VOLUME 47 | ISSUE 8 | MAY 2015
THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE
MASTHEAD
FIT
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Hermina Sobhraj Editor-in-Chief Dara Kenigsberg Deputy Editor Molly Clarke Executive Editor
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Allison Moran Senior Editor Aaron Valentic Culture Editor Dana Heyward Dara Kenigsberg Managing Editors Dan Nissim Digital Content Manager Dana Heyward Treasurer Art Kelly Millington Art Director Emma Wood Senior Designer Danielle Corcione Dan Nissim Junior Designers Vicky Mathew Photographer Contributors Maria Beneventano Britt Bivens Kaylee Denmead Nicole DeStefano Jordyn Ferriss Marina Herbst Dara Kenigsberg Jenny Kim Dan Nissim Tara O’Brien Aaron Valentic John Simone Faculty Advisor
I DON’T THINK I COULD HAVE PICKED A MORE APPROPRIATE THEME FOR MY FINAL ISSUE WITH W27. THE CONVERSATION ON SUSTAINABILITY IS EXTREMELY COMPLEX. WE’VE SEEN IT INUNDATE THE MEDIA; HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF WORDS SPENT ON IT, THAT IT’S BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF SOCIETY, EVEN OUR CULTURES. I’D ALWAYS WANTED TO JOIN THAT CONVERSATION. SUSTAINABILITY IS THE REASON I BECAME AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST. IT’S HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO SOMETHING THAT REALLY BECAME A PART OF YOU. I COULD NOT BE
MORE THANKFUL FOR THE GUIDANCE I RECEIVED FROM OUR ADVISOR PROFESSOR SIMONE; FOR OUR DEDICATED ART DIRECTOR, KELLY MILLINGTON; OUR PRINTER JOSEPH TORREGROSSA WHO ALWAYS MADE US A PRIORITY; AND INGRID AAMO AND CHRISTOPHER WALLACE OF THE FIT STUDENT ASSOCIATION FOR THEIR CONSTANT SUPPORT. BECAUSE OF THEM, AND ALL OF THE CONTRIBUTORS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, DESIGNERS, ETC. WHO PUT ASIDE HOURS OF THEIR TIME WORKING FOR THE PAPER, W27 WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPHELD AS A RESPECTED FIT PUBLICATION.
A FIT STUDENT ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION ON THE COVER: W27 IS PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER. PLEASE RECYCLE YOUR COPY AFTER READING.
Nearer Jain photographs model Ally Schreiber against the elements, wearing Cindy Portillo’s sustainable designs.
I’M CONFIDENT THAT NEXT YEAR’S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, DARA KENIGSBERG, WILL TAKE THE PAPER EVEN FARTHER. HER HARD NEWS PIECES HAVE ADDED DEPTH AND HEART TO W27’S PAGES FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. I HOPE IN THESE PAST EIGHT ISSUES THAT YOU’VE FOUND AT LEAST ONE ARTICLE THAT’S CHALLENGED YOUR PERSPECTIVE, FEATURED YOUR WORK OR INSPIRED YOU TO CHASE AFTER EVEN YOUR MOST IMPOSSIBLE DREAMS. UNTIL NEXT TIME,
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CONTENTS ON THE BLOCK 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 8
FIT Talks: Fashions New Identity Professor Michael Cokkinos on FIT Sustainability Conference Composting, and Other Sustainable Practices at FIT Tamil Robinson Visits Campus FIT’s New International Program: A Chance for AMC Students to Study in Paris The Future of Retail told by Marie Driscoll Toms Shoes: Sustainable For Few Humans of FIT
LETTER FROM THE ART DIRECTOR
DEAR INDUSTRY 9 10 10 11
Rags in Ruins Lead to Revolution Moves Magazine’s first PowerWoman Forum Honoring a Footwear Legend Beauty Buzz: Beauty at its Greenest
VALUABLE HOURS TO MAKE SURE EACH ISSUE IS PERFECT.
GRADUATION 12 13 14 14 15 15
Bittersweet Adieus Thoughts and Reflections Before Graduation Next Year’s FIT Student Assocation Commencement 2015 Future of Fashion Show 2015 Salty Girls - Rachel Raabe
FEATURE 16 20 21 22 23
Sustainability Editorial The Social Progress Index Discloses the Sustainability of the United States Kerings Conversation on Sustainability How Rolling Stone set back Journalistic Integrity and the Campaign against Sexual Assault Editors Pick: MyGradPad
HAUTE CULTURE 24 24
The Whitney Museum: A Cultural Achnor on Gansevoort Street Dior and I
FIT SPEAKS 25 26 26 27 28
Fast Fashion: A Human Cost Month in Review: Hillary Clinton Hopes to Shatter the Glass Ceiling in 2016 Citizens United: A Landmark in the History of Campaign Finance Op-ed: Baltimore on Fire Style on 27
WORKING AS THE ART DIRECTOR OF W27 OVER THE PAST YEAR HAS BEEN QUITE A JOURNEY. THE LONG HOURS, STRESS AND DEADLINES I WILL NOT MISS, BUT THE FEELING OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND GRATIFICATION I FEEL WHEN THE PAPER IS PUBLISHED WILL BE. IT’S A WEIRD FEELING TO WRITE MY LAST LETTER FOR W27, EVER. WORKING ALONGSIDE HERMINA, OUR EDITOR-INCHIEF THIS YEAR, HAS MADE MY EXPERIENCE WITH W27 EVEN BETTER THAN THE LAST. WE WERE BOTH PROMOTED TO HIGHER POSITIONS AND TOOK ON OUR DUTY’S WITH PRIDE AND DETERMINATION. WE’VE STAYED UP LATE COUNTLESS NIGHTS BUT THOSE WERE THE MOST
I’VE DESIGNED FOR THIS NEWSPAPER FOR TWO YEARS AND COULDN’T BE MORE PROUD TO BE A PART OF SUCH A GREAT PUBLICATION. I’D LIKE TO THANK THE JUNIOR AND SENIOR DESIGNERS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED AND WORKED WITH ME THROUGH EACH ISSUE, I REALLY COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU ALL. W27 HAS GIVEN ME GREAT EXPERIENCE IN PUBLISHING, EDITORIAL AND VISUAL LAYOUT. BECAUSE OF W27 I AM NOW DETERMINED TO HOPEFULLY LAND MY FIRST JOB AS A DESIGNER AT A MAGAZINE. ALTHOUGH THIS IS MY LAST ISSUE, I AM CONFIDENT THAT OUR SENIOR DESIGNER, EMMA WOOD, WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE A GREAT PAPER AS THE W27’S NEW ART DIRECTOR. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN DESIGNING AND BEING A PART OF THE ART TEAM FOR NEXT YEAR, CONTACT W27ART@GMAIL.COM. THANK YOU, FIT FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRING MY OWN DESIGN AESTHETIC TO W27!
ON THE BLOCK FIT Talks: Fashion’s New Identity by Marina Herbst
On April 16, FIT invited different inspiring personalities to talk about innovation and creativity. The event was called FIT Talks. The idea was simple and effective; each guest would go on stage and talk for 15 to 20 minutes. Each speech had to center around innovation - something that is significant to the FIT community.
“DRAW PEOPLE TO YOUR STORIES BY KEEPING FANTASY ALIVE.” The event started with Maurice Bretzfield, who has been working as a digital marketing consultant for over forty years, helping businesses and individuals differentiate themselves. His topic was Digital Identity, which to him is a key point for every human being. “If you don’t build your digital persona, others will create it for you,” said Bretzfield, beginning his talk. He lectured on the importance of digital presence and building a personal brand, encouraging the audience to get ahead of
the game by emphasizing the fact that they are digital natives. “You need to become storytellers; thought leaders. Draw people to your stories by keeping fantasy alive. You need to engage with others by promoting collaboration among your peers.”
shopping experience should be as pleasant as possible. “You want to be singing along, to be dancing in the changing room the same way you want to picture yourself doing it at home, at a bar or with your friends. You want that experience to be seamless.” Photo courtesy of Lori Massar
Tosha Cole Clemens, a Product Development graduate, spoke about being a fashion writer in today’s industry. Interestingly enough, she has no academic knowledge on journalism or communication. Yet, now she is the proud owner of a PR & Branding Agency that specializes in product placement and works as an international fashion writer. Clemens explained how to stand out as a fashion writer step-by-step. Figure out what you are passionate about; stay in the know; respect your responsibility as a writer; start a blog; get social; contribute to build a portfolio and always be aware that you are your brand. “Be your voice, be what you represent, be as consistent as possible.” The third speaker, Marie Driscoll, focused her talk on how clothing has become a commodity, yet technology is where people are spending their money. Driscoll is a highly knowledgeable equity analyst with experience on apparel brands, apparel retailers and luxury goods stocks. She spoke about how the consumer is demanding and has all of the power in retail.
William Graper followed, making quite an impression when he said “Creativity in fashion is dead.” Graper is an FIT graduate and has been working as a
“CREATIVITY IN FASHION IS DEAD.” stylist for publications such as Vogue and V Magazine, among others. Graper stressed that it is our generation that needs to change the tone. He emphasized the need to be conscious of how much creative control we adopt from the leading creative minds of today’s industry instead of cultivating our own creativity.
The event ended with Valerie Steele, Director and Chief Curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, speaking about The Museum and how technology will completely transform the industry. When asked which exhibition she has curated is her favorite, she answered, “The exhibition about the corset reflects twenty years of research in my life and it was studying the corset that turned me on into studying fashion history. That is the one that was most important next to Gothic Glamour and Daphne Guinness’s exhibition.” Each of the speakers had their own point of view about different aspects of the technological, fashion and creative businesses, but one thing is certain: all of them together result in a master-class of inspiration.
Sarah Lewitin is currently the Music Director for the popular Canadian fashion brand Aritzia. Lewitin thinks that music helps encourage the spending habits of consumers and she believes that the
Professor Michael Cokkinos on FIT’s Sustainability Conference by Maria Beneventano
Year after year, FIT’s Sustainability Council organizes the Sustainable Business and Design Conference with the intent of informing and inspiring the FIT Community about the objectives of sustainability and how to incorporate it into their everyday lives. The 9th annual event was held on Tuesday, April 7 in the John Reeves Great Hall. Michael Cokkinos, an associate professor in the Advertising and Marketing Communications department, is one of several members on the conference committee who works towards promoting sustainability throughout the FIT community. Also an advisor of FIT’s Culinary Arts Club, Professor Cokkinos teaches students diverse cultural recipes and the connections between food and culture throughout the world. Combining his roles with the Sustainability Council and the Culinary Arts Club, Professor Cokkinos prepares sustainable recipes that students can cook in order to positively contribute to their own health, as well as the environment as a whole. Those who were unable to attend the event are still able to hone in on the initiatives that the council suggests students partake in, as they are listed on FIT’s website. The FIT community has already begun taking strides to “Green the Campus” by using energy efficient lighting, installing an ultra-low emission generator for the new
data center and last, but not least, the allnatural dye garden that is located on the roof of the Marvin Feldman Center. These are just a few of the many initiatives that the FIT community has conducted in terms of sustainability. Each sustainable effort taken will be one step closer to achieving a cleaner environment for everyone.
Sustainability and 2016 will be our Tenth Anniversary! The conference is a forum to educate the FIT community and all who attend about the choices we make and their impact on the earth and future generations. MB: How was this year’s conference different from others in past years? MC: The conference gets better each year, addressing different aspects of our broad understanding of sustainability as it relates to business, design and society in general. MB: What do you enjoy most about the sustainability conference? MC: Certainly the wealth of knowledge from our guest speakers. There is also the exhibits of student projects and their expressions of sustainability in their work. Also, the coming together of like minds in a community where we can relate and learn from each other is very rewarding.
Photo courtesy of blog.fitnyc.edu
MB: What marketing efforts have been used to promote this year’s conference?
Maria Beneventano: What would you say the sustainability conference accomplishes, as pertaining to the FIT community as a whole?
MC: We know our audience, which is why we employed more social media this year.
Michael Cokkinos: The Conference is sponsored by the President’s Council on
MB: What do you predict next year’s conference to be like?
MC: Bigger and better, with more student involvement, excellent speakers and a produced video. MB: How would you suggest FIT students contribute to sustainability efforts in their everyday lives? MC: I suggest they visit our website, fitnyc. edu/sustainability, and take a look around. There are many resources and useful information. Take courses pertaining to sustainability, bring up the issues in other courses and in your discussions with others, sign up for the minor in Ethics and Sustainability. Educate yourselves and share the information. It’s all about choices that we make every day, walk instead of drive, recycle, conserve and get involved. Join one of the FIT Student Association clubs related to sustainability or start one. It’s a lot of common sense but educating yourself can help you make those choices count.
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Composting, and Other Sustainable Practices at FIT by Dan Nissim
Photo courtesy of seedsnow.com
I’ll be honest. When I set out to write this article, I had an agenda. This is my first semester at FIT, and I’m still getting used to how different it is compared to my old school, the University of Vermont. The biggest difference, by far, is the apparent lack of composting at FIT. Now I wouldn’t say that I’m a ‘green’ person - and UVM wasn’t all about composting - but there definitely was a pervasive culture when it came to sustainable practices. My first experience in the FIT dining hall came down to two things: plastic utensils and no composting bins. Composting, like recycling, is about using waste materials, in this case, to make soil. You can compost food scraps, paper products, natural fibers (such as wool and cotton) and much more.
wrong. The utensils are not your ordinary plastic utensils. They’re composted along with plates, cups, napkins and food scraps, and all the leftover food from the dining halls is composted in Wilmington, DE. While it would feel better to be an active participant in the process, it is reassuring to know that nothing goes to waste. FIT engages in various other sustainable practices. There are recycling bins - for both paper and plastics - all around campus. Beyond the basic recycling, FIT recycles construction metals, wood, print cartridges, electronics, refrigerants, lamps and concrete. The buildings have been retrofitted with energy efficient lighting and energy efficient washer/dryers in the residence halls. There are two green roofs currently available (on A & E buildings) with more on the way.
Upon further investigation, I was proven
“ALL THE LEFTOVER FOOD FROM THE DINING HALLS IS COMPOSTED IN WILMINGTON, DE.”
If you’d like to get your composting fix on outside of the dining halls, there are plenty of collection sites around the city. You can drop off your fruit and vegetable scraps at Greenmarkets or if you are too lazy to leave your apartment, you can actually set up an indoor compost bin. They come in a wide range of sizes and price points. For me, composting and recycling is about being conscious of my waste. I get bummed if I’m walking down the street and can’t seem to find a recycling bin to throw away a bottle. I settle for throwing it in the garbage, but I don’t forget to recycle the next time around. I think everyone
would benefit from being more conscientious of how much they waste. We only have one planet (until we find another one, of course) so it is important to recycle our resources. Enough of my preaching, this is a personal choice that everyone must make for him or herself. If you’d like to get more involved with the sustainable practices at FIT, get in touch with a member of the Sustainability Council.
Tamil Robinson Visits Campus by Hermina Sobhraj
Tamil Robinson is the creative art and design director of AMIAT CORP (All Moods in All Textile), also known as The Design House. AMIAT provides full services in designing for public and private licensing companies, brand building and the production of textile and apparel. The brand is co-directed with an official MLB license. They also design interior home furnishings and textiles.
“I’VE ALWAYS HAD THE INTENSE DESIRE TO BLEND MY ARTISTIC TALENTS WITH FASHION” Involved in many high profile apparel projects, he spearheaded Rconic Collections by AMIAT (All Moods in All Textiles), which recently showcased during New
York’s Fashion Week at the Affinia hotel in February. Some of his other work includes NFL Pro-Bowl All-Star uniforms and Allen Iverson 1 - 3 Sports Collection. Likewise, he has also created some significant athletic staples like the break away warm-up pant and the zip-away. On April 17, Robinson visited Professor Irina Ast’s Draping II class at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Because he did not originally start off as a designer, he was able to provide the class with a different perspective on fashion designing. According to his LinkedIn, Tamil’s formal artistic education was at the Arts High School in Newark, NJ, where TV celebrity Tisha Campbell and R&B singer Melba Moore were discovered. Here he developed his skills for free hand sketching, natural drawing and color blending. He also realized his natural gift for his use of paints, water-colors and airbrushing. “I love fabrics and I wanted to do something stylish. I’ve always had the intense desire to blend my artistic talents with fashion,” he explained to the class. “Though I wasn't classically trained in fashion like you were, my mentor actually showed me different pattern making and cutting techniques, and which fabrics worked best with which
Photo courtesy of media.licdn.com
technique.” After learning the technical skills behind designing, Robinson really gained most of his hands on experience in sports licensing, working with companies like Reebok and Nike. It was in that industry where he jumpstarted his fashion career. Robinson’s story proves that sometimes there’s more way than one to achieve your career goals. By following his instincts and unceasing passion for the fashion industry, Robinson today is the founder and director of multiple fashion companies.
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FIT’s New International Program:
A Chance for AMC Students to Study in Paris by Jenny Kim
Some of the greatest things that college students fancy is taking a break from their home campus and studying abroad in a country where they have little to no familiarity with the country’s language and culture. Many students at FIT have been able to satisfy their needs for wanderlust and fulfilling their requirements at the same time through the FIT’s international programs in countries such as Italy, London, Shanghai, Hong Kong and many more. Starting the fall semester of 2015, FIT is adding another location to that list by offering two new inter nat ional programs for Adver tising and Marketing
alongside London and New York. The first program will be held at a highly rated marketing communications school called ESP, shortened for Ecole Supérieure de Publicité. ESP is the oldest communication school in France that flourishes in the cultural center of Paris. The institution offers a comprehensive curriculum with courses that provide the fundamental knowledge in the communications industry. Through this program, students will be taught by knowledgeable marketing professionals and will be studying AMC courses such as Product & Brand Communications Strategies, PR & Event Strategy, Digital Marketing - Exposure and Conversion
“ESP IS THE OLDEST COMMUNICATION SCHOOL IN FRANCE THAT FLOURISHES IN THE CULTURAL CENTER OF PARIS.”
Communications majors in Paris, France—one of the top three locations in the world for the advertising industry
Strategies, I nt e r n at ion a l Marketing and Insight & Creative Methodology. The second program is held at the American B u s i n e s s School of Paris (ABS), which is an institution that is part of the IGS university. This school is very similar to the American University of Paris (AUP) study abroad program that FIT already has, except the ABS of Paris program costs only 1/3 of the cost of AUP. Through this program, AMC students will be able to satisfy many of their liberal arts requirements and also take courses such as mathematics, management, economics, finance, business administration and marketing.
Photo courtesy of grand-paris.jll.fr To be eligible, one must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and be a 5th, 6th or 7th semester student. Several of the AMC students are already enrolled in these two programs and will be embarking on a new journey this upcoming fall. For more information, visit http://www.fitnyc.edu/23476.asp.
The Future of Retail told by Marie Driscoll by Molly Clarke
On April 23, the FMM Alumni Board hosted their annual networking event, titled “Today’s Global Fashion Industry: A New Frontier.” The speaker was Marie Driscoll, CFA and a highly experienced equity analyst. Driscoll was recognized three times by The Wall Street Journal‘s “Best on the Street” analyst survey, and in 2009, took first place for stock selection in the Clothing & Accessories industry. She began Driscoll Advisors in 2011, and provides consulting for academia, industry, investors and non profits. Currently, Driscoll is a columnist for Value Retail News (VRN) and The Robin Report and does consulting for Fung Business Intelligence Centre Global Retail & Technology. This year’s event focused on the future of retail and the trends that are shaping the global market. When it comes to the future of retail, Driscoll made the point that in the consumer market, everything is “smart,” which directly represents how the consumer is connected to technology. She used smart clothing, smart homes, smart cars, connected kids and smart beauty as examples. Driscoll also mentioned two topics that are discussed endlessly in Fashion Merchandising Management retail management classes: showrooming and
webrooming. We live in a society where the internet is at our fingertips, and we can easily look up prices of items online and compare them to prices in-store. Driscoll’s take on this was that “webrooming beats showrooming.” She also believes that consumers are now either solely webrooming, or they are researching prices online prior to visiting the brick and mortar store, and then purchasing them in store. “Click and Collect,” which is when consumers purchase items online and then pick them up in-store, was also touched upon. Driscoll went on to talk about Amazon’s lockers that were launched in September 2011. Amazon’s Locker puts the power in the consumers hands: instead of potentially not being home when the package is delivered, the consumer can send it straight to their locker. This gives the consumer the ability to pick up their package at their own convenience and at a location that is closest to them. Retailers are also jumping on the technology bandwagon as well, realizing that it makes up a big part of their businesses. Driscoll brought up the point that Nordstrom increased their technology investments to 30% of their plan, which is 10% more than they have allocated to technology in the past. In 2014, WalMart increased their e-commerce and digital investments to $1.2 billion, and invested in technology to help grow their online
business. Companies and businesses are realizing that their customers are evolving, just as quickly as technology does, and to retain those customers, they must technologically advance as well. Lastly, Driscoll emphasized the growing importance of social media in merchandising and in marketing fashion. Some brands are now releasing their ad campaigns on social media, prior to the print version being released. Social media has helped to increase the sales of luxury items digitally and it has become much more common for these luxury brands to have a social media presence. The Internet has become inundated with pictures and videos recently, and this is largely due to social media. During fashion week, social media provides a constant stream of real time photos and videos of the runway looks which helps the viewer (or follower) feel like they are actually at the show, seeing the looks in person. As Driscoll so sagely demonstrated, technology is becoming an essential part of retail, shaping the future of consumerism as we know it.
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Toms Shoes: Sustainable for Few by Allison Moran
That new pair of Toms Shoes you just purchased sure made you feel good. You flaunt them, knowing that since you’ve made the purchase you have provided someone in need with a new pair of shoes. But what happened before you bought your shoes? Before your purchase, Toms Shoes partnered with various organizations in an effort to provide shoes to people in need. Toms also sells glasses, and has partnered with organizations that provide eye care to people who can’t afford it or do not have it readily available. Most recently, the new Toms bags collection raises money to ensure that expecting mothers in third world countries give birth safely. But let’s take it back further, before any of Toms’ products were available for purchase and before any of the charity work. Toms manufactures its shoes in the following four countries: Argentina, Ethiopia, China and Haiti. The most recent facility opened in 2014 in Haiti and was made out by Toms to be another gesture of goodwill, after a catastrophic earthquake there four years earlier. Toms Founder and CEO, Blake Mycoskie, started planning the new factory after he discovered that the Haitians needed jobs more than they needed shoes.
the factories or their specific locations, city or slum. Online news source, The Richest notes that although 55% of the population in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, live in slums, at least they “hold [their employees] accountable for comply-
wage is 2020 Yuan, which is about $325. The Ethiopian monthly wage ranges from $18 to $23. In Argentina, the location of the first Toms shoe factory, the monthly minimum wage is about $523. Haitian garment workers have previously demanded $11.36 per eight hour work day, only receiving $5.11, according to the New York Times. There is a large difference between earning $523 per month and $18 per month. As explained in the New York Times, a shortage of labor workers in China is causing many companies to produce goods in other countries where minimum wage is lower and workers can work more hours.
According to online platform WhyDev, Toms also has a hisPhoto courtesy of sourcefed.com tory of distributing its shoes through evangelical Christian ing with [their] policies, including the pre- organizations, such as Bridge to Rwanda. vention of slavery and human trafficking These organizations deliver shoes more within [their] supply chain.” Again, the frequently to other Christian communiToms website does not state any other ways ties, even though the company website that the company protects its workers out- claim they distribute through “humanitarside of the U.S. Reasonable hours, sustain- ian organizations who incorporate shoes into their community development programs,” not specifying any religious affiliations.
“TOMS CLAIMS THAT THEIR SUPPLY CHAINS GO THROUGH AN ANNUAL ANALYSIS TO MAKE SURE THEIR SUPPLIERS AND MATERIALS ARE FOLLOWING “ALL APPLICABLE LAWS”
For a company so heavily concerned with the wellbeing of others, some may find it intriguing that they produce their goods in third-world countries known for sweatshop labor, specifically China. And according to The Fine Print, a bi-monthly publication focused on advocacy journalism, Toms doesn’t participate in the Workers Rights Consortium, an independent organization that monitors labors rights.
able wages, healthy working conditions and proper building codes are never mentioned.
On the company website, there is a paragraph dedicated to explaining their ethical practices throughout their supply chain, stating that they “ensure that [their] corporate responsibility standards are upheld.” These “corporate responsibility standards” are not specified.
Toms claims that their supply chains go through an annual analysis to make sure their suppliers and materials are following “all applicable laws in the countries they do business in.…” But seeing as those companies are not sending raw materials to the United States, if their methods remained the same, would they be able to operate in this country legally?
There is no mention of the conditions of
The average Chinese monthly minimum
When it comes to materials used to produce Toms shoes, they are truly making an effort to be as sustainable as possible. Toms is a member of the Textile Exchange as well as the Environmental and Social Responsibility Committees of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. The Textile Exchange website claims that they are “a non-profit organization…committed to the responsible expansion of textile sustainability across the global textile value chain.”
So while Toms may utilize sustainable production materials and be highly charitable (they have donated over 10 million shoes), the ways in which their shoes are produced and reach the market are questionable. There is a trade off in making that feelgood purchase. As a consumer, you have to do your own research and then decide for yourself what is the most ethical and sustainable action to take.
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Humans of FIT by Tara O’Brien
“I FEEL SO STRONGLY THAT EVERYONE SHOULD RECYCLE”
Xianne Illustration Major Q: Do you feel it is important to celebrate Earth Day?
Sara Fashion Design Major
Of course. We live on earth and people keep on destroying it so it’s a reminder “hey you’ve got to take care of the Earth a little more.”
Q: As a design student, do you feel sustainable fabrics are hard to find?
Q: What do you think is the best way for businesses to be sustainable?
Yes. I think they’re hard to find and also if I do find them, and when I have found them, they’ve been way too expensive. And so it immediately isn’t an option because the price puts them out of reach.
Probably just by treating their workers better and actually treating them like people. Just be ethical; their workers can’t live very long on what they pay them anyway.
Q: How can you justify buying clothing from companies that manufacture their products in factories knowing they abuse their workers and pollute the environment?
Q: What’s one thing we can all so every day to help save the planet? One thing people can do is plant a lot more flowers for the sake of bees. They’re kind of going out because of this pesticide that is commonly used. There’s actually a lot of good properties to honey even though it’s just bee vomit, but still! Haha sorry, I just love bees.
“WE LIVE ON EARTH AND PEOPLE KEEP ON DESTROYING IT”
Photo courtesy of Tara O’Brien I can’t. I don’t know how to justify that. I want to say there is no way around it, but there is. I pretty much don’t think about it which I know sounds pretty selfish. When most people buy something they just think, ‘oh pretty!’ and they don’t actually think about what’s going into each of the garments. But we do know what goes into it. I think most people know.
Kayla Fashion Merchandising Management Major Q: Do you believe sustainability is profitable for businesses? Yes and no. I feel like more consumers nowadays are concerned with it so I think it could be profitable if companies took advantage of the demand for sustainable products. I know if I saw something made from recycled materials or better for the environment I would try and go for that. I wouldn’t even mind paying more for it if it’s going to support the environment in the long run. Q: How do you justify buying from companies that manufacture their clothing in factories that abuse their workers and pollute the environment? I probably haven’t thought about that as much as I should have. But if it was brought to my attention more I probably wouldn’t shop at those stores. I think a majority of the time consumers are unaware and until it’s brought to the surface and exposed, people will not start to feel guilty about purchasing these items. Q: Do you believe we could ever really run out of natural resources? I do because I don’t think there is a big enough focus on alternative energy sources. Right now we have an abundance of them so people think there will always be enough. But I think there will come a point where we could deplete our environment of natural resources if we keep this believing that we will always have enough. And then the land would be useless. We would really have to have a backup plan so the research being conducted now on alternative energy would need to be foolproof.
“THERE WILL COME A POINT WHERE WE WILL DEPLETE OUR ENVIRONMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ”
DEAR INDUSTRY Rags in Ruins Lead to Revolution by Marina Herbst & Allison Moran
“Who made my clothes?” is the question posed by Fashion Revolution Day, a movement advocating for garment workers’ rights. For some, the answer was possibly the 1,127 garment workers killed in the Rana Plaza building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Two years ago on April 24, 2013, the garment factory buckled after a backup generator turned on, shaking the upper floors of the structure and forming cracks in the walls, leading to the eventual collapse of the building, reported The New York Times.
“WHO MADE MY CLOTHES?” According to The Economist, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina admitted that 90% of the structures in Bangladesh do not meet building codes. Rana Plaza is a part of that 90%. Building owner Sohel Rana illegally constructed the top three floors of the eight-story building. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, along with police, had reported to Rana that the construction of the building was unsafe. Despite cracks forming in the building’s walls the day prior to the collapse, Rana and factory managers instructed workers to enter the building and continue working to meet order deadlines. Bangladesh is only second to China in terms of garment production, due to the fact that they have the lowest minimum wage. Primark and Loblaw, of which Joe Fresh is a part, are two of the companies who were producing goods at Rana Plaza. According to Reuters, Primark and JC Penney were brands among those known to be manufacturing in the Rana Plaza building. Many of the garment workers killed in the collapse were women. According to Fashion Revolution, 70% of garment workers in China, 85% in Bangladesh and 90% in Cambodia are female. In response to this disaster is Fashion Revolution Day, a movement with a mission that believes “in a fashion industry that values people, the environment, creativity and profit in equal measure.” Originating in Europe, Fashion Revolution Day is now gaining international attention. While Fashion Revolution Day is the specific day dedicated to raising awareness about the question “Who made my clothes?” and is held annually on the anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, April 24, events are held during the week around it in more than 70 countries to educate people about the issue. People of various countries’ fashion industries spoke about what should be a concern on everyone’s mind: the lack of sustainability and poor management of the supply
chains in the industry. FIT joined forces with Zady on April 20, a company that is educating the consumer that there is a better way of making clothes, and held an event dedicated to the importance of slow fashion. Maxine Bédat, co-founder of Zady, emphasized facts behind low-priced clothing and how fast fashion is absolutely unhinged. Transparency and responsibility have been lost. This transfers to the fashion industry being the second-largest industry contributing to pollution. Brands today choose to work with the cheapest factories that use the cheapest labor, which often also keep the lowest environmental standards. Many of these factories are in Bangladesh, since they have the lowest minimum wage, even in comparison to China. The challenge, Bédat says, is to take this information out of the shadows it has been lurking in. She says
Photo courtesy of fashionrevolution.org of reviving ancient techniques and elevating the next generation of master craftsmen from places such as India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Mongolia, and Peru. The panel focused on sustainability and slow fashion. Each of the panelists, when asked to list the challenges of sustainability, mentioned the need for a change in the mindset of people. There is an absolute need for making ethical practices a sexy and trendy thing.
“WE NEED “TO REWRITE THE WHOLE INDUSTRY” For every Fashion Revolution Day panel, regardless of the country, the question remained the same: How can we build a more sustainable industry?
“the time has come not for an adjustment, but for us to rewrite the whole industry.” Andrew Morgan, internationally-acclaimed filmmaker who took the journey of discovering the industry and capturing it in his movie “True Cost,” served as the moderator for the evening. Before starting the panel he expressed that with his movie, he hopes to “encourage people and affirm all of those who are pioneers in the sustainability movement that there are more of us interested in changing the industry.” The trailer is now available to watch on Fashion Revolution’s website under the “Blog” tab. Morgan then introduced the panelists. Eileen Fisher is the CEO of her eponymous company, a fashion brand that has focused on sustainability for more than twenty years; Lynda Greer is the Health Program Director at the National Resources Defense Council; Paul Van Zyl is the CEO of Maiyet, a brand whose design is driven by the idea
And the answers were also similar, regardless of location. It is important not only to demand companies clean up their act, but also to reward the better, more sustainable brands. We need “to rewrite the whole industry,” make it eco-friendly, support fair-trade and encourage the larger companies to be the leaders with transparency and waste prevention. In five to ten years, the industry should hope to see a systematic change in how it conducts its business and for sustainability to be not only trendy but also mainstream. To spread the word, the social media campaign created by Fashion Revolution Day includes the hashtags #FashRev and #whomademyclothes, and encourages participants to wear their clothes inside-out on the anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse. On Fashion Revolution’s website, fashionrevolution.org, readers can select their home country to learn more on how they can get involved with specific events. There is also a blog featuring progress made with the Fashion Revolution, as well as inside looks into the lives of garment makers. The information is readily available, now all that is left is to do is learn from it and take action.
DEAR INDUSTRY
FIT
10
Moves Magazine’s First PowerWoman Forum by Allison Moran
New York Moves Magazine hosted its inaugural Moves PowerWoman Forum at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa & Salon on April 14. Each year, the magazine publishes a Power Issue that “honors influential and successful women in various fields,” according to their website. Women previously featured in the magazine include Katie Holmes, Lisa Ling and the evening’s guest of honor, Ashley Judd. The event brought prominent, businesssavvy women together on a panel to discuss empowering one another and helping other women get ahead in the workforce, amongst other things. Hosted by CNN Newsroom’s Carol Costello and organized by publisher Moonah Ellison, the rooftop at Elizabeth Arden was transformed into a tight-knit community of women in business, entrepreneurs, journalists and students, all of which had one topic in mind: feminism. One of the first questions of the night was how each of the panelists personally defined what what it meant to be a feminist. The panel, which consisted of Colonel Donna Martin, Deputy Commanding Officer; Tonia O’Connor, President of Content Distribution and Corporate Business Development for Univision; Caryl M. Stern, President & CEO of the
U.S. Fund for UNICEF ;and entrepreneur Kat Burki, founder of her eponymous skincare company, all had varying answers with a common theme that women need to be supported. Also featured on the panel were Columbia University’s Samantha Cooney, the Managing Editor of their school newspaper, the Daily Spectator, and FIT’s Hermina Sobhraj, the Editor-In-Chief of W27. When asked for her thoughts on the panel, Hermina said, “As we’ve seen, feminism has assumed different roles over time. Some embody the ideology to solely empower women, while others use it to advocate for the equality of both genders. That was made clear at the panel today; while some in the audience were more focused on child care and maternity leave issues, others were more passionate about pay rights and involving men in women’s rights advocacy. This really just shows that progress takes time; while we’ve taken large strides, there are still many issues that need to be resolved.”
Ashley Judd, photo courtesy of fansshare.com
The ninety minute panel covered topics central to the theme, including career paths and work-life balance. All in all, it seemed that everyone’s opinions and thoughts stemmed from their personal experiences, all agreeing on the need to support other women, especially in the workplace.
FIT’s Half the Sky club was also in the audience, posing several questions to the panel throughout the evening and commenting on a few of the panelists answers.
Honoring a Footwear Legend by Kaylee Denmead
luncheon will be on September 9, 2015, with tickets starting at $1500.
Photo courtesy of houseontheheels.com
The FIT Couture Council has chosen to honor Manolo Blahnik with its 2015 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion. Blahnik is joining the ranks of previous Couture Council Award winners, Carolina Herrera, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta and Valentino. This prestigious award is chosen by a select group of men and women looking for an innovative designer who has stood the test of time. “Manolo Blahnik is one of the world’s most
accomplished and influential footwear designers. We are delighted to be honoring him,” FIT President Dr. Joyce F. Brown stated on the FIT website. The Couture Council was created in 2004 as a membership dedicated to supporting the Museum at FIT. Each year, fall fashion week kicks off with a luncheon at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center to raise money for the museum’s upkeep and a designer is awarded with the Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion. This year’s
Blahnik, who is currently in Italy overseeing the production of his newest collection, will travel to New York to receive this prestigious award. Though he is 72, he shows no need or desire to slow down and is far from ready to retire. Blahnik told the New York Times, “I reached a point in my life where I realized that what I do is connected with fashion in some way, but it’s completely out of it. And I quite enjoy that. I change very little every year.” Blahnik attributes this freedom to the many years that he has been in the industry, having celebrated 40 years in shoe design in 2013. Despite changing styles and evolving fashions, he has always stayed true to what he envisioned a woman’s shoe should look like. In the 1970s, when hefty platforms were all the rage, Blahnik was steadfast in his belief that shoes should be lighter, giving woman a more elegant look. He still hews to this vision today. Blahnik believes that a woman in high heels walks differently and therefore the shoe must be “light, beautifully centered, the heel balanced, perfection,” he told the
New York Times in a 2013 article. It was “Sex and the City’s” Carrie Bradshaw who made mainstream America aware of the high-end brand. Blahnik keeps 25,000 pairs of his shoes in his home in England; an archive that has grown over the years, as he has continuously creates new pieces. Though Blahnik finds awards to be exhausting with pleasantries and talking to “a million people,” as he told NY Times, Blahnik is honored just the same to receive the Couture Council Award. Blahnik’s admirers everywhere will soon get to see behind the scenes with the upcoming release of a film about his life. There will also be an exhibition of his work touring around the world and a hard-bound tome detailing his life and his accomplishments. Blahnik’s career is still going strong and shoe lovers around the world will be basking in his creations for years to come. Mr. Blahnik, congratulations to you, a man who deserves everything that this award celebrates.
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W27
MAY 2015
Beauty Buzz:
Beauty at it’s Greenest by Jordyn Ferriss
Photo courtesy of callmekatie.com
MANY PEOPLE STRIVE TO LEAD ECO-FRIENDLY LIVES, YET INCORPORATING THE IDEA OF SUSTAINABILITY INTO EVERY ASPECT OF DAY-TO-DAY LIFE CAN BE DIFFICULT. HERE ARE FOUR STEPS THAT WILL HELP MAKE YOUR BEAUTY HABITS BETTER FOR YOU AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
1. RECYCLE PACKAGING
2. BUY CONSCIOUSLY
3. AVOID CHEMICALS
If you’re an avid makeup buyer you may be aware of recycling programs such as “Back to MAC” from MAC Cosmetics. With “Back to MAC,” you can return 6 empty containers and receive a free lipstick of your choice. By returning your old packaging to MAC, you are making sure that the used up product is being disposed of properly and not filling up landfills. Other beauty companies, such as LUSH, also offer similar recycling programs. If you return an empty signature LUSH black pot you can receive a free face mask. This is an effort put forth by LUSH that hopes to keep the process of making their pots a closed loop, meaning they’ll have a self-sustainable plastic supply for years to come. If you’ve used up a product from a company without a recycling policy, you can still make a positive impact on the environment. First, make sure that all containers are clean of any product. You can clean inside smaller tubes with spoolies and pipe cleaners. With bigger containers, a run through the dishwasher should do the trick. Second, sort the containers in to the appropriate recycle bins (glass foundation bottles go in the glass/plastics bin, while cardboard packaging and boxes go in the paper bin). The ultimate goal is that no product or its packaging makes it to the landfill.
This might seem like a simple task, but buying makeup that is manufactured by companies that have sustainable practices is a bigger deal than you’d think. Companies who do not test on animals, refuse to use harmful chemicals and pride themselves on natural remedies are companies that you want to buy from as a consumer. Major makeup players such as Urban Decay, NARS and Hourglass all don’t test on animals, giving you peace of mind during your next trip to Sephora. All natural cosmetic companies such as Bite Beauty, Josie Maran and Tarte promise all their products are free of unnecessary and harmful chemicals, making your body and the world we live in a much safer place. Buying environmentally conscious doesn’t always have to be pricey either. Drugstore makeup staples such as NYX, e.l.f, GOSH, Milani and Wet’n’Wild are all cruelty-free. While all-natural products may be more difficult to come across at a drugstore price point, there are a few brands such as Physician’s Formula Organic Wear and Burt’s Bees that fit the bill, both figuratively and literally.
Cosmetic and skincare products are more than just pigment and water; they’re complex chemical compounds with multiple ingredients. It can be difficult to decipher the ingredients list on the back of your new moisturizer so here is list of a few of the chemicals to be on the lookout for next time you’re out shopping: BHA and BHT (found most often in moisturizers), dibutyl phthalate, paragons (used widely as a preservative in cosmetics), unnecessary fragrance, isopropyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol and FD&C color pigments. While some chemicals are harmful to animals and the world’s ecosystems, many of them are mostly harmful to humans, which makes taking the time to search for these ingredients all the more necessary. While the FDA regulates most products in the United States, cosmetics isn’t one of them. Besides color additives, there are no other FDA regulations pertaining to cosmetics’ formulas.
Photo courtesy of beautywithoutthebeasts.com
4. DONATE UNUSED PRODUCTS Most makeup products have a shelf-life of one year or less, making barely-touched products a big waste of money and a big problem in landfills. Here are some life spans of very common cosmetic products: liquid eyeliner/mascara: 3-6 months, nail polish and oil-free foundation: 1 year, concealer/cream eyeshadow and blush/cream foundation: 12-18 months, lip gloss: 18-24 months, blush/bronzer/eyeliner/lip liner/ lipstick/powder eyeshadow and foundation: 2 years. If you have purchased something that you’ve barely used or haven’t used at all consider donating it to a local women’s shelter where it can be used, and for a good cause. Most makeup products can be donated, but some should make their way to the recycle bin instead. Things like jarred creams shouldn’t be donated, as you are constantly contaminating product when you dip your finger in. Mascara is also a no-go for donating, as harmful eye bacteria can be spread. All other products, even lipsticks and eyeliners, can be easily sanitized and donated.
GRADUATION Bittersweet Adieus THIS YEAR, W27 WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE HERMINA SOBHRAJ AS OUR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND MOLLY CLARKE AS OUR EXECUTIVE EDITOR. AS WE SAY GOODBYE, WE KNOW THAT THIS PAPER WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT HAD BEEN WITHOUT THEM AND THAT NEXT YEAR, WE WILL MISS THEM BOTH DEARLY. BEFORE THEY GO, WE WANTED TO TAKE THE TIME TO FIND OUT HOW FIT AND W27 HAVE IMPACTED THEIR LIVES, AND IF THERE IS ANY ADVICE THEY WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE US WITH.
Hermina Sobhraj, Editor-in-Chief, W27
Molly Clarke, Executive Editor, W27 by Aaron Valentic
by Dara Kenigsberg
Photo provided by Molly Clarke
Photo provided by Hermina Sobhraj
W27 Newspaper: What is the single, best piece of advice you have for freshmen? Hermina Sobrhaj: Jump right in. One thing I did a lot in my first year of college was hesitate, and looking back I can say that some sort of action is always better than no action. So trust yourself, and don't be so afraid. How does that quote go? It's not how you fall down, but how you get back up that matters. W27: What is the single, best piece of advice you have for next year's editor-in-chief? H.S.: Be bold with your ideas and trust your instinct - you have one for a reason. Plan ahead so you can be prepared for managing a lot of different moving parts! W27: How has living in New York City changed you? H.S.: It used to be really difficult for me to accept change. It still is, at times. In the city, so many things happen everyday that it's forced me to really take life as it comes. Through all the twists and turns, if you're working hard, things will eventually come to fruition. W27: What do you love the most about W27? H.S.: W27 is primarily for the students of FIT, an extremely diverse mix of people. What I've loved the most is that I've had the chance to select the type of content I think students will want to read about. It definitely forces you to have a much more open mind and really search for the meaty and more meaningful stories. W27: During the fall semester, not only did you have your regular classes, but you also had a full-time job. Considering all the responsibilities that being editor-in-chief
entails, how were you able to juggle all three so successfully (or how did you manage to maintain your commitments)? H.S.: Honestly, I managed all three by using my iCalendar. I scheduled my classes around my work hours, and I would dedicate most of my remaining free time to the newspaper. This might make it sound simple, but it definitely wasn't easy. Honestly, I'll never do that again but it was worth the experience of being a project manager for a large corporation. W27: Looking back on your first article, (do you remember what it was?) do you think being a part of W27 has helped you improve your writing skills? Communication skills? H.S.: Yes! My very first article with W27 was an art gallery review. I always encourage newer writers on the paper to start off with a piece like this. Not only did it remind me of everything the city had to offer, it gave me the chance to really hone my writing skills by focusing on the copy and not so much on heavy content. W27 (and our advisor, Professor Simone) is really the one thing that taught me that writing takes a lot of patience. I used to think that a great writer could whip up a Dante's Inferno in a few minutes; had I not joined W27, I probably wouldn't have even given myself the chance to develop my writing skills. W27: Going forward, do you have a motto or some sort of ideal that you'll live by? H.S.: I came across a quote by Warren Buffet recently - "It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."
Aaron Valentic: FIT?
Describe your time at
AC: In 20 years from now, where would you like to see yourself in the fashion industry?
Molly Clarke: It went by too quickly, but I loved it. I met so many fantastic, passionate people about their industries, who helped motivate me more. I really learned who I was as a person here. I’ve learned so much about the fashion industry that I can apply in whatever job I get in the future.
MC: Obviously I would love to be in the ranks with established editors at fashion publications. Or even in the styling part of a publication as well. I just want to be at a job I love at a publication that I love just as much. W27: Why switch into AMC from FMM?
AC: What was it like being a part of W27? Did you have a favorite part/ thing you loved to do? MC: It was great! I loved being a part of something bigger than myself, and being able to see your hard work in a tangible way. I loved just being a part of the paper, as a whole, and seeing it become more of an established and respected publication at FIT. AC: Discuss some of your internships and jobs you have obtained thus far - what has been the biggest learning experience for you? MC: My only internship was at Elle magazine for my senior year. I’m still searching for a job sadly, but I know something will come my way when the time is right. The biggest learning moment... I had so many. It may sound simple, but one of the lessons I learned was that you won’t always get out at 5. Fashion doesn’t sleep, and sometimes you have to stay till 8, to pack up trunks of samples to send to a photo shoot for the next day. But if you as an intern didn’t pack up those samples, they wouldn’t get to the shoot together. You just have to bite your tongue and get through it. It was something I had to learn early on and stop complaining about, since we would have multiple shoots throughout my time at Elle. AC: What was the most important thing you learned while studying at FIT? MC: I would say the importance of networking, and also to stay on top of everything that is going on in your industry. Read WWD everyday, and just immerse yourself in the industry and its happenings.
MC: Math. It all came down to the fact that FMM was so geared toward math, and programs that involved math, that I wanted to get as far away from math as I could. I also thought that down the road an AMC degree would help me get into the publications world, as opposed to an FMM degree. AC: How has living/attending school in NYC help you in terms of schooling, as well as a job in the workforce? MC: I love Manhattan, and I have since as far as I can remember. It has been nothing but a fantastic experience; I think going to school in a fashion capital is beyond incredible too. You get to take field trips to showrooms and places in the industry that give you more of a hands on look as to what you’re learning in class. As to jobs, I’m still in the process of finding one..but I think it’ll definitely help that I’m in NYC as opposed to someone applying from another borough or something like that. AC: If you could look back and tell your freshmen self one thing, what would it be and why? MC: I think I would tell myself that it’s going to be a struggle sometimes balancing school and interning, as well as personal life. But it will all pay off in the end; it’ll be so worth it and the best years of school you could ask for.
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W27
MAY 2015
Thoughts and Reflections Before Graduation by Jenny Kim
ASHLEY GALLAGHER
JOHN THOM
KAITLYN PROVENZANO
SARITA NAUTH
Photo courtesy of Ashley Gallagher
Photo courtesy of John Thom
Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn Provenzano
Photo courtesy of Sarita Nauth
As the school year is coming to an end, a lot of us are excited for our summer vacation plans before starting the next school year. However some of us are graduating in a few weeks and not coming back for another year at FIT. I interviewed four seniors who are graduating this month — Ashley Gallagher, Sarita Nauth, John Thom and Kaitlyn Provenzano share their overall experiences at FIT and how they feel about their upcoming graduation.
a lot from my peers and professors, made lifelong friends and was able to live on a campus in the best city in the world!
life of a college student and enter the real adult world. I think FIT really prepared me for life after college and I’m excited and very proud to be an FIT alum.
SN: Make connections and take advantage of everything FIT has to offer. You never know who knows whom or how well you might just get along with someone you least expected. FIT offers a plethora of ways to get involved and the rewards truly help enhance your career.
W27 Newspaper: What is your major and how was your overall experience here at FIT? Ashley Gallagher: I’m majoring in Art History and Museum Professions with a minor in Fashion Studies. Overall my experience at FIT has been a positive one. I transferred to FIT my sophomore year and finished my associates in Fashion Merchandising Management (FMM) and then entered into the Bachelor’s program for my current major. In my Fashion studies course I’ve had accomplished professors help me in both my academics and professional life. I am forever grateful. Sarita Nauth: For my first two years I was in the FMM program, and once I graduated with my Associates degree, I pursued a Bachelor’s in Advertising Marketing and Communications (AMC). My overall experience has not only helped me build character, a backbone and some serious fashion sense but also made me appreciate and work hard for the good things in life. John Thom: My major at FIT is AMC. My overall experience at FIT has been incredible. I have always been a motivated person but never had the chance to be immersed in an environment with such similarly passionate peers.
W27: What is the biggest thing you learned here at FIT?
W27: What do you plan to do after you graduate and in the future?
AG: Networking is everything. SN: The biggest thing I learned at FIT is about myself. I learned how much I could take and what challenges I was able to overcome. You will never know how much you can take until you push yourself to that point. FIT is not for the fainthearted—it can get competitive and push your creative thinking but within that process you learn about yourself and how you interact with others. JT: Internships and connections are incredibly important. KP: The biggest thing I learned here at FIT was to be creative and to not be afraid to express yourself. Learning in an openly creative and free environment really enhanced my education and learning experience. I learned to not be afraid to offer an idea or be creative with assignments. W27: How do you feel about graduating? Excited? Nervous? Scared? AG: As of right now I’m very ready to graduate; it feels like it’s been a long time coming. SN: I’m excited to graduate but it’s not easy leaving a place you call a second home with people that you love and built great friendships with. Graduating can be scary because it’s the step before diving headfirst into adulthood. Overall, it’s also the start of something new. That’s another great thing about FIT—we are prepared and trained to take on the world.
“SENIORITIS IS REAL.”
JT: Very excited to start a new chapter in life, but just as nervous to stepping into the real world alone.
Kaitlyn Provenzano: My major is AMC and I minored in Psychology. I overall had a great experience over the last four years here at FIT. FIT was my dream school and it definitely exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed almost all of my classes, learned
KP: I think I’m both equally nervous and excited about graduating! I know it sounds cliche, but college went by really fast. I’m excited for the future so I can move forward with my career and achieve my goals. However, it is scary to leave the sheltered
AG: After I graduate I plan to travel and visit museums abroad. Once I return, I’d ideally like to get a position in an art related field or at least another internship. We’ll see.
“INTERNSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.” SN: I’ve been interning at VH1 for the past nine months so I can’t wait to see what comes after that and with the opportunities at Viacom. From my conversations with a number of Alumni, I was advised to take a break, travel and enjoy that spring into a full time job. This is the moment that I think will really help me organize and piece together everything I learned from FIT. FIT students are already masters at juggling and multitasking so the real world for us is a normal day.
JT: Have fun; don’t make senior year incredibly serious. KP: Prepare yourself for graduation ahead of time! Graduation creeps up on you really fast and I would say to start thinking of what company you would want to work for and take graduating really seriously. Even though you have a degree in a certain subject, go for what you are passionate about. W27: If you can go back and change one thing, what would it be? AG: Nothing. SN: I wish I had a better work-life balance in school. I was also so worried about my grades when I should have created more experiences with more diverse friendships. One thing that I could never regret was joining PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America). I made long - lasting friendships, networked, traveled and became the person I wanted to be through the amazing people I met over the course of four years. If it wasn’t for my chapter and their support, I wouldn’t be where I am at right now. JT: No regrets.
JT: I currently work with a large media company in the events department. I hope to continue my career in events and public relations, specifically working in the media and magazine industries. KP: As of right now I plan to get a job here in New York City and rent an apartment after graduation. I want to work in entertainment, publicity and marketing. I hope to expand my network, travel, learn more and experience as much as I can! W27: If you can give one advice to next year’s graduates, what would it be? AG: Senioritis is real.
KP: If I could change one thing I would say I would have liked to be more involved in school and talked to more people. I wish I would have taken advantage of our school’s large network of students and made more friends in different majors. A huge misconception here is that people don’t want to be friends or are standoffish. I wish I would have talked to more people and gotten more involved in student activities, besides the one club I was active in. Take chances and go outside your comfort zone!
GRADUATION
FIT
14
Next Year’s FIT Student Assocation BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kathryn David Coordinator of Social & Digital Media
Marvin Sanford President
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Larry Torres Vice President
Jessica Indio Treasurer
Madeline Maciagiewicz Director of Communications
Whitney Owens Treasurer
Shailee Patel Director of Finance
STUDENT ADVOCACY COMMITTEE
Scott Girvan Director of Student Advocacy
VACANT Coordinator of Alumni Engagement
Ashlie Major Director of Student Organizations
Vanessa Acerc Coordinator of Athletics and Wellness
Rachael Hyjek Director of Sustainability
Valeria Valencia Coordinator of Commuter Affairs
Nicole Nam Dib Director of Programming
Shannon Marie Pacocha Coordinator of Residental Affairs
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
Lauren Sitterly Coordinator of Graphic Design Leah Corio Historian
VACANT Coordinator of Cultural Events VACANT Coordinator of Campus Evening Events
Photo courtesy of Ingrid Aamo
STARTING TOP LEFT: EMERALD, SHAROM, VALERIA, MADELINE, KATIE, LARRY, ASHLIE, MARVIN BOTTOM LEFT: DENISE (ADVISOR PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE), LAUREN, VANESSA, JESSICA, KARINA, MICHELLE (ADVISOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS)
FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN VACANT POSITIONS CONTACT THE STUDENT LIFE DEPARTMENT ON THE 7TH FLOOR OF DUBINSKY STUDENT CENTER.
VACANT Coordinator of Information Technology
Commencement 2015 SCHOOLS OF ART AND DESIGN AND GRADUATE STUDIES SPEAKER:
SCHOOLS OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY AND LIBERAL ARTS SPEAKER:
Brooke Shields Mark Metricks
Photo courtesy of usmagazine.com
Photo courtesy of pmcwwd.files.wordpress.com
Commencement will take place on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at the Jacob K. Javits Center. FIT will hold two ceremonies separated by schools. Ms. Shields will address the Schools of Art and Design and Graduate Studies at the morning ceremony which begins at 10:30 am. Mr. Metrick will speak to the Schools of Business and Technology and Liberal Arts at 3:00 pm.
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W27
MAY 2015
Future of Fashion Show 2015 by Hermina Sobhraj
The annual Future of Fashion show at the Fashion Institute of Technology stunned again. Presented by Calvin Klein, the show featured seventy-two looks from FIT’s top graduating Fashion Design students. The categories included children’s wear, intimate apparel, knitwear, special occasion, and sportswear. Nicole Riche, creative director of House of Harlow 1960 and host of this year’s show, told W27 that she was very impressed with everything she saw. “Fashion is so unpredictable. You have no idea what trends are going to catch on and that’s the fun part of fashion,” she said.
To select the winners of this year’s looks, the Future of Fashion show had the following judges: BRAYN GREY-YAMBAO (BLOGGER, BRYANBOY.COM) RACHEL BESSER (MARKET EDITOR, REFINERY29) ANNE KEANE FASHION DIRECTOR, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE)
CRITIC
CRITIC AWARD WINNER
SPECIALIZATION
Bonnie Young Morgan Curtis Tess Giberson Annalise Frank Reem Acra Nicholas K Phillip Lim Victoria Bartlett Azede Jean-Pierre
Anjani Yarlagadda Esmerelda Fyhr Ting He Chanan Reifen Lisaneyla Almonte Sofia Menasse Luis Peralta Veronica Romero Schon Jose Camacho
Children’s Wear Intimate Apparel Knitwear Knitwear Special Occasion Sportswear Sportswear Sportswear Sportswear
LILLIANA VAZQUEZ (TELEVISION HOST AND FASHION EXPERT)
Photo courtesy of Vicky Mathew
Salty Girls - Rachel Raabe by Dara Kenigsberg
“Salty Girls: The Women of Cystic Fibrosis,” is a photography project by Ian Pettigrew, a 39 year old who found out last year that he had cystic fibrosis. The focal point? Photographing 60 strong, beautiful women between the ages of 20 and 40 all wearing little or no clothing. Half of the women have either had or are waiting to have a lung transplant. They all stand confidently with their scars exposed, hoping to inspire others to feel that way about their own bodies, especially younger sufferers. One such model was our very own soon to
be FIT graduate, Rachel Raabe. We’ve provided pictures of Raabe as a model during the photography project. We couldn’t be more inspired by the contagious positivity this movement has created. An inherited condition, cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive fluids, all of which of usually thin and slippery. But those with CF have a defective gene that causes them to be thick and sticky, plugging up tubes, ducts and passageways most often in the lungs and pancreas. This leads to severe damage to
the lungs and digestive system and many end up having lung transplants that leave massive scars across the stomach. Pettigrew told the Huffington Post, “A lot of this is back to the issue of body shaming. Women with no scars have it bad enough in this digital age, now grow up with massive scars across your belly, and scars from your double lung transplant. Seeing how positive they can remain when dealing with this horrible disease is inspiring.”
Photo provided by Rosie Raabe
FEATURE SUSTAINABLE FABRICS
AGAINST THE ELEMENTS
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FEATURE
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CREATING FASHION,
BUT NOT AT THE COST OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
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PHOTOGRAPHY NEERAJ JAIN CREATIVE DIRECTOR DARA KENIGSBERG DESIGNER CINDY PORTILLO MODEL ALLY SCHREIBER HAIR & MAKEUP ABIOLA CHARLES
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The Social Progress Index Discloses the Sustain-inability of The United States by Nicole DeStefano
Until recently, gross domestic product has been the most fundamental way of measuring a country’s success. Unfortunately, yet not surprisingly, determining success solely by looking at economic output is not a very accurate way of evaluating a nation’s well being, especially in terms of sustainability. Developed in 2013 by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, the Social Progress Index does just that. According to the huffingtonpost.com, “[it] measures the performance of 133 countries on various dimensions of social and environmental performance. It is the most comprehensive framework developed for measuring social progress, and the first to measure social progress independently of GDP.”
“EVEN AFTER A SIGNIFICANT EDUCATION REFORM MOVEMENT, WE RANK 45TH IN ACCESS TO BASIC KNOWLEDGE.” The index measures three main areas: basic human needs like food and shelter, foundations of wellbeing such as healthcare and education and opportunity, which addresses civil rights, inclusion and tolerance. Each area is broken down into individual social and environmental components, with 52 indicators in total. According to factoexist.com, “Each component is calculated based on specific outcomes—health and wellness, for example, is determined by life expectancy, obesity, cancer death rate and other factors.” The Social Progress Index provides governments and businesses with a pragmatic means of benchmarking a country’s performance and figuring out what areas need the most help. The data has also uncovered some major discrepancies in using the GDP as a sole determinant of a country’s progress. Take the U.S. for
example. America has long been the country that others look to for guidance: a beacon of hope in a dark stormy night. With our democratic process, the freedoms we are allotted as outlined in the first amendment and policies that allow everyone equal opportunities, America has always led the way for social progress. However, as the Social Progress Index shows, this is no longer the case.
“THOUGH THE UNITED STATES RANKS SIXTH AMONG COVERED COUNTRIES IN TERMS OF GDP PER CAPITA, WE ONLY ACHIEVE 16TH PLACE IN SOCIAL PROGRESS.”
dichotomy between the results and what is really happening. Now that we have this data, we have to also be able to answer why we are no longer the paradigm we once were. According to the New York Times, “We obsess on the wrong measures, so we often have the wrong priorities.” Porter expounded on this, noting, “Americans generally understand that we face economic impediments such as declining infrastructure, yet we’re frozen. We appreciate that our education system is a mess, yet we’re passive.” We have become so polarized that coming to a consensus is nearly impossible, thus making social progress inconceivable.
According to the bostonglobe.com, “Though the United States ranks sixth among covered countries in terms of GDP per capita, we only achieve 16th place in social progress. In terms of success in meeting the basic human needs of our citizens, equipping them to improve the quality of their lives and opening up opportunity for every citizen to meet his or her full potential, the United States is well below major G7 nations, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. On health and wellness, the United T h o u g h St at e s wealthier r a n k s countries 68th in tend have betthe world, ter social outa position comes than even more lower-income striking countries when you (Norway took consider first place in that we this year’s spend far SPI), there Photo courtesy of socialprogressimperative.org more on were a handhealthcare per capita than any other coun- ful of countries, at both ends of the ecotry. Despite some improvements over the nomic spectrum, where social progress past two decades, we still rank only 30th and economic growth did not correlate in terms of personal safety. Even after a with one another. For example, Costa Rica, significant education reform movement, which barely has a third of Italy’s per capwe rank 45th in access to basic knowledge. ita GDP, ranked higher on the SPI. Also, In ecosystem sustainability, despite much the fast-growing emerging economies of lip service, we rank 74th.” The U.S. ranked India and China did not reach the level of 30th in life expectancy, 38th in saving chil- social progress that they should have based dren’s lives and 55th in women surviving on their economic progress. According to childbirth. We have higher traffic fatality the New York Times, “The top countries in rates than 37 other countries along with the 2015 Social Progress Index are Norway, higher suicide rates than 80. The equal- Sweden, Switzerland, Iceland, New ity of our education system ranks 38th, we Zealand and Canada. Of the 133 countries were 32nd in preventing early marriage rated, Central African Republic is last, just and 49th in high school enrollment rates. after Chad and Afghanistan. Sri Lanka does better than India. Bangladesh outHad we continued to measure how well a performs Pakistan. Both the Philippines country was performing solely based on and South Africa do better than Russia. GDP, there would have been a massive Mongolia comes in ahead of China. And
Canada wallops the United States.” Rwanda understood that investing in social progress was essential to their economic development and according to the huffingtonpost.com made “a 61 percent reduction in child mortality in a single decade, and 95 percent primary school enrollment - integral to its economic development strategy. Rwanda’s positive economic performance would not have been possible without improvement in these and other dimensions of social progress.” The SPI has opened up a discussion about what it really means for a nation to be successful. Citizens now have a way to not only understand how policies impact their countries, but they can also hold leaders accountable for their actions. By focusing on social progress, we can develop better strategies for improvement, build stronger communities and help people live more well rounded lives. Initiatives based on the index have already been implemented in over 40 countries. In Somerville, Mass, for example, the index is being used as a way to measure development success. Hopefully, moving forward, the SPI will be able to reestablish our place as a leader of social progress while creating a better America. Because as it stands, according to the New York Times, “We can send people to space and turn watches into computers, but we seem incapable of consensus on the issues that matter most to our children - so our political system remains in gridlock, even as other countries pass us by.”
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Kering’s Conversation on Sustainability by Britt Bivens
The conversation around sustainability has changed a lot in the last half decade - a nano-second in the history of humans wearing clothes. Where once it was a talk about organic vs. conventional cotton, it’s now a complex conversation that involves the concepts of consumerism, supply chain transparency and waste management. Fashion is known to be high on the list of industries with large environmental impacts along with industries like mining, construction and factory farming, while 30% of pollution in China reportedly comes from the textile industry. Scary stuff.
“SUFFER FOR FASHION” SHOULD STICK TO BEING ABOUT WEARING SPANX AND 4” HEELS, NOT DYE FILLED RED RIVERS.” Both the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons New School of Design feature sustainability in their values charters and work on preparing their student bodies for a world that will increasingly consider environmental impact as part of the design process. It was Parsons that hosted a talk last month that addressed the smart business aspect of sustainability on fashion. Francois-Henri Pinault C.E.O of Kering
was the featured speaker, along with Linda Greer, from the NRDC, Timo Rissanen, from Parsons and Simon Collins, former Dean of the School of Fashion and Parsons board member, who moderated. Although the lively discussion covered several angles of the sustainability conversation, there was much talk around improvements in the production of apparel. Kering as a corporation considers sustainability to be a responsibility. It is finely woven into the corporate culture and Pinault spoke of the soon-to-be-released “Environmental Profit & Loss” Account statement, one of their many initiatives they use to improve their businesses from an environmental perspective. The idea behind it is that by measuring and knowing where the impact lies, innovations can be implemented in order to improve. Pretty impressive stuff. Other initiatives discussed included the collaboration with Worn Again, a UK-based company known for their recycling of apparel programs (and a program in which H&M is also participating in) and the partnering with tanneries to create a new process which uses a less-toxic version of the typical dye as well as other resource savings.
methodology with anyone who wants to have access on a free basis.” Pinault spoke proudly of these steps and while admitting that there was still a long way to go to create a perfect, toxin-free production process, used Stella McCartney as the poster child of sustainable fashion. He feels that her strong values and statements around sustainability while still keeping the focus on producing a fashion product are examples for other brands to follow.
Pinault spoke of these innovations as an additional responsibility of Kering, “Luxury has this responsibility to make some research, because we can do that.” Meaning that luxury companies have the resources that enable them to research and develop these new technologies; he was clear on his intent to share with any company who might be interested later on.
Making a direct connection between smart and sustainable, Linda Greer was on the panel to talk about the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Clean By Design program. Started a few years ago, the program aimed to aid factories in China to improve their environmental impact by better managing stages in their production process, especially in relation to energy usage and waste. What they discovered as the improvements kicked in was that the factories reported huge financial savings because of the lower impact. A win-win for everyone, Greer announced that they recently congratulated Levis, Gap, H&M and Target on their improved supply chain.
“It’s more costly, for sure, so it’s not available for industries that are less rich than us, but as we grow in volume, I am sure we will make this technology available for not only luxury, but all the segments of the industry, and we will share those
For many of us who show an interest in the progress of the sustainable fashion market, we know that these improvements are sorely needed and slow to come - but come they do. And, like any consumer-drivenmarketer’s-dream driven markets, these
Photo courtesy of about.puma.com brands will only make what they know they can sell. Which leads to the inevitable issue of consumerism, another topic that came up at the panel. In a lead a horse to water kind of scenario, brands make it (and we will buy it) and so we go into the spiral of spitting out trends and seasons and things we attach very little value to but must have because we saw Beyonce wearing it. If we can have consumers care about what they wear, and care about how it’s being made then we can ask the brands (or demand!) to think about how they’re making it. Kering’s philosophy is based on the idea that it should be about fashion first sophisticated, chic, keep forever fashion but that it shouldn’t kill the planet. “Suffer for fashion” should stick to being about wearing Spanx and 4” heels, not dye filled red rivers.
IS SUSTAINABILITY ELITIST?
Because Earth Day has grown to include the whole of April, and because fashion is such a toxic industry (and we’re not even talking about “Devil Wears Prada” moments here), “Earth Month” serves as an information portal to the inner workings of the industry to the general consumer who may be following along. Fashion bible, Business of Fashion’s newest print edition featured Stella McCartney on the cover along with an interview about how her business centers around her values. Stella is a ethical fashion goddess to many. She preaches veganism and all
things sustainable and good for the Earth, and can produce a pretty dress or two. Her company was co-financed at its founding by fashion conglomerate, Kering (then Gucci Group) in 2001 and is currently estimated to be worth $200 million, if not more. Not bad for a girl who talks about her simple upbringing that defines who she is as a designer. Jeans with patches currently sell on her website for $950. This didn’t go unnoticed by Rachel Kibbe, founder of ethical fashion e-commerce site, Helpsy. Kibbe started the hashtag #NotJustStella to bring attention to the
media’s focus on only a few high-end designers that have sustainable and ethical practices in place, while ignoring the many small designers that are working on making their brands successful, using the same (or sometimes better!) materials and methods. Her hashtag picked up some press and offers a new perspective to the conversation - in the brand dominated fashion universe, where a collaboration with a Target or H&M is like having the real thing - what does it take to stand out, especially when you’re doing the ‘right’ thing?
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How Rolling Stone Set Back Journalistic Integrity and the Campaign Against Sexual Assault by Dara Kenigsberg
Last summer, Rolling Stone magazine writer Sabrina Erdely embarked on a mission to find a college rape case that was emblematic of the ubiquitous rape culture on college campuses today. She thought she had done just that when she first heard Jackie, then a junior at the University of Virginia whose name has been changed, tell her story. The article’s publication sparked a national dialogue on campus sexual assault and greatly irritated the university. Just five days after “A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA” went to print, the first questions regarding the validity of the story began to emerge, kicking off an unbelievable chain of events that ended in Rolling Stone having to issue a retraction and a critical report from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism on the magazine’s journalism techniques. When Erdely first spoke to Jackie on July 14, 2014, she believed her to be a credible source. Emily Renda, a rape survivor and staff member at UVA whose work involved dealing with sexual assault issues at the university, had put her in contact with Jackie. This in itself was a good indication of Jackie’s credibility, but it was her confidence and consistency while she shared the explicit details of her September 2012 rape that sealed the deal. “My eyes were adjusting to the dark. And I said his name and turned around.…I heard voices and I started to scream and someone pummeled into me and told me to shut up. And that’s when I tripped and fell against the coffee table and it smashed underneath me and this other boy, who was throwing his weight on top of me. Then one of them grabbed my shoulders.…One of them put his hand over my mouth and I bit him - and he straight up punched me in the face.…One of them said, ‘Grab its motherfucking leg.’ As soon as they said it, I knew they were going to rape me.” However, when Erdely hung up the phone, she couldn’t help but feel a bit skeptical because of how vivid Jackie’s description was, especially when it came to the broken glass from the table. Erdely ignored her suspicions and moved forward, interviewing Jackie seven times over the next three months. This was sometimes a difficult process, as Jackie didn’t always respond to emails, and phone calls would go unreturned for weeks at a time. She also categorically refused to tell Erdely the name of the guy who set up her attack, claiming she was still afraid of him. It was only after the editors at Rolling Stone agreed to publish the story without his name that Jackie began cooperating fully.
A week after the story was printed, Erdely asked Jackie to tell her the name of her main attacker, as it would not be published. She complied but did not know how to spell his last name. Warning bells immediately went off in Erdely’s mind, and she started doubting her article’s integrity. Knowing she had to find out the truth, she began looking into what Jackie had told her about him, but Erdely was not able to confirm any of those details, like whether he worked at the pool as a lifeguard, belonged to the fraternity that Jackie had said he did or find any other connection to Jackie or the story she told. As her own concerns rose, so too did other’s speculation that Jackie’s story and the resulting article were one big lie. A podcast interview by writers from Slate had questioned her reporting, former George writer Richard Bradley wrote an essay casting doubt on Jackie’s claims and a Washington Post reporter was putting a story together that would call into question Erdely’s reporting. On December 4, after speaking to Jackie on the phone, Erdely made up her mind and went to the story’s editor, Sean Woods, to tell him she no longer believed it was accurate. That day, Rolling Stone issued a retraction on all of the claims Jackie made in Erdely’s story. So how could Rolling Stone have published a 9,000-page story filled with excruciating detail that happened to be a lie? To answer this question, the magazine asked the Columbia University School of Journalism to investigate where they went wrong and what they could have been done differently. According to the New York Times, the report, which was longer than the article itself, “said the magazine failed to engage in ‘basic, even routine journalistic practice’ to verify details of the ordeal that the magazine’s source, identified only as Jackie, described to the article’s author, Sabrina Rudin Erdely.” The most consequential mistake Erdely made was not independently contacting the three friends who Jackie spoke with the night she was raped. Using pseudonyms, all three were quoted in the article as being anxious and fearful over Jackie going to authorities and telling them her story. However, none of the quotes came directly from them, but instead from Jackie’s recollection of her encounter with them. All three denied ever having said what they were attributed to in Rolling Stone and said that if the magazine had contacted them, they would have made the same denials. Jackie claimed that she
had bumped into one of the three friends the same day she met Erdely for the first time, and that he told her that because he was in a fraternity, there was no way he wanted to be a part of the article. However, Jackie never told Erdely that she couldn’t contact him, or the other two friends, independently. Had she done this, Erdely would have learned that Jackie fabricated the encounter from earlier in the day in its entirety. This would have been a deciding moment because Erdely would have chosen to pursue another rape case, one without these contradictions. The report also says that Erdely did not do enough to verify who Jackie claimed her rapist to be despite having various ways she could have investigated it herself. According to the report, “Jackie told the writer that one of her rapists had been part of a small discussion group in her anthropology class. Erdely might have tried to verify independently that there was such a group and to identify the young man Jackie described. She might have examined Phi Kappa Psi’s social media for members she could interview and for evidence of a party on the night Jackie described. Erdely might have looked for students who worked at the aquatic center and sought out clues about the lifeguard Jackie had described.” If Erdely had chosen to follow any of these reporting pathways, Rolling Stone would have likely reconsidered publishing the story. Furthermore, Erdely did not provide the fraternity where Jackie claimed the assault took place and that her main attacker belonged to. The editing was also lacking. Neither Erdely’s story editor, Sean Woods, and the magazine’s managing editor, Will Dana, insisted that she fill the holes in her story. They didn’t push her to investigate any further and they ultimately accepted that Jackie’s recollection was enough because the story was so compelling. This, however, does not diminish Elderly’s individual responsibility, but rather adds to the list of ways that Rolling Stone failed. Another problem that stands out is confirmation bias, which is when people’s preexisting assumptions override their ability to select information that doesn’t support their views while ignoring contradictory ones. According to the report, “It seems to have been a factor here. Erdely believed the university was obstructing justice. She felt she had been blocked. Like many other universities, UVA had a flawed record of managing sexual assault cases. Jackie’s experience seemed to confirm this larger pattern. Her story seemed well established on campus, repeated and accepted.”
Dana, the managing editor, also was sure that the fact checker would straighten out any discrepancies or gaps in reporting. Magazine fact checkers are tasked with reviewing the story after it has been drafted, double-checking details, looking at quote attribution and whether subjects who have been depicted in a negative light were given a chance to defend themselves. This is usually done by speaking with the writer’s sources or even confidential sources, as a way to verify things. In this case, the fact checker also believed the same misconception as Erdely that UVA believed Jackie’s story was true, and so she also relied heavily on Jackie in the process. Though she did make notes on Erdely’s draft regarding attribution and verifying other details, she did not bring any of her concerns to her boss, Coco McPherson, who runs the checking department. When McPherson read the final draft, she said she didn’t believe that there was anything she needed to make the editors aware of. When asked if there was anything she should have been notified about herself, she responded by saying that the three friends were the obvious answer, but the decisions not to reach out to them were made by editors above her pay grade. The writers and editors at Rolling Stone, while they may agree with the report’s findings, believe that their fundamental mistake was in “suspending any skepticism about Jackie’s account because of the sensitivity of the issue,” Dana told the New York Times. Jann Wenner, the magazine’s publisher, expounded on this sentiment, saying, “Ms. Erdely was willing to go too far in her effort to try and protect a victim of apparently a horrible crime. She dropped her journalistic training, scruples and rules and convinced Sean to do the same. There is this series of falling dominoes.” No one who worked on the story has been fired, nor will they be, as the report was seemingly punishment enough. Both Dana and Wenner have also vowed to never let an emotional subject get in the way of journalistic integrity. Ms. Renda provided the New York Times with another reason that she believed the article was flawed: “The magazine was drawn toward the most extreme story of a campus rape it could find. The more nuanced accounts, she suggested, seemed somehow ‘not real enough to stand for rape culture. And that is part of the problem’.”
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Editor’s Pick:
MyGradPad by Hermina Sobhraj
Finally, we found the good people. MyGradPad is a tech savvy real estate brokerage that helps college graduates find an apartment in New York City. What more can you ask for? Say goodbye to sketchy brokers and hello to the friendly, cut to the chase ones. We never thought we’d find them in New York City, but alas, they exist (and right in Murray Hill, too!) The brokerage not only offers efficient apartment tours, but also developed its own Roommate Recommender software. So MyGradPad finds you the apartment and the person to live in it, too. Win-win.
We got the chance to sit down with the CEO of MyGradPad, Brittny Cantor. A Rollins graduate who had a terrible experience looking for an apartment in New York City (haven’t we all?), Brittny decided to drop out of NYU Stern’s MBA program and start MyGradPad. W27 Newspaper: What brought you to start MyGradPad? Brittny Cantor: Like many founders of companies, I had a bad experience finding my own apartment and I wanted to create a company that simply had great custom-
er service and streamlined the process of finding an apartment for people my age. Our demographic didn’t have a go-to brokerage to use - until MyGradPad. I felt that many of the agents I was working with to find my own apartment didn’t quite understand what was important to me nor did they take the time to.
software that allows people to not only find apartments but roommates as well. W27: What do you tell students who come to you and don’t want to pay the fee? BC: There is more to finding an apartment than going to see them, you need to know where to look and where a lot of people our age go to is Craigslist and they end up getting scammed with a bait and switch agent. When renting an apartment you have to lay a lot of money out - first, last and fee. You can’t just hand that over to someone you don’t trust or you will get taken advantage of. There’s also a lot of apartments in New York City that are simply just not listed online. This is our profession and this is what we do so I feel that finding an apartment should be left to the professionals.
will start to sell that software to companies with around 10 employees. The roommate recommending software has a very unique algorithm that pairs people together - the four main components are a person’s move in date, mutual friends on Facebook, budget and preferred neighborhood.
W27: You guys market yourselves as a hybrid real estate technology company. What does that mean?
W27: So right now you’re based in New York City. Are you looking to expand your services to other cities?
BC: What makes us a hybrid tech company is that we are building all of our own software
BC: Yes, absolutely. Right now we’re really focused on crushing the New York City
W27: You mentioned customer service was a big problem to you. What does customer service mean to MyGradPad? BC: We see each and every one of our clients as not a one-time client but as part of the MyGradPad family. We’ve had many repeat clients and I think the reason why we’ve had so many clients is because of the relatable and professional service that MyGradPad gives them. W27: What really sets you apart from other brokerages? BC: Apart from our company culture, what makes us different is that we charge a discounted broker’s fee and our streamlined
BC: We look to hire people that fit the MyGradPad image; people who genuinely have your best interest at heart and aren’t only looking to sell you an apartment but find you a home you love. A lot of our clients become our friends afterwards and I think
“MYGRADPAD FINDS YOU THE APARTMENT AND THE PERSON TO LIVE IN IT WITH YOU AS WELL. WIN-WIN.” that’s a big testament to the type of people we hire and the people that work with us.
Photo courtesy of Brittny Cantor
instead of licensing it. We see ourselves in the next two or three years as not only being a brokerage but also a software company. The two main pieces of software that we’ve built so far is a customer relationship management (CRM) software as well as a roommate recommending software. The CRM software, which we call the portal, functions very much like Salesforce, and we
market. I think there’s a lot more market share that we can go after. I see us in the next two years also opening up an office on the west coast. W27: As a college student myself, I’ve encountered so many sketchy brokers that I didn’t want to work with. Could you describe one of the brokers at MyGradPad?
W27: Awesome. Last question influences your fashion sense?
-
what
BC: I love nice shoes, crazy socks, custom button-ups and Rag & Bone. I take a lot of pride in my appearance so I’ll dress professionally on the job, but I’ll always incorporate my own style.
HAUTE CULTURE THE WHITNEY MUSEUM: A CULTURAL ANCHOR ON GANSEVOORT STREET by Tara O’Brien
With a $720 million price tag, 50,000 square feet of indoor gallery space, an 18,000 square foot gallery for special exhibitions, 13,000 square feet of outdoor gallery space and over 19,000 works of art,
River, the scenery itself is a work of art. The south most entrance to the High Line is surrounded by galleries and other works of contemporary art. Adam D. Weinberg, The Whitney’s director told gotham-magazine.com that “the Whitney’s new building will be thve cultural anchor for one of New York’s most vibrant neighborhoods.” The surrounding area includes The Kitchen, White Columns, 92YTribeca, N.Y.U., the School of Visual Arts, F.I.T. and the New School - all places that contribute to the urban atmosphere where the new Whitney will find itself.
Photo courtesy of whitney.org
the Whitney Museum of American Art has reestablished itself in a downtown location. You will no longer be able to find the famed museum at the original location on Madison Avenue, a place it has called home for nearly 49 years. The Whitney has packed up and moved into its brand new home in the heart of the Meatpacking District. With views of the High Line on Gansevoort Street overlooking the Hudson
The founder of the Whitney Museum, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, opened the Whitney Studio Club, the museum’s predecessor, a century earlier. Located just blocks from its new location, the club showcased and supported innovative, contemporary artists. The new museum will carry on her legacy to be a museum for inventive artists that are constantly creating and showcasing their latest work. The world-renowned architect Renzo Piano
designed this new landmark for downtown Manhattan. On the Whitney Museum’s website, Piano explains that “the design for the new museum emerges equally from a close study of the Whitney’s needs and from a response to this remarkable site. We wanted to draw on its vitality and at the same time enhance its rich character.” Piano’s design complements the industrial character of its new neighborhood - the building itself is asymmetrical and its top floors overlook the Hudson on the west side while maintaining an appropriate distance from the High Line on the east side. The new Whitney includes two floors for permanent exhibitions and a dramatic entryway that will cover 8,500 square feet. This space at the foot of the High Line will serve as a gathering place for tourists, students and locals. According to the museum’s website, the building will also house an education center offering state-of-theart classrooms; a multi-use black box theater for film, video and performance; a 170-seat theater with stunning views of the Hudson River; a conservation lab; and a library reading room.
In the meantime, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be using the Whitney’s old location on Madison Avenue to present educational programs and hold exhibitions for a contractual period of eight years.
Photo courtesy of whitney.org
THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OPENED ON MAY 1ST, 2015.
DIOR AND I by Marina Herbst
“Dior and I,” the documentary that follows Raf Simons on his job as the new artistic director of the House of Dior embodies one of the most emotional, interesting and aesthetically beautiful films to be produced in the fashion industry. There was no other filmmaker that could have written and directed the documentary as stunningly as Frederic Tcheng, due to his previous experience in the world of cinematography and fashion. This includes being the editor and co-producer of “Valentino: The Last Emperor” and the writer and director of “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel.” In a Q&A given at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Tcheng mentioned that when he started doing research for the documentary, he decided to only focus on the biographies of the late Christian Dior. He was able to make a parallelism between those pages from the biography and what he was seeing at the atelier each day. At one point he said, “I would come back come after a day of shooting, read a chapter and realize how interesting it was that you could change the name from Christian Dior to Raf Simons and those pages would then be portraying everything that I had seen that day. The tradition of couture, the
process, has not changed.” “Dior and I” shows the audience the complete and total engulfing environment within a Parisienne atelier. It shows us the genesis, drama and emotion that happen behind the scenes of the development of one of the most important haute-couture collections to-date. We can see Simons go from this shy new character in the atelier to an emotional, yet strong and creative figure that starts the new chapter within the House of Dior. “The story of Raf is very different. It is not about the media exposure, he’s unlike any other fashion designer. He is a artist that functions and responds strongly to visual stimulation,” Tcheng said during the interview. In the documentary we can see how that statement really goes down. Raf Simons is a designer who does not do his own sketching of the garments; instead he presents his staff of seamstress (who play a vital role in the documentary, as well as the atelier) with a packet outlining concepts that they turn into sketches. Although “Dior and I” chronicles the arrival of the designer to the fashion house and his responsibility to create a haute
Photo courtesy of news.now.com
couture collection in just eight weeks, he is not the only star in this majestically produced documentary. The director spends as much time with Simons and his right hand assistant Pieter Mulier as with the team of seamstresses that have been in the atelier for more than 35 years. We can see how gently they treat each and every piece, how much they care about the brand and its history, all the dedication they spend on creating the perfect silhouette for each garment and how in the end they become attached to them as if every piece of the collection was part of their family.
After all the tension and drama of getting all of the dresses on the runway, the movie climaxes with a fascinating, opulent show topped off with the hallways and walls covered with thousands of fresh flowers. “Dior and I” will keep every spectator in awe from the beginning until the end, making you fall in love with the world of haute couture and the impressively talented Raf Simons.
FIT SPEAKS Fast Fashion: A Human Cost by Aaron Valentic
Photo courtesy of ww4.hdnux.com
The world has become numb to a nagging issue that has become a persistent problem over the past 20 years. Imagine you’re in a clothing store and you are astounded to see signs stating “$5 and Under,” “Buy One Get Two Free” and the most famous of all, a four-letter word that sends shivers of delight to any die-hard shopper - “SALE.”
“CONSUMERS ARE HUNTING FOR THE COOLEST AND HIPPEST CLOTHING THEY CAN GET THEIR HANDS ON, WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY THE STEEP PRICE.” As you approach the checkout, you are beaming. There is no feeling quite like the one when you are making a clothing purchase. Almost addict-like, you swipe your card and take your new clothes home. Yet, did it ever strike you to investigate where they were made? Sadly, the answer is usually no.
In a recent episode of HBO’s “Tonight With John Oliver,” Oliver simultaneously poked fun while highlighting this serious global matter - how major retail corporations, such as the Zaras and Gaps of the world, have their clothing manufactured in miniscule factories in third-world countries. It is in these factories where issues such as child labor and labor-union laws come into play, where over-worked and under-paid employees make thousands of garments every week to sell in the United States and other first-world countries. In recent years, the most popular clothing trend with the consumers has not been the high-low skirt or even the crop top, but the ideals behind these coveted items. It’s safe to say that in the modern world of ondemand information and instant gratification we get from social media, that fast fashion has become an expected part of consumers’ lives. We want the merch fast and we want it now. Oliver focused his monologue on the mentality major corporations have in regards to their idea of fast fashion. Essentially, major retailers concentrate on high volume clothing sales, meaning that clothing has to be mass-produced in order to meet the increasingly high demand. Meanwhile, consumers are hunting for the coolest and hippest clothing they can get their hands on, without having to pay the steep price. And at these fast-fashion powerhouses, a “trendy” item is usually found to be much cheaper than that of a so-called “classic” item. Working with this kind of
trend cycle means that brands have a small window of opportunity to work with resulting in design and production turnarounds as quickly as three weeks. High-end designers are feeling the threat of their volume-producing competitors such as Zara, that are able to produce mirror copies of the runway creations to sell at a fraction of the price. Luxury brands are now focusing more heavily on the materials, as well as the craftsmanship of their products. They are aware the fast fashion brands cannot copy them in terms of their fabrics, due to the fact that the cost to produce the same level of garments at a massmarket level would be impossible. John Oliver summed up the whole idea of fast fashion in the modern world - “imagine yourself in a supermarket trying to find something to eat, when you find something frozen, possibly quick and easy to throw into an oven, even a microwave, thus having it ready to eat in minutes. As a nation that is always on-the-go, we don’t always stop and ask ourselves ‘What’s in this?’ or even ‘what is this made of?’ because we are in search of that instant gratification day-after-day. It’s the same when it comes to our clothes, where we try so desperately to fit in and be at the center of a trend, when have we asked the question ‘Who made my clothes?’ It may make our purchase of that beautiful new sweater just a little bit sweeter.”
FIT SPEAKS
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Month In Review: Hillary Clinton Hopes to Shatter The Glass Ceiling in 2016 by Dara kenigsberg
For two years, Hillary Clinton coyly denied rumors that she was going to run for President in 2016. Then, on April 12, she released a short, three-minute video on social media during which she put all the speculation to rest. “Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion. So I’m hitting the road to earn your vote - because it’s your time. And I hope you’ll join me on this journey.” At the end of the video, she smiled and said, “I’m running for president.” Though her last run in 2008 did not end the way she had hoped, Mrs. Clinton is entering this race with a clean slate and a new approach. Unlike her last bid for the presidency, she intends to focus on the fact that she is a grandmother and that voting for her would be history in the making. It was probably no coincidence that she announced the same week as National Equal Pay Day, the date that marks how far into the new year women would have to work to earn the same amount as men did the previous year. Equal pay, paid family and medical leave and other women’s issues are going to be focal points of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, as will raising the minimum wage and affordable child care. Reducing income inequality and helping the middle class will also be major issues
in her campaign. According to usnews.com, “76% of Democrats say they view her favorably, the strongest hold on party loyalty of any major party candidate. In potential matchups with Republicans, Clinton leads former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, both from Florida, 49% to 43%. She leads Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, 50-40. And she leads Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, 47-44.” However, Mrs. Clinton entered the race embroiled in a scandal that has left many suspicious of her honesty. While serving as Secretary of State, she kept her emails, both personal and official, on a private server, which violated administrative policy. It also raised questions surrounding what she was trying to hide. Also damning has been the criticism regarding her privately run family foundation’s fundraising practices which have led to allegations of conflict of interest. The disparity in the number of candidates from each party is interesting to note. With the recent announcements from Ben Carson, Carly Fiona and Mike Huckabee, there are officially six Republicans running, while there are only two Democrats. There are two main reasons that so few Democrats have stepped up to the plate:
Obama and Mrs. Clinton herself. After two terms of a Democratic President, a third one would be very difficult to win. As for the second reason, Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University told dw.de.com, “Most Democrats have just been scared of entering. They realize that when you have someone of this stature and caliber that a lot of the fundraising will be difficult, that a lot of the voter attraction process will be difficult. And I think part of it is simply being intimidated by Hillary Clinton.” Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders didn’t let that sway his decision when he announced he would be running on the Democratic ticket. A long shot, he managed to raise $1.5 million within 24 hours of making the announcement. That said, it’s likely that his bid will actually bolster Mrs. Clinton’s chances, helping to define her and strengthen her candidacy. First of all, it is highly unlikely that Sanders would win the primary against Clinton. Also, because he is an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, but not an actual Democrat, he will always be considered an outsider among them. Sanders is pro-gun, a position that Mrs. Clinton staunchly opposes. But his view on the issue detracts from the idea that
Democrats are intent on taking people’s guns away around the country. According to usnews.com, “He’ll make the Democratic race about more than Clinton. Clinton’s advantage - but now, more than her disadvantage - is that the entire media dialogue about the Democratic primary race is about her. It’s about deleted emails, funds raised by her family’s foundation and her performance after the Benghazi tragedy. The Republicans, meanwhile, are sharing the scrutiny, and are covered in the context of being rivals for the nomination. Having Sanders in changes the storyline for Clinton, and takes the heat off a bit. His presence makes the narrative more about a horse race. But at the same time, he will make the race about issues, particularly those that otherwise might not get raised.” Though a lot can happen between now and Election Day, as it stands now, Mrs. Clinton is the frontrunner. Just as Obama made history in 2008 when he became the first black President of the United States, potentially this Democratic contender may do it again in 2016, shattering the glass ceiling that has prevented women from fulfilling their potential.
Citizens United: A Landmark in the History of Campaign Finance by Dara kenigsberg
The candidates for the 2016 presidential elections may have only just started making their rounds on the campaign trail, but there is already one issue sure to be included in the debates. Five years ago, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v FEC that corporations, unions and other associations could spend an unlimited amount of money in elections as long as they don’t coordinate with their candidates. This decision has had a major impact on the political landscape and how campaigns are run, as it allows for virtually unlimited money from almost anywhere to come pouring into the campaigns of those willing to do the bidding of the bidders. Votes are starting to lose their power because big money can now determine electoral outcomes to an unprecedented degree. Citizens United, a nonprofit conservative lobbying group, produced a documentary during the 2008 presidential election entitled, “Hillary: The Movie.” The film criticized Clinton and tried to show that she was unfit to be president. They planned to broadcast it by buying airtime to run it using video-on-demand. However, section 203 of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (also known as the McCain-Feingold Act) of 2002 prohibits corporations from funding ‘electioneering communications’ in the 30 days leading up to a primary and
the 60 days leading up to a general election. Electioneering communications are defined by the act as speech expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate. Citizens United challenged section 203 and filed an injunction claiming that “Hillary: The Movie” could not be constitutionally classified as an electioneering communications. In a 5-4 decision, The Supreme Court eventually ruled in favor of Citizens United and established that corporations should be afforded the same rights as individuals. There have been countless ways that the ruling has altered the political arena and opened the campaign spending floodgates. Tons of blue-chip companies have financed politically active nonprofits under the radar, spending millions of dollars. According to publicintegrity.org, “These funds have been dubbed ‘dark money’ because nonprofits organized under sections 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) of the U.S. tax code need not publicly disclose the sources of their funding - unlike candidates, political parties and Super PACs.” Without the public’s knowledge, these dark money groups allow major corporations to have an even greater hand in elections because their donors can remain confidential yet they are still afforded all of the benefits of a for-profit corporation. In the 2012
elections, these groups accounted for just over one-fourth of all non-party outside spending, which equaled $256 million. The ruling also led to the creation of super PACS, which according to opensecrets.org, “can accept unlimited contributions from corporations, unions and individuals for the purpose of making independent expenditures.” Additionally, the ruling, along with that of lower court case SpeechNOW. org v FEC, made direct corporate spending possible. In the 2012 election, non-party outside spending reached $1 billion, the highest it’s ever been, and super PACs had a hand in $600 million of that spending. Perhaps more significant is the fact that since the ruling, “a small group of wealthy donors has gained even more influence on elections, and are able to maintain that influence once candidates take office. Of the $1 billion spent in federal elections by super PACs since 2010, nearly 60% of the money came from just 195 individuals and their spouses. Thanks to Citizens United, supporters can make the maximum $5,200 donation directly to a candidate, then make unlimited contributions to single-candidate super PACs.” Millions of Americans have recently come together to advance a Constitutional
amendment that would limit the amount of money corporations can spend in elections. The 28th amendment, the Democracy For All Amendment, would allow reasonable limits on campaign spending and contributions, get rid of super PACs and in effect restore fair elections that depend on voter turnout. According to thehill.com, “We are now in the midst of a historic national debate between two irreconcilable Constitutional values. One approach is exemplified by Citizens United: elections and government are a ‘marketplace’ where money is the currency, and anyone and anything (including corporations) can buy as much as they want or can afford. The other approach is exemplified by the Democracy For All Amendment: Elections and government are not a marketplace where money defines buying power but rather they are the expression of the American promise of equal citizenship, equal representation and equal say in effective self-government. One of these approaches will win and one of these will fail. Every American not only has a stake in the outcome, but a right to participate in the debate.”
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MAY 2015
Op-ed:
Baltimore on Fire by Dara kenigsberg
The Daily News recently reported, “50 years ago in Harlem, the kid, black, who died, was named James Powell, and the cop, white, who shot him dead was named Lt. Thomas Gilligan. That was what set off nights of rioting, not just in Harlem but in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, too. And the stories at the time were the same as they were in Baltimore this week, about attacks on police and looting and vandalism and the National Guard and parts of an American city on fire.” The race riots that plagued U.S. cities between 1964 and 1967 and the rioting that followed the release of the Kerner Commission report in 1968 may have taken place 50 years ago, but the events in cities like Ferguson and Baltimore are demonstrative of the fact that nothing has really changed, at least not from the perspective of inner city black Americans. This past year, racial tensions have been exceedingly high as black men keep dying at the hands of white cops. Though the circumstances may be different in each situation, the end result is always the same and the belief that black lives don’t matter is perpetuated. As the Kerner report predicted, the racial divide in America has continued to grow. The rioting came just a week after the death of Freddie Gray, who suffered a spinal cord injury while in police custody. On April 19, Gray was arrested for being in possession of a switchblade and, according to the New York Times, “suffered a severe and critical neck injury as a result of being
handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside the B.P.D. wagon.” The officers never put a seatbelt on him and repeatedly left him face-down on the floor of the van with his hands behind his back. Gray pleaded to go to the hospital, but to no avail, even after officers found him unresponsive. It wasn’t until he was in full cardiac arrest and no longer breathing that the B.P.D. called for a medic. He died a week later as a result of his injuries. The six officers involved have all been charged with crimes ranging from false imprisonment to second-degree murder. What took place this past week in Baltimore, however, had a decidedly different tone than the earlier protests in Ferguson, or even the related protests in New York City, Chicago and Oakland. Peaceful protests erupted into violence, black-owned businesses were destroyed and looted and even the only CVS, really the only place many can go to pick up a prescription, was burned. While some may see this as social activism, President Obama wisely pointed out that, “When individuals get crowbars and start prying open doors to loot, they’re not protesting. They’re not making a statement. They’re stealing. When they burn down a building, they’re committing arson. And they’re destroying and undermining businesses and opportunities in their own communities.” So why were the streets of Baltimore ablaze? Surely policy brutality is a contributing factor, but there is a more complex
social problem at hand. The racism and inequality that exists in our country today can no longer be ignored and the devastation that pervades all aspects of inner city economies needs addressing. According to the New York Times, “In Gray’s neighborhood, one-third of adults lack a high school degree. A majority of those aged 16 to 64 are unemployed. And Baltimore’s African-American residents have often encountered not only crime and insecurity but also law enforcement that is unjust and racist,” and that a “Baltimore jail was notorious for corruption and gang rule. A federal investigation found that one gang leader in the jail fathered five children by four female guards.” The economic structure is one that produces too few decentpaying jobs that only a handful of lowincome workers have access to in the first place. Add to the mix brutal policing, highly addictive drugs like crack and heroin and a ubiquitous sense of hopelessness brought on by generations of poverty, oppression and being treated like second-class citizens and it becomes easier to understand why the events unfolded as they did. That said, violence as a response to violence, or anger, or oppression, or anything for that matter, is not the answer. It will only beget more violence. Though many believe that protesting and rising up are the answer and the only way to effect change, we no longer live in a society that will allow for that. The National Guard gets called in and shuts it down and a curfew gets set (as
was the case this past week). Instead, we end up stagnant, in a quagmire of inaction with a media focused on the aftermath instead of the problem that caused it. The deaths of Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Freddie Rice should have each separately been enough to shock this country into unified action. Maybe we have finally reached the tipping point because it is hard to imagine what else has to happen for things to change. In response to the rioting in Baltimore, Mrs. Clinton gave a speech at Columbia University in which she spoke of instituting policy changes that deal directly with the criminal justice system and of repairing the broken communities of color. She went on to say, “Let’s take on the broader inequities in our society. You can’t separate out the unrest we see in the streets from the cycles of poverty and despair that hollow out those neighborhoods.” Hopefully she is not paying political lip service and plans to follow through, because although Baltimore may be one city, its ghetto economy and related problems can be found in many of America’s older cities. We don’t live in one nation, under god with liberty and justice for all, but rather, for some.
Photo courtesy of palmbeachpost.com
Elisha LaRocco - Photography - I try to be sustainable by reusing plastic shopping bags for multiple different things.
Emily Schock - Interior design - I am being sustainable by pinning my materials and drawings to my boards so I can re use the foam core board for multiple projects.
Stephanie Melia - FMM - A few things I try to remember to do to help the environment is shutting off lights whenever I leave a room and unplugging my chargers whenever I’m not using them.
STYLE ON 27 Photography by Vicky Mathew
As a student, what are you doing to be sustainable? Lizzie Cuomo - AMC - I use my laptop instead of notebook to take notes.
Rebecca King - AMC - I try to reuse water bottles as much as possible and eliminate buying bottled water.
David Melgar - Fashion design - Using the most of fabric paper and muslin.
Kailee Richards - International trade and marking - tI use makeup everyday that can break down easier when disposed of.
Kelly McAuley - AMC - I try submit my papers through email whenever possible.