond. Alumni such as Emily Poulis, the person behind the petition to save the tenants from eviction, and Eli Todd, a recent graduate, have allied themselves in opposition of Pratt’s plans. Todd affirms in regard to Conrad, “I am really glad to hear that they are not throwing him out, in some ways his case was one of the most messed up,” but he continues in reference to Thad Ziolkowski, Director of the Writing Program and a townhouse tenant, that “Thad was a huge mentor to me and a really important part of my excellent undergrad experience here, and for anyone who went through the writing program, he has been really a important part of their time here. I think it’s equally insane, given that he has two kids, that they are just kicking him to the curb.” As the coming months bring us closer to a resolution, The Prattler intends on following developments in hope of creating as much transparency within the Pratt community as possible, and because this is indeed a community, we are dedicated to ensuring that all of it’s voices are heard. As Conrad admits, “This is a situation where things change and you don’t always know or hear what the latest news is. So basically that’s how it all has come down. I will still be there for a year or two, until I leave Pratt, but as for the others… Well we don’t know.” ※
“This is not the Pratt of my memories.”
THE NUMBERS
2,994 4,627 enrollment enrollment in 199 3
in 201 5
THERE 75 percent ARE 3,145
undergrad
live on campus
PRATT CAN ONLY ACCOMODATE 1,642 students or 52 percent THE CAN 182
PANTAS 226
ELJ 82
WILLO UGHBY 850
STABILE 224
TOWN HOUSES 78
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DIRT ON THE DORMS Words by Quinn Roberts
THE RESIDENTIAL LIFE AND HOUSING page on Pratt’s website describes on campus housing as “staffed with professionals and students… who are available to students who need assistance and to create an environment that promotes student learning and development, complementing and enhancing the Pratt experience. The six undergraduate dormitories – Pantas, Esther Lloyd-Jones Hall, Willoughby, Stabile, Cannoneer, and the Townhouses – give students full access to the main campus, close proximity to Brooklyn, and the experience of living with a like-minded but diverse community of artists.” As undergrads progress through their Pratt careers, living in the dorms appeals to them less and less. Res Life’s web page states that “living on campus does not meet the needs of all students.” Of course, this can be attributed to upperclassmen maturing and growing past it, but as Brooklyn rent prices skyrocket and finding an apartment becomes more difficult and implausible, not all students have off campus housing as an option. Thus, Pratt students who remain on campus may be confronted with the disadvantages of living in the dorms. During freshman year, they learn firsthand that the amenities are not kept in top condition, and that policies and regulations are not fully enforced. The procedures to obtain a work request and the apathy of facilities, as the years go on, become frustrating. Three Residential Advisors, whose names and dorms will remain unidentified, have strong opinions on how on campus life fails to meet students’ needs, and how, despite its shortcomings, it can excel anyway. On the quality of amenities, one RA recalled that many of his residents move into rooms that are missing dressers and fridges or are not cleaned thoroughly. “Working with the facilities before residents arrived this year was a problem,” he said. “One girl had mold and her room smelled for a week.”
He also stated that he feels dishonest when he tells a resident to file a work order, since facilities usually only respond to orders from the Resident Director. To him, it seems like the RAs “go through the motions of doing it and pretend” that their requests will be acknowledged. Another RA spoke on disciplining residents who break rules regarding substance use. She asserted that “all the RAs know the students that drink and smoke,” but that she does not intervene unless her residents are causing a disturbance. “We’re mostly concerned about safety. For instance, throwing a party in your room on a Friday night is an immediate danger. It’s also obvious and stupid.”
CREMATING THE CANN Words by Calvin LaVallee & Illustration by Jared Oriel
PRATT IS A SCHOOL with rich history. It’s been around longer than many of the existing buildings and neighborhoods in New York, so it’s no stranger to campus renovations and new construction. A high quality of life for the students is important to the Pratt staff, which is why sometime in the next year they have planned a cleansing fire to remove the blighted Cannoneer Court from existence. Constructed in 1986, Cannoneer Court consists of a collection of separately built rooms that were assembled later on site like the Lego monstrosity of a very sad child. While it houses some 182 freshman, its primary residents are the thousands of rats and cockroaches that thrive within its walls year round. I asked a current resident why they believed the school was planning to destroy the dorm. “Probably the rat king.” They elaborated that a “rat king” is a collective of rats that have fused into one body after being stuck in close proximity for an extended period of time. Like a rat hydra. “Cannoneer is his territory. We really shouldn’t be in there.”
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In contrast to these drawbacks, though, it is worth noting that the RAs appear to be sensitive and genuinely caring towards their residents. “It is impossible to have the same relationship with all of them,” an RA said. “I talk to some of them on a daily basis, and some attend my socials but don’t approach me too often. Some I only see for Health and Safety contracts, which is okay! Not every one of my residents wants to talk to me and it is best to respect their need for privacy.” Being a leader, an authority figure and a peer is hard to balance, she noted, but judging by what these three RAs shared, Residential Life and Housing has hired hardworking, intuitive students. Students living in dorms consider their positive and negative experiences when they decide between applying for on campus housing and moving elsewhere. Whether Residential Life and Housing succeeds in creating an environment that promotes learning and development may depend on the amenities or the facilities, but at some point, it has to rest in a student’s perspective and gratitude towards Pratt. ※
I also asked about what they thought should be done with the building. “Burn it. Like as soon as possible. Burn it with all of my things in it. I don’t even care. No one else should have to experience these communal bathrooms.” I hesitate to describe the look of sheer terror on their face. “To be totally honest we forgot it was here,” an unnamed Pratt administrator said of the building. “We were really hoping that our callous neglect of Cannoneer would eventually solve that problem on its own, but since it has yet to crumble into dust we’ve decided to take matters into our own hands.” But what’s the reason for these incendiary tactics as opposed to a more traditional demolition? “Community building mostly. We’ve invited all of the former residents of the Cann to watch as the flames engulf the source of their most traumatic life experiences. It should be immensely therapeutic.” Some professors have voiced concerns with destroying the Cann, claiming that it will affect the work of their students. “All good art comes from some kind of physical or emotional trauma. For many of our freshman, Cannoneer is just that,” A Pratt foundation professor said. “Art is about suffering, and it’s just so miserable. I park in the lot over there every morning to remind myself why I do what I do. ※
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Issue 3
STUDENT WORKERS BREAK THIER SILENCE Continued from cover
KD: I think students just see me as another student. Sometimes they even get nervous to talk to me because it feels like a social interaction to them. But faculty don’t seem to see me as a person, let alone a student. They treat me like I’m beneath them. Like serving them is my sole purpose in life. It’s funny though, because I’ve had professors come and be incredibly rude to me. And then I see them being very sweet and kind to their students. I guess we only deserve respect if we’re on their class roster. SH: Students often need help understanding something. They tend to be very appreciative after we help them. Their attitudes are rarely demeaning, so I feel more comfortable helping them. With faculty, the interactions vary. Some teachers are very nice and respectful. But most of them are very entitled. They think that because they are teachers the rules don’t apply to them and we should all bend over backwards. To be honest, when teachers treat me like that I purposely do my job slower. What’s the worst interaction you’ve had with a faculty member? NL: I’ve had tons of bad interactions, but one faculty member stands out. He’s an older gentleman who’s known for being difficult, which is because he’s very, very difficult. He’s also a raging misogynist. When he comes in, it’s always an ordeal because he never actually listens to what the student workers say and he’s always in some sort of panic. Sometimes it’s because he’s got fines and sometimes it’s just because that’s who he is. He calls me pet names, like darling or honey or sweetheart and has no idea that I’m only talking to him because I have to. A few weeks ago, he blew kisses at me. KD: There was one professor who came in every week. One week, he called an hour after he’d left. He started yelling at me and demanded that someone from our office come to his classroom to help with something. I told him no, and he was saying, “Don’t you understand I’m in the middle of class?” I said I did understand but I still couldn’t send someone. I ended up having to transfer him to my supervisor because he wouldn’t listen to me. Then he kept coming in asking for me. The next time I saw him, he gave me a really insincere apology and I said, “It’s okay.” He didn’t like that. He stood there staring at me for way too long and then said, “You’re mad.” I said again that it was fine but he just kept glaring at me. I could tell he didn’t actually care about how I felt. He just wanted me to tell him how nice and friendly he was. I had to keep seeing him every week after that and I was always uncomfortable. SH: I remember one woman was upset because she had lost the things she borrowed. I tried explaining to her she had to pay for the lost items before she could take out more. She was so upset. She kept saying “I’m faculty. I work here!” As if she expected me to say “oh well in that
case do whatever you want! We will just have to tell the students who want the items you lost that your needs are more important than theirs.” I kept trying to explain it to her calmly and then she came back behind the desk looking for my boss. She just barged on in, and when she found my boss her tone completely changed. She was so much nicer to my boss than she was with me. It was ridiculous,and the worst part is she does this everytime she tries to check something out. In the end she always gets her fines waived. Like Pratt would ever do that for a student. How are these interactions viewed or handled by your boss? NL: I brought the situation with the old professor to my boss. My boss spent most of our conversation apologizing for the professor, telling me that he was just a harmless old man who grew up in a different time and didn’t know any better. I also got a short history lesson about how it used to be acceptable to call every woman in an office pet names. In the end, my boss assured me that he would take care of it, but that was several weeks ago and it hasn’t been mentioned since. KD: I don’t usually tell my boss. I’ve never felt unsafe with a faculty member and I don’t really feel like my boss can do anything about their bad behavior. SH: If they are around they will normally step in when situations get out of hand. But when they are not around it’s harder to handle. Sometimes I have to tell whoever is complaining to come back when my supervisors are here. It can get ugly but I’m never afraid to tell my supervisors what happened. They are the first people to stand up for me as student worker. What is the worst interaction you have had with a student? Was it worse, better or equal to the interaction you had with the faculty member? NL: One time a student practically threw a tantrum over her fines and how difficult it is to pay them, but it just ended up being funny. It was way, way better than my worst interaction with a professor. KD: I had a graduate student stay in the office for forty minutes once, basically telling me how to do my job. Then after talking down to me for almost an hour, she invited me to her thesis show. It wasn’t anywhere close to the bad interactions I’ve had with faculty. It was just annoying. SH: One day about ten minutes before closing, there was a group of students who were still working. I turned off half the lights so they could still see and asked them to clean up. When I came back about five minutes later, two of those students hadn’t even started to clean up. The security guard told me to turn the light out. I told her I felt bad but she said to do it anyway. A few minutes later one of the students was yelling in my face. I kept apologizing but that didn’t stop him from harassing me for another three minutes. Overall it wasn’t as bad as some of my experiences with faculty but it was still really uncomfortable. ※
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November 2015
BE TRUE TO YOUR WORK AND YOUR WORK WILL BE TRUE TO YOU. CHARLES PRATT
PRESIDENT SCHUTTE
Pratt on the Rise
By Kyu Ho Lee
TODAY PRATT IS CELEBRATED as one of the best design schools in the country. Its Industrial design and architecture programs are constantly rated highly in nationwide surveys by College Week and U.S News, and its beautiful sculpture park has been ranked among the top 10 college campus art collections in the country. With over a dozen partnerships with prestigious schools worldwide, Pratt may also be one of the most globally connected design school in academia. In 2012 Pratt celebrated its 125th anniversary with the display of works by alumni and faculty, revitalizing the spirit of Charles’ Pratt’s quote and our Institute Motto, “Be true to your work and your work will be true to you.” It’s important to look back and see how far we’ve come. Pratt’s rise to fame and academic prestige is relatively recent. When President Schutte came into office, Pratt was in a state of disarray. It had to deal with critical financial problems as well as hostility from its neighbors. Myrtle Avenue was a desolate place, its vacant storefronts covered with graffiti. (All
Pratt students today know that Myrtle Avenue was once nicknamed “Murder Avenue.”) Then President Schutte stepped in. Having served as president for RISD, he had experience managing an art schools. But he decided to transform this small commuter school into a nationally acclaimed institution. He and the Board of Trustees, in collaboration with Pratt’s Alumni, started with campus beautification. With work from such artists as Richard Serra and Robert Indiana, Pratt was able to create a sculpture park that achieved prominence in the art world. The redesigning of the engineering quad by various alumni created a dynamic space that features undulating platforms. New trees and flowers were planted throughout the campus. Off campus, President Schutte instigated the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project. Starting with a budget of only $40,000, MARP started to clean up the streets. Graffiti was washed off the storefronts and 55 new trees were planted. Jennifer Gerend, the urban planner for the MARP, went store to store on Myrtle, getting to know each storeowner and their business, leading to the
redesigning and improving of 55 storefront façades, many of which were redesigned with the creative input of Pratt students. A total of 66 new businesses were fostered as well. When the the Brooklyn borough president agreed to give $500,000, MARP was able to install 60’s historic style street lamps. In 2010, Myrtle Hall opened its doors as the first higher education building in Brooklyn to meet the United States Green Building Council standards for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification. President Schutte’s work created an influx of students from all around the world to Pratt. And with the opening of the new Film/Video department building in what was once the Pratt Store, we continue to see an increase in student enrollment. This year, Pratt announced that the freshman class has more than doubled from its previous year. Brooklyn is now trendy - the place to be. Soon a new plaza in front of Myrtle Hall will feature benches and trees. The neighborhood is changing. Who knows what the future holds for the Cannoneers? ※
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PRATTLER
Issue 3
We End,
Letter From the NEW Editor
Words & Illustration
AS COLLEGE STUDENTS we understand what the end of a semester brings. We get some time off, a chance to recharge, and then we start again. We have been doing this since kindergarten. There is a sense of comfort in knowing we will be returning to familiar places and starting familiar routines. Regardless of the anxiety starting a new semester may bring, we all find comfort in knowing everything will be how it was when we left. But what happens when your final semester ends? You have been in school your whole life. That sounds like an obvious thing to say, but when you reach your senior year it’s a different kind of realization. I always knew after I graduated college I would get an adult job and hopefully be a functioning member of society. I just never thought about how that would feel. This is my last winter break. It is the last time a semester will end and a new one will start. When I started Pratt I thought that by senior year I would be so much older. I thought I would be ready to get engaged, work a real job, and just take on the world. But now that I am a senior, I don’t feel as old as I thought I would. Don’t get me wrong, I have changed so much since freshman year, but changing isn’t the same as growing up. I think so many of us live our lives impatiently waiting to grow up and be done with school. It’s funny how we never want what we have. When you were a kid you wanted to be an adult. And as an adult all you want is to be a
kid. Freshman year I couldn’t wait to be out of school and married. Now all I want is to live at home again where my mom cooks dinner and laundry is free. With fall semester coming to an end and spring semester looming we enter this cycle one again. This cycle of life brings the closing of old things while giving space for the new things; just like everything else in our lives. The end of this semester brings closure to the work we have accomplished and the struggles we have faced. As grades start to come in and we begin to let go of the stress our classes gave us, we start feel time coming to its close. We pack our bags and prepare for our much needed break. Where we can recede into the depths of winter and prepare to find an ending. An ending to a chapter of our lives or an ending to the people we once were. The New Year gives us a chance to start anew. We can make different choices and be better people. In the end all things must end to start again. ※
While preparing for my post as editor I went into the archives in hope of pinpointing The Prattler’s identity and finding my own place of entry into the history of the publication. It became clear to me that over the past century The Prattler has served various roles as a student-run newspaper and/or magazine, and that its form and function is largely dependent on the social and political climate on campus at any given time. It was also apparent to me that when The Prattler is doing its job well, it behaves like a portrait of the Pratt community, or more importantly a small immortalization of a specific class. As Editor-in-Chief, I hope to reflect in print the greatness of our current study body, so that when a Prattler is picked up off the cafeteria counter we can be proud of what we read. I am very excited to contribute to The Prattler’s legacy with my talented creative directors Ali Lee and Spencer Seligman by my side, and in the wake of Lucille Pratt, who has left huge shoes to fill. As a new team we will endeavor to bring you a student newspaper that reports on timely and meaningful issues, and to create a platform that enables your voices to be heard at all costs. I am eager and dedicated to making some needed changes, but mostly I just can’t wait to begin collaborating with the whole Pratt community in defining our collective voice. Talk Soon, Alya Albert
by Annalyse Little
To Start Again
WHATS NEW AT PRATT?
By Alvaro Ceballos
THE STUDENT UNION used to be a gymnasium, which explains why I remember walking through it as a way to avoid the cold in the long winters (was there another reason to pass through? Oh yeah, prime nap spot as it was always deserted) and thinking it look like a basketball court. The Student Union renovation is extensive. The pool, possibly the favorite creepy spot on campus, will be gone but that’s a small price to pay for what we’ll be getting in return. If you are a freshman and never actually saw the Student Union, you didn’t miss much. While I do wonder where everyone is getting his or her power naps during the renovation, I am excited to see the new and improved Student Union. Without further ado, here’s a list of some changes coming to the Student Union: Student Government Offices, Clubs and Organizations Offices, Gallery space, Movie theater & Lounge
CANNONEER COURT was built in 1986 as a temporary dorm and if you survived your freshman year living in Cannoneer, congratulations! You can know sign up for Survival of the Fittest! (Don’t worry Stabile, you can sign up for Locked Up Abroad, since your dorms famously resemble a prison) From cockroaches to mice Cannoneer has it all. We would mention the terrors of the communal bathroom but we realized some of you like to eat as you read The Prattler so we’ll spare you. Despite an almost 30 year career as a dorm, last year Pratt announced the reconstruction of the Cannoneer Court in 135 Emerson Place, next to the new Film/Video department. Here is a list of what’s coming to the new Cannoneer: Eight story 200 beds More offices
Can you spot the art directors in this issue? We modeled. INTERESTED IN BECOMING A PART OF THE PRATTLER? HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
Feel free to contact us at: theprattler@gmail.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lucille Pratt ADVISORS Michael Kelly & Sean Kelly
ART DIRECTORS Alison Lee & Spencer Seligman ASSISTANT EDITOR Alya Albert