Blumenthal Scholars Program Dinner Journal 2017

Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School ‫בית הספר התיכון של הישיבה דפלטבוש‬ ‫על שם מר יואל ברברמן‬

May & Bernard Blumenthal Scholars Program

Dinner Journal May 3, 2017 7 Iyar 5777

Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School ‫בית הספר התיכון של הישיבה דפלטבוש‬ ‫על שם מר יואל ברברמן‬

Rabbi Raymond Harari

Rabbi Joseph Beyda

Head of School

Principal

Ms. Jill Sanders

Ms. Sari Bacon

Associate Principal

Associate Principal

Director of Admissions Ms. Esther Hidary

Mr. David Galpert

Assistant Principal

Assistant Administrator

Rabbi Dr. David Eliach

Mr. Robert Frastai

Principal Emeritus

President Brian Katz

Program Coordinator

YESHIVAH OF FLATBUSH JOEL BRAVERMAN HIGH SCHOOL MAY AND BERNARD BLUMENTHAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

The May and Bernard Blumenthal Scholars Program is dedicated in memory of two people who fully embraced the Yeshivah of Flatbush vision and philosophy. It is a meaningful and lasting tribute to their enduring affiliation with the school, their commitment to Jewish education and their desire to prepare strong leaders for the future. Bestowed by their children, Sharon and Avram Blumenthal and Janice and Alan Blumenthal, it defines the family’s 50+ year long relationship with the Yeshivah. Avram and Alan are proud alumni, as are their respective children, Judah and Benjamin and David, Joseph and Leora (only Avram’s son Chaim is not a graduate). All of the grandchildren enjoyed a special relationship with their grandparents. They were influenced by the impact they had on other people’s lives and inspired by their generosity and acts of chesed.

The loyalty to community and Jewish causes and the tradition of giving displayed by May and Bernard Blumenthal set an example for the family. Bernard’s distinguished record shows he served as President and Executive Board member of the Jewish Community House in Bensonhurst, was a member of the UJA/Federation Executive Committee, a patron of the Wingate Institute in Israel and a member of the Jewish War Veterans and B’nai Brith. He supported many yeshivot both here and in Israel and was a Master Builder at Yeshiva University, as well as a major benefactor of his local shul, Congregation Sons of Israel. May was a woman blessed with inner strength and sensitivity who created a home of Torah, Mitzvot and Ma’asim Tovim. She was a lifetime member of Yeshivah of Flatbush, as well as Yeshiva Ohel Moshe, Hadassah and AMIT. The May and Bernard Blumenthal Scholars Program offers a high-profile curriculum that introduces a challenging and innovative course of study to an elite group of students and is based on independent study and the development of research skills, leadership qualities, talents and abilities in academics, the arts and sciences. The generosity of Sharon and Avram Blumenthal and Janice and Alan Blumenthal has enabled the Yeshivah to advance its ongoing mission of excellence in an exciting and vital way.

Dinner Program Reception Welcome Brian Katz Program Coordinator Jill Sanders Associate Principal Rabbi Joseph Blumenthal Remarks on behalf of the Blumenthal family

Order of Scholars’ Presentations Isabel Lin Aida Hasson Ezra Faks Danielle Duchan Yaron Sternberg Claire Lessler Estelle Saad Nathan Marcus Renee Waingort

Contents The Portrayal of Women in Advertising: a feminist perspective Danielle Duchan Traditional Businesses Vs. Startups: a comparative analysis Ezra Faks Origami Art Therapy: background and research model Aida Hasson Coding with Conscience: empowering girls through technology Claire Lessler Criminal Profiling: a novel approach Isabel Lin Creating and Developing a Startup: welcome to Expedite Nathan Marcus Psychology and Advertising: the targeting of your mind Estelle Saad The Inevitable End: a collection of poems and other writings Yaron Sternberg Designing the Future by Looking at the Past: a statement on fashion Renee Waingort

Scholars Program Project: A Study of the Depiction of Women in Beauty Advertising, 1950s-Present Danielle Duchan

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Table of Contents Part I: Introduction

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Part II: The 1950s: Domesticity and the Search for Perfection

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Part III: The 1960s: An Era of Change?

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Part IV: The 1970s: Continuing Progress

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Part V: The 1980s: A Return to Conservatism

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Part VI: The 1990s: Growth and Grunge

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Part VII: Today

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Works Cited

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Appendix of Selected Cited Advertisements

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Part I: Introduction Jim Morrison, front-man of classic rock band The Doors and pop culture icon, once famously stated, “Whoever controls the media controls the mind” (Brainyquote). Indeed, the media, whether it’s advertising or popular culture, news or music, play an important role in the shaping of public opinions and in reinforcing social conventions and norms. Across the world, people are constantly bombarded with media depictions of specific lifestyles and ideals. But how has the American media portrayed the gender that makes up the majority of the world’s population? Are these accurate portrayals of women’s roles in American society, or are women depicted through a sexist lens? What messages has the media sent to women through the decades?

My study of the depiction of women in American media comes from perhaps the most pervasive form of media: advertising. According to a study done by Yankelovich, an advertising research firm, the amount of advertising the average person is exposed to per day has increased since the 1950s. In the 1980s, the average amount of ads seen per day was 2000 as opposed to 5000 in 2007 (Story). As of 2015, estimated ad exposure is 4000 to 10000 ads per day (Marshall). This is based on the idea of “repetition conditioning,” or the study-proven idea that repetition makes one internalize an idea and associate it with a certain product or ideal (AbuSaud). Therefore, advertising plays a big role in daily life, and is indeed a key to understanding the ideals, aspirations, and desires of people of a certain era.

Thus, for this paper, due to its high influence, I will use advertising as a way to examine the roles and depiction of women in American media from the 1950s to present. For this study, Duke University’s online collection of advertisements at Ad*Access and the Vintage Ad

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Browser database proved to be invaluable resources. While combing through their thousands of advertisements, it seemed as if all the advertisements could be organized into five categories: a) Beauty, hygiene, and health products b) Technology and appliances c) Travel d) Food products e) Clothing Out of all five categories, the most inaccurate depictions of women came from advertisements for beauty and personal hygiene products, food products, and travel. Due to the large quantity of advertisements available, the focus of this paper will be on beauty and personal hygiene advertisements.

Part II: The 50s: Domesticity and the Search for Perfection To understand the modern influence of advertising, one must go back to the 1950s, when advertising became more pervasive and influential, and began to feature women more prominently. This was largely due to the ideal of the “nuclear family,� an intact family unit, with a loving, maternal, subservient wife, hardworking father, and innocent children, being promoted, especially in the media. This family unit was thus termed because of the fear of nuclear attack from the Soviet Union, due to America’s competition with the Soviets in the Cold War. It was believed that intact American families, in which parents carried out and taught their children wholesome values, would help preserve the American way of life and prevent individuals from getting involved with potentially dangerous foreigners. Communism was viewed as a threat to 4

this ideal due to its lack of a class hierarchy and concept of sharing the wealth; the “nuclear family” ideal was one of a middle-class, relatively wealthy family, and a concept that doesn’t exist in a homogenized communist society (“The 1950s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview”).

The ideal of the “nuclear family” and the return to more conservative, traditional family values greatly affected women. During World War II, American women experienced a brief period of liberation in which they were able and in fact encouraged to enter the workforce to take over jobs left behind by men who went to war. Women, many uneducated with no husbands to support them, turned to industrial work or other menial jobs to support themselves. Some even joined Army-related organizations such as the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (“Women in World War II”). However, when the soldiers returned and the Cold War began, women were largely encouraged, and in some cases even forced due to workplace rules about married or pregnant women, to return to the home. This was due to the renewed attachment to an ideal family life and marriage after the separation of couples during World War II, known as the “cult of domesticity.” Additionally, an increased birthrate led to more women staying at home to take care of young children (“Women at Home after World War II”).

Additionally, after the rations and financial struggles of the war, America was experiencing an era of economic prosperity. That led to an increase in the production of consumer goods, and therefore an increase in advertising for said goods. Due to the fact that women were now mostly involved in the home, they made most of the decisions about the purchasing of household products. Therefore, all these factors led to advertising agencies seeking to appeal to women, particularly when trying to sell food and household items (“The 1950s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview”).

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This view of women as important consumers and the consequent effort to appeal to women is exactly why inaccurate depictions of women in advertising have become more and more prevalent since the 1950s. While an inaccurate depiction in of itself is not inherently sexist, these inaccuracies were often based on sexist views of women as superficial and appearancefocused, and the idea that women only want one specific ideal life. When women began to be viewed as influential in deciding what is purchased, advertisements for all sorts of products began to seek to appeal to women. There is nothing inherently wrong with advertisements seeking to appeal to women, who used to, and in many cases still do, most of the household shopping. However, the problem lies in the fact that men have continually dominated the advertising industry since the 1950s. When mostly men are producing advertisements that are seeking to appeal to women, they will depict a male view of what they believe women want or need, rather than accurately depicting women and their lives. The issue is also a racial one: not only were females’ perspectives excluded from advertising, black females’ perspectives were entirely ignored, an issue that still exists today.

1950s print advertisements for beauty products placed emphasis, obviously, on women always looking physically perfect. A 1950 advertisement for Helene Curtis perms told women that they must go to a beautician for permanents, or else they will have “haphazard curls.” This advertisement emphasized the ideal that women should always have perfect curls, as was the style of the time, and shamed women who were unable to go to a beautician by telling them that their hair wouldn’t look as good. This created an unattainable beauty standard for millions of women who didn’t have the money or time to visit a beautician to get their hair done regularly.

1950s beauty advertisements also placed an emphasis on women using certain products to attract men. A 1950 advertisement for Lustre-Crème Shampoo told women to use to the 6

shampoo to “show him how much lovelier your hair can look.” This emphasized the idea that women should only try to look good for men and to attract them. In a 1950 advertisement for Palmolive facial soap, a woman complains about feeling like a mannequin that’s “all figure, no face” and that her complexion attracts men to other women. This advertisement reflects multiple unrealistic ideas: that women must have both a “perfect” figure and “perfect” face; that women only want to look nice to attract men; and that women are constantly competing to look beautiful to gain men’s attention. Another advertisement for Palmolive says that women like the soap for giving them a lovely complexion, while men like it for showers and baths. This shows the difference between the portrayal of men and women in advertisements ̶ men are portrayed as practical, using soap for basic washing, while women are portrayed as more vain and frivolous, using soap for their complexions.

However, the issues of inaccurate depictions of women in 1950s print beauty advertisements extended beyond advertisements for women’s products. Many men’s products also used inaccurate depictions of women in their advertisements. Women were often depicted fawning over men after they used a certain product, a depiction that made women seem shallow, consumerist, brand-oriented, and vain. 1950 advertisements for Barbasol shaving cream showed women rubbing men’s faces adoringly after they used the product, depicting women as vain and only liking men for their looks. Additionally, advertisements for men’s products often tried to appeal to women because producers of men’s products were well-aware of women’s influence on product decisions. However, they appealed to women not as three-dimensional people with their own desires, but as people who exist only to serve men. A 1950 advertisement for Sportsman cologne depicted silhouettes of women giving men the cologne as a gift and told women to “Surprise THAT man.” Rather than appealing to women as financially-conscious 7

consumers and telling them that the cologne is cheaper, more high-quality or other logical reasons, the company encouraged women to buy the product only in order to please men.

Another, more general issue with 1950s print beauty advertisements was that they often depicted women in stereotypical roles, such as mothers, lovers, or models. An analysis of 1950s issues of Broadcast magazine, a magazine that was popular amongst executives and managers of radio and television stations, showed that women were often depicted in advertisements within the narrow confines of four roles: as sex objects, as housewives, as individuals performing stereotypically “womanly” or “maternal” actions, and as professionals. 85% of the images shown portrayed women either as sex objects or performing stereotypical actions, proving that most 1950s advertisements portrayed women as two-dimensional and role-bound (Foust and Bradshaw).

While advertisements were more than happy to depict women in overtly sexual positions, when it came to sexually explicit imagery, they were noticeably discreet. This led to a contradictory standard for women: they should be sexual beings, yet must not acknowledge hygienic, physical issues such as menstruation. 1950s advertisements for Modess sanitary napkins simply said, “Modess….because,” often showing a model in a white skirt. These advertisements were attempting to sell a menstrual product without making any mention of menstruation or periods, implying that women shouldn’t overtly acknowledge the fact that they menstruate.

Essentially, 1950s print beauty advertisements’ two main issues were their depiction of women and the messages they sent to women. Advertisements depicted women in stereotypical or sexualized roles, with their concerns being frivolous and vain, such as how their hair or

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complexion looks. They sent messages to women about how their appearance must look in order to attract men or be successful.

1950s television commercials for beauty and hygiene products also portrayed women as unknowledgeable or silly, in addition to promoting the same ideas as print advertisements. Crest commercials showed a woman on a roller coaster being told by an announcer that she has “soft spots” and “a hole in her head,” with the woman stupidly replying, “Who, me?” This blatantly portrayed women as dumb and unknowledgeable. Advertisements for Pepto-Bismol depicted women in stereotypical roles as gardening, cooking housewives. Advertisements for Lady Schick razors tried to sell the product to women by telling them about its “lovely designs and colors” and by telling them it is “feminine,” promoting the stereotype that women only buy items that are “pretty.”

Thus, 1950s beauty, hygiene, and health product advertisements placed an emphasis on women’s appearance and roles. They promoted harmful messages and stereotypes to young girls and reflected the times’ ideals of the “nuclear family.”

Part III: The 1960s: An Era of Change?

To some extent, 1960s print beauty advertisements reinforced the same ideas as 1950s advertisements. However, in the relatively more liberated, “hippie” era of the 60s, advertisers were unafraid to produce more blatantly sexual advertisements. This more overt sexualization of women was both beneficial and harmful. On the one hand, it encouraged women to be unashamed of being sexual beings and to be confident in their desire for sex. But on the other hand, it depicted women solely as sex objects. For that reason, to some extent, the 1950s

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depiction of women as often capable housewives was somewhat better than the 1960s depiction of women as sex objects begging to be used by men.

Why this sudden change in the depiction of women? For one, women were beginning to break out from the 1950s “cult of domesticity.” Famous feminist writers, such as Betty Friedan, were exposing the dissatisfaction of women in their roles as housewives. Women were getting fed up with the cultural assumption that the only option for them was to become housewives.

This led to two similar yet methodologically different movements: the women’s rights movement and the women’s liberation movement (“The 1960s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview”).

The women’s rights movement was primarily championed by the National Organization for Women, also known as NOW. It was founded by Friedan and three hundred members in 1966, in the wake of the National Conference of the Commission on the Status of Women’s failure to enforce the equal employment mandate of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. NOW mainly used lobbying, marches and rallies, peaceful civil disobedience, and even lawsuits to champion their causes, primarily causes relating to gender discrimination in the workplace. They successfully encouraged lawmakers to pass laws for maternity leave and prohibiting advertising job openings as “male” or “female” jobs.

On the other side, the women’s liberation movement took a more personal turn. Women gathered in small groups and frankly discussed issues they faced in society. Many women who were part of women’s liberation groups also were part of the civil rights or hippie movements.

Women’s liberationists were frustrated with the hierarchies within these movements that placed men on top, relegating women to just “chicks.” The women’s liberation movement, rather than focusing on legal action, focused on small scale, cultural change, such as getting men to do more

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housework and rebelling against typical standards of beauty and the depiction of women as sex objects. Many women threw beauty products and undergarments such as bras and girdles into garbage cans and fires to symbolize their desire to break free of conventional beauty standards.

Eventually, the movements merged, with a combination of large-scale action against legal and workplace discrimination and rebellion against cultural and societal norms. These movements left their imprints on the minds of millions of Americans, including those in advertisement (“Feminism and the Sexual Revolution”).

Advertisers took notice, and therefore sought to appeal to these new, “liberated” working women. To some extent, they succeeded—advertisements began to depict women less stereotypically, unlike the one-sided depiction of women as housewives in 1950s advertisements.

However they also failed, because in their efforts to depict more “liberated” women, they began to depict women in more overtly sexual positions. This changed the common advertisement depiction of women from the 1950s housewives to the 1960s sex kitten, merely a sex object to be used by and to please men.

A prime example of this is a 1961 Clairol advertisement. With the tagline “Is it true…blondes have more fun?” it depicts a blonde woman staring innocently up at a man while pulling on his tie. This depicts women as seductresses whose only goal is to look pretty to seduce men. These sorts of advertisements also sent women a message that they should always look their best to seduce men and should make efforts to be sexy and spontaneous all the time. A 1964 advertisement for Chantilly perfume asked, “Are you woman enough to wear Chantilly?” This advertisement implied that only women who are sexual enough can wear the perfume.

Therefore, 1960s advertisements set forth a new, more sexual ideal of the “perfect woman.”

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Nowhere was the newly increased sexualization of women more evident than in print advertisements for men’s beauty and hygiene products. For example, a 1967 advertisement for Score hair cream shows a squatting man in safari fatigues being carried by a cadre of adoring girls, telling men that if they use the cream, women will like them better. The problems with this depiction have already been discussed, as women were often depicted as men’s doting servants in 1950s advertisements. But in the 1960s a new issue emerged with this form of advertising: not only were men being doted on by women, they were being doted on by scantily clad women.

Aside from this sort of advertising depicting women as frivolous and only attracted to looks, it also depicted women as mere sex objects, there for men’s pleasure and to boost men’s egos.

Thus, men’s advertisements most blatantly used sexual imagery and the objectification of women during the 1960s.

Additionally, more blatant nudity was not off the table for advertisers. While this encouraged women to be unashamed of their bodies, it also depicted women as solely erotic beings. This more blatant nudity also helped foster new body standards for women. By depicting the female body more openly, they also depicted more obviously the day’s body standards. For example, a 1964 advertisement for Germaine Monteil Soleil sunscreen shows a drawing of a woman in a bikini. The woman was drawn with an obviously thin and almost bony body, showing more obviously the new ideal of thinness as opposed to the ideal of the voluptuous, hourglass figure of the 1950s. A similar 1967 advertisement for Luster-Crème shampoo showed a woman in a bikini amongst froths of pink material with the tagline “Pink is for girls.” This, of course, promoted the new body standard, showing a woman with a thin figure. But the text of the advertisement also troublingly reinforced gender stereotypes, telling women that they should like pink and that Luster-Crème is “too delicate for anyone but a girl,” and that men will appreciate 12

the softness of your hair after you use it. This essentially was an advertisement that summed up everything problematic with 1960s beauty advertisements: unrealistic body standards, reinforcing stereotypes that women are “delicate” and like frilly, pink things, and telling women that they should only look nice to please men.

Advertisers also sought to appeal to working women. They tried to combine the new 1960s ideal of the working women with the 1950s ideal of the housewife, showing a woman who was capable at work but then also had time for romance, hobbies, and family—all while looking pretty, of course. While it was an admirable attempt to show women as capable and productive, it also placed pressure on women to be perfect in every aspect. A 1964 advertisement for Pond’s Angel Face makeup used the tagline, “The Angel Face Look: Doria Belden has it. You can too!”

It showed Doria going through her day, all while keeping a perfect face due to her Angel Face makeup. This set an unattainable standard for women: looking perfect while doing it all. Another 1964 advertisement for Shalimar perfume discussed how since 1926, when the perfume was released, women have changed everything: their styles, and “their ideas about life in general.”

This was an example of advertisers attempting to acknowledge women’s attempts to change society’s thinking and become more liberated. The advertisers sought to show women that though they have made progress, they shouldn’t shy away from their “feminine” product. Thus, while advertisers acknowledged women’s attempts to be more liberated, they ultimately used these attempts to sell products and set new standards for “modern” women.

While the depiction of women in print advertisements changed, the depiction of women in television commercials was almost the same as it was in the 1950s, at least when it came to advertising hygiene or health products. Women were still depicted as stereotypical mothers and housewives, and often unknowledgeable and ignorant housewives at that. A prime example of 13

this is Charmin commercials. One commercial showed a grocery store manager following a woman around the store, watching as she squeezed all the fruits and vegetables, and then eventually the Charmin despite signs warning not to squeeze the Charmin. The grocery store manager scolded the woman for all her squeezing, prompting the woman to reply, “Well, it’s so soft, I just can’t help myself!” This depicted women as weak-willed and frivolous, prone to attraction to soft and frilly things and needing guidance from men. Another commercial in a similar vein shows the husband of the woman that was scolded going and defending her honor to the manager, then telling his wife, “You’ve gotta be strong like us men!” This depicted two troubling ideas: that women need defending from men; and that women are weak. Crest advertisements also depicted women as housewives and mothers. One Crest commercial showed a man railing against his wife for buying an expensive hat, furthering the stereotype that men are the heads of the household and have a right to control women. Another commercial for Pampers showed men struggling to take care of their babies while their wives were out shopping, depicting the idea that child-rearing is solely a women’s job.

In commercials, women were also depicted in a manner similar to the way they were depicted in print advertising: as teasing seductresses and sex kittens. Commercials for Ambush perfume had a woman just staring and smiling sexily into the camera as an announcer declared how women can “tease, taunt” and so on, then telling men to give women another tactic with Ambush. This depicted women exactly like the stereotype: seductresses who live to tease men.

However, another advertisement for Ambush had a voiceover of a woman expressing her hopes that a man will call her. This showed that though women may be seductive and have sexual power over men; ultimately the men have the decision-making power in relationships.

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While 1960s ideals as promoted in beauty advertisements did stray from 1950s ideals, ultimately there were still no big leaps made in the depiction of women during this era. Women were still depicted in one stereotypical role, though that role differed from the ideal depicted in the 1950s. However, advertisers of the era nonetheless should be lauded for their efforts to depict women in additional roles.

Part IV: The 1970s: Continuing Progress As the 1970s rolled around, the ideals of the time were a natural progression from the ideals and movements of the 1960s. Increased social involvement and awareness continued.

Therefore, countercultural movements such as the hippie and punk movements became less countercultural and radical, and more mainstream and socially accepted, especially amongst young people, who were attracted to the pleasure-seeking, laidback lifestyle promoted by these movements. Many radicals of the 1960s ended up becoming “hip capitalists” or taking up public service professions, leading to more economic success. Therefore, Americans began to purchase more new consumer goods such as stereos, color televisions, and air conditioners (“The 1970s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview”).

When it came to women, the feminist movement was still going strong and in fact tackling more taboo issues. The 1973 Roe v. Wade case set off a national debate about abortion rights. Under the pseudonym of Jane Roe, a woman challenged an 1854 Texas law that a woman can only get an abortion if the pregnancy puts her life in danger. The case went to the Supreme Court, with the Court ultimately ruling that the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees personal liberty and a right to privacy, extends to cover a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy without the interference of the state. Thus, feminism won another legal victory

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(Ehrlich). Additionally, the feminist movement also began to tackle workplace and university discrimination more in the 1970s.

The depiction of women in 1970s beauty and hygiene print advertisement was also a natural progression from that of the 1960s. More of an emphasis was placed on having the “perfect” body and being slim; women were depicted as more “free” and modern; and advertisers became slightly more open and honest in their depictions of women’s issues and lives.

In the 1970s, with the increased emphasis placed on slimness, advertisements for odd products promising weight loss effects, usually aimed towards women, were rampant. Most of the advertisements for such products were targeted at women, fueling the assumption that women are vain and overly concerned with their looks.

However, advertisements for feminine hygiene products, such as tampons and sanitary napkins, were phrased a lot more open and honestly than in previous eras. Also, rather than focusing on the effects of women’s menstruation on men, they focused more on the effects of menstruation on women themselves. For example, a 1971 Kotex advertisement told women to “Be a question. Be an answer. Be a beautiful story. But be sure.” This emphasized that women have their own lives that do not revolve around their menstrual cycles or pleasing men. Another 1973 Kotex advertisement told women that they will be “Protected better. Protected longer” with Kotex, thereby trying to sell the product not via stereotypes or by telling women they’ll please men, but by telling women the personal benefits related to the product.

Additionally, the stereotype that women use beauty products and such to attract men still persisted in advertising throughout the 1970s. An advertisement for “Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific” shampoo depicted a woman thinking “Jackpot!” when a man told her the brand’s 16

signature compliment, implying that woman constantly seek validation and compliments from men. A 1973 advertisement for Bleach & Glow skin bleach told black women, “Your glow…his delight” and told women they should use the product to get rid of “dark blotches,” which naturally dark-skinned women have. This sent two harmful messages to black women: that they should be ashamed of their dark skin and that men will only like them if they don’t look black.

For black women in particular, beauty advertising was a double-edged sword: they were subjected to not only gendered beauty standards, but also racial standards. Another advertisement for Johnson’s baby oil depicted a woman lying on a beach staring into the camera with a “comehither” expression and the tagline, “Turn on your tan.” This was followed by a few sentences extolling the virtues of the oil for tanning, finishing with the line, “Turn on a tan, baby. And you’ll turn on your hero.” Another 1972 advertisement for Emeraude bath oil showed the back of a nude woman with the taglines, “The parfait that makes you delicious” and “Want him to be more of a man? Try being more of a woman.” These advertisements depicted multiple problematic themes within 1970s advertisements and beyond: that women only look good to please and seduce men; that men can “save” women; the usage of sexual images of women to sell products; and the idea that women are responsible for “shaping” and seducing men and making them more “manly.”

In another natural progression from the 1960s, women were depicted even more sexually than ever before. A 1970 advertisement for Chamade perfume depicted the back of the silhouette of a naked woman, with an outlined rear end. This is the most sexualized depiction of women seen thus far, with previously only partial or concealed nudity being shown in advertising. This reduced women to mere body parts. A 1972 advertisement for Lancanster suntan lotion merely showed a nude woman luxuriating in the sun, with just a few sentences about the product itself.

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This showed how 1970s advertisers used sexual imagery and the objectification of women to convince people to buy products, rather than extolling the virtues of the product itself like in previous eras.

Additionally, women were still depicted as frivolous and only concerned with social and cosmetic issues. For example, a 1971 advertisement for Sauna Belt Trim Jeans that supposedly slim your waist and hips showed men wearing the jeans playing chess. An advertisement for the same product from the same year depicted women wearing the jeans while drinking coffee and talking. Though subtle, this showed how men were depicted as more intellectual, playing chess, while women were depicted as more frivolous, drinking coffee and gossiping. Another 1979 advertisement for Tame conditioner showed women pulling at their hair saying different “ugh” statements about their hair. This advertisement made it seem as if women’s biggest worry is how they look and that they are constantly examining themselves for flaws.

1970s beauty and hygiene television commercials generally contained the same themes as print beauty and hygiene advertisements of the era. Such themes that were particularly prevalent in commercials were the frivolity of women, and women using products to please men. A commercial for Scope mouthwash showed a man flirting with a female cashier at a movie theater because she used Scope, with the cashier later remarking how glad she is that she used Scope.

This made it seem as if women practice good hygiene and use mouthwash solely to please and attract men. Another commercial for Wondra lotion showed a woman scrubbing an oven and complaining about how her housewifely duties ruin her hands. Not only did this advertisement make it seem like women are afraid of hard work because it will ruin their “pretty” hands, it also made it seem like women’s only duties are cooking and cleaning.

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Additionally, commercials still depicted women in outdated housewife roles. For example, a commercial for Nyquil showed a woman in a nightgown telling her husband, dressed in a suit, to take the children so she can rest. This promoted the outdated ideal of the housewife who stays home and takes care of the children while the husband works. Additionally, Pampers advertisements still had women solely depicted as mothers, while men were busy fathers or hapless and unable to take care of the baby. This made it seem as if parenting and taking care of a child is solely a woman’s job.

However, as seen in print advertisements, advertisers were a lot more open about feminine hygiene products. Commercials for Rely tampons had women actually using the word “tampon” and showed women using the product as they go about their day to day lives, rather than focusing on women trying to please men, like in past eras. Ultimately, 1970s beauty advertising to some extent built on the progress of the 1960s, but still used some of the leftover stereotypical roles of previous eras.

Part V: The 1980s: A Return to Conservatism In the 1980s, socially and politically, the US entered a new period of returning to more conservative views. Social conservatives worked to restore the ideals and values of pre-1960s America, using the 1950s as a model for a moral society and proper family structure and behavior. However, nonetheless, drug use and child abuse ran rampant, and the AIDS crisis cast a shadow over the era. Also similar to the 1950s is the increase in the production of consumer goods, leading to an increase in advertising for said consumer goods (“The 1980s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview”). The advertising, of course, reflected ideals of the day.

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One such return to conservatism in advertising is less overtly sexual imagery. However, that does not mean that advertisements weren’t sexual. Rather than showing fully nude women, they showed body parts of women, reducing women to lips or legs. One such advertisement is a 1985 advertisement for Chanel No. 5, which touted the perfume as superbly sleek and showing a woman’s disembodied legs, upon which her gloved hand sprays the magical fragrance. This reduced women to mere body parts, just props in the selling of the product.

Another theme repeated from previous eras, particularly from the 1950s, was the idea of women using certain products to please men. However, it was more implicit than it was in previous eras. Rather than taglines directly touting the product’s effect on men, the usage of imagery was employed. Many advertisements used imagery of a man embracing a woman who uses the product, or looking at the woman adoringly, implying that if you use the product, men will love you. This of course operated under the already sexist assumption that women’s only motivation for looking good is to please and attract men. An example of this is a 1983 advertisement for Ambi, a product that promised to reduce dark spots on black women’s complexions. The advertisement depicted a man leaning over the shoulder of a woman and staring at her adoringly, while a testimonial described how a woman no longer feels like she has to have bangs and how she can now show her whole face. This implied that women only use products to please men, and that the slightest flaw sends women cowering.

In print advertisements, women were continually being depicted in more powerful, workrelated roles; however, in commercials, they were still being depicted as stereotypical mothers. A 1980 Crest commercial showed a voiceover announcer asking a harried mother about her choice of toothpaste. This made it seem as if women are only mothers, and their only concerns are with taking care of their kids.

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Even when women were depicted in non-housewifely roles, they were still depicted as if their looks are their main concern. For example, a 1980 commercial for Dial soap showed a woman in the shower discussing how today is the day the parents come to meet the teacher, and how she’s the teacher, so she’s using Dial soap to insure that she’s confident. This implies that women, even when they work, are still primarily concerned with their looks and base their confidence on their looks.

Then there were of course the commercials in which women discussed how using a certain product has helped please others. A 1987 Dove commercial had women discussing how their husbands or mothers have been pleased with how their skin looks once they started using Dove. Rather than focusing on the benefits the soap provides to women, the commercial instead focused on how others around the women were pleased, sending a message that women should only be concerned with pleasing others with their looks, not with pleasing themselves.

Overall, the 1980s were to some extent, advertising-wise, a slightly more progressive repeat of the 1950s. Women were depicted in more diverse roles, but nonetheless were still depicted largely in stereotypical roles or with stereotypical ideas.

Part VI: The 1990s: Growth and Grunge The 1990s were an era of great growth, as Americans reached for higher and higher standards of living. However, much like the 1960s, it was an era in which the nation also experienced many social changes. Gun violence became increasingly common, and divorce rates were on the rise, leading to people desperately searching for meaning in New Age spiritual ideas.

Gay and lesbian rights took center stage, with many still unwilling to accept homosexuality, leading to the birth of the modern LGBT movement. Many men were also experiencing a crisis

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of masculinity, perhaps as a result of women becoming more liberated and more visible in the public sphere, as opposed to the previous idea of women being sequestered away in the home.

Nowhere was this more obvious than in advertising and popular culture. Women continually took center stage, in advertising and beyond. Supermodels like Claudia Schiffer and Cindy Crawford dominated American consciousness. (This is also arguably a double-edged sword; their fame came solely from their willingness to be exploited for their bodies.) In music, the so-called “Riot Grrl” movement encouraged women to open up and be free and aggressive and vent their anger through music (“The 1990s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview”).

This meant that women were now the main focus in advertising. Ads became less sexualized and targeted more at women than men. For example, a 1991 advertisement for Coco perfume by Chanel simply had a few bottles of perfume with the tagline, “Mysterious.

Provocative. Sensuous.” Although the tagline shows that advertisers still tried to sell products to women by telling them they would help them seduce men, the advertisement is nonetheless a sharp contrast to ads for similar products from previous eras. In previous eras, a perfume ad for a perfume touted to be “provocative” and “sensuous” would most likely have featured a sexualized image of a woman, or solely a body part of a woman, thus objectifying the woman. Yet, they simply present the perfume bottle for a female consumer’s consideration, showing that advertisers were finally beginning to genuinely understand women as consumers. Another 1993 advertisement for Dial soap simply used the tagline, “Self Esteem.” This showed that they were trying to show that Dial makes women feel better about themselves, rather than trying to show that using Dial would help them please men or others.

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However, old advertising habits die hard. Women were still depicted as powerless to men’s charms. For example, a 1990 advertisement for Francesco Smalto cologne showed a swooning woman in an evening gown with the tagline, “Smalto. You Make Me Weak.” This made it seem as if women are frivolous and easily susceptible to men if they smell good, a ridiculous idea.

This brings one to the point that while sexualization of women was reduced, it was nonetheless not completely eliminated. Particularly high-fashion brands, such as Dolce and Gabbana and Calvin Klein, used sexualized imagery to sell products. A 1996 advertisement for Dolce and Gabbana Pretty Woman perfume depicted a woman in a bustier top and underwear holding a knife and cutting an apple, totally irrelevant, unnecessarily sexualized imagery.

Another 1992 advertisement for Calvin Klein Obsession perfume showed a nude man and woman on a swing, once again a strangely sexualized image.

Additionally, when it came to depicting women in advertisements for other products, women were still depicted as housewives or the ones doing the work in the house. A 1991 commercial for Clorox discusses how “Mama keeps clothes white” with Clorox, depicting a woman stereotypically watching clothes and greeting her children off the bus. Although women were now sometimes depicted in work environments, they were still depicted mostly as just housewives and the ones responsible for the housework.

The 1990s were indeed a largely progressive era, with a lot more openness. However, there were still strides to be made.

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Part VII: Today Today’s advertisements are obviously much more progressive when compared to those of previous eras, yet women are still largely depicted as the ones doing housework, with the men the clueless husbands. Women are rarely depicted as anything but mothers, particularly in commercials for household hygiene products, and if they are, rather than being depicted in positions of power, they’re often depicted as subservient, office-working drones, in need of aspirin or some such health product to power through their day.

As for beauty, advertisements still tell women that they need products to fix their gray hairs, stretch marks, and body hair, with one recent advertisement that ran in a woman’s magazine using the sarcastic tagline, “”Nice mustache!’ said no one ever!” Women are encouraged to change their appearance not for themselves and their own self-confidence, but to please the people around them and out of fear of judgment. Just flipping through any magazine aimed at woman will show you that now more than ever, advertisers are coming up with different “flaws,” be it dark under-eye circles or fine lines, to use to sell products. Beauty advertisements also still often depict women as dramatic or frivolous. An advertisement for Aussie shampoo from this year tells women to “ditch the drama,” implying that women dramatically agonize over their hair care.

The 1950s had its capable but still beautiful housewife. The 1960s and the 1970s had its liberated “modern” woman. The 1980s had its sly objectification within a more conservative framework. The 1990s were when big strides were made, yet certain depictions of women from previous eras remained.

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Today, we have of course come a long way in our depiction of women in beauty and hygiene advertisements, but there are still strides to be made, especially when it comes to not only gender but racial diversity in advertising. As a female consumer, I now believe the onus is on me and others like me to raise our voices against stereotypical advertising gender roles, and only purchase products that are advertised in a fair, equal manner, without patronization or stereotyping. And perhaps someday, we may truly see equal, gender-blind advertising.

I am taking the first steps by starting a blog at sexistadcatalog.tumblr.com. This will hopefully make people more aware of everyday sexism present in advertisements.

Additionally, I hope to use my love of collage art to make beautiful collages using sexist advertisements to encourage awareness and quite literally, cut out sexism. While these may seem like small steps, it is Vincent Van Gogh who once said, “Great things are done…by a series of small things brought together” (Quotationspage). I hope to begin to bring together some of those “small things” to create something great.

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Works Cited Abu-Saud, Ziad. "The Dogma of Advertising and Consumerism." The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 26 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

“Ad*Access.” Ad*Access - Duke Libraries. Duke University, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

Ehrlich, J. Shoshanna. "Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973)." Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ed. David S. Tanenhaus. Vol. 4. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 278-282.U.S. History in Context. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.

"Feminism and the Sexual Revolution." The Sixties in America Reference Library. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 1: Almanac. Detroit: UXL, 2005. 133-150. U.S. History in Context. Web. 2 Aug. 2016.

Foust, J. C., & Bradshaw, K. A. (2007). Something for the boys: Framing images of women in broadcasting magazine in the 1950s. Journalism History, 33(2), 93-95,97-100. Retrieved from ProQuest "Jim Morrison Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.

Marshall, Ron. "How Many Ads Do You See in One Day? Get Your Advertising Campaigns Heard." Red Crow Marketing. Red Crow Marketing, 03 May 2016. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

"Quote from Vincent Van Gogh." The Quotations Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.

Story, Louise. "Anywhere the Eye Can See, It’s Likely to See an Ad." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 Jan. 2007. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

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"The 1950s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview." American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., vol. 6: 1950-1959, Gale, 2001, pp. 262-263. U.S. History in Context.

Accessed 24 Jan. 2017.

"The 1960s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview." American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., vol. 7: 1960-1969, Gale, 2001. U.S. History in Context. Accessed 24 Jan. 2017.

"The 1970s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview." American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., vol. 8: 1970-1979, Gale, 2001. U.S. History in Context. Accessed 24 Jan. 2017.

"The 1980s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview." American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., vol. 9: 1980-1989, Gale, 2001. U.S. History in Context. Accessed 24 Jan. 2017.

"The 1990s Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview." UXL American Decades, edited by Julie L. Carnagie, et al., vol. 10: 1990-1999, UXL, 2003, pp. 94-95. U.S. History in Context.

Accessed 24 Jan. 2017.

"Vintage Ad Browser." Vintage Ad Browser. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

"Women at Home After World War II." Women in America, Primary Source Media, 1999.

American Journey. U.S. History in Context. Accessed 24 Jan. 2017. “Women in World War II." Gale U.S. History in Context, Gale, 2014. U.S. History in Context.

Accessed 24 Jan. 2017.

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Appendix

1950 Palmolive soap advertisement

1950 Barbasol shaving cream advertisement 28

1967 Score hair cream advertisement

1974 “Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific� shampoo advertisement

29

1985 Chanel No. 5 perfume advertisement

Faks 1

Blumenthal Scholars Program

Which business model is more successful– Startups or Small Businesses?

Ezra Faks Yeshivah of Flatbush 2017

Faks 2

Introduction “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future” (John F. Kennedy). Overtime things change and the business industry is no exception. We can no longer think of the only possible business model as a typical brick-and-mortar shop on a busy street or an office in a big city. We now have a whole new category of businesses– technology, which contains many other subcategories such as e-commerce, software, design and much more.

In contrast, the typical, traditional business is as big and booming as ever. We have new retail shops, restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, professional service offices and many more exemplary businesses opening up successfully worldwide.

While we sometimes tend to blur the lines between these two businesses, in reality, they are completely different models with different purposes, different methods of carrying out day-to-day business activities, and different goals. Both these business models have proven the capability to be utterly successful.

Defining The Difference The biggest and most prominent difference between technology and traditional business is that the latter almost never receives VC angel funding which tech startups almost always do. Tech startups also tend to be more scalable than small businesses which tend to grow more gradually if at all.

Startups want to build a team of the best people in the market, people who are willing to work hard for the good of the business instead of his own personal gain. The problem is the startups are almost always on very tight budgets and can’t afford to hire

Faks 3 the best people out there. In order to battle this dilemma they create a unique company culture as an incentive to entice star individuals instead of a large paycheck. Although, some entrepreneurs get lost in creating their own unique culture and forget its true purpose, instead of building something to coax their interviewees they try to top their competitors. This becomes an even bigger problem when they break the bank doing so. In order to counter this you must have a set plan or outline that you are able to support and stick with it. Small businesses are more structured as a boss-and-employee setting and are usually fine with the average person in the market.

A down side is that tech startups typically have a higher risk than small businesses, a big deal-breaker for most people. According to Salvador Briggman this is “Because the role of a [technology] startup is to find a product, business model, and pain point that will eventually lead to success. You risk losing your investor’s money, wasting your time, losing your own money, and damaging relationships”. Startups aren’t only risking their own time and capital but their investors, friends, family and anyone else that might be helping them through their journey. Many startups don’t last, most businesses fail but it’s the drive that keeps you going. Startups are usually based on a new idea, or end up pivoting to a different one in their journey, small businesses typically have one set goal and build upon it (Briggman).

Finally, one important difference is the focus and your personal goal. A startup is always about, “Obtaining product-market fit with a minimum viable product,” and, “funds to begin to grow the company as quickly as possible.” This differs from the focuses of a small business which are, “A traditional business model and strong cash flows,” and, “Keeping expenses low” (Briggman). When you want to start a company

Faks 4 you should be able to analyze what your personal goal is and which category it falls under.

A good example of a technology startup is Groupon. In 2007, Andrew Mason, a University of Chicago Public Policy graduate, founded a company called The Point. “The Point was a social media platform designed to get groups of people together to solve problems” (Carlson). He didn’t hope to make billions with this company rather he simply wanted to build and create an online community to help people connect around the globe.

Months after launching, The Point barely gained any traction.

In a weekly checkup meeting with the team, they saw that a group of users started started a cause to buy products in bulk in order to save money. Eric Lefkofsky, affluent businessman and member of Mason’s board, suggested opening a separate website to help people get discounts by buying products in large quantities to help revitalize the startup. At first, Eric was turned down but he persisted. Months later, in September 2008, the economy has gone down and Mason decided to heed to Eric’s advice and start a side project called Groupon.

Mason came up with three rules for Groupon, one deal a day, the deal doesn't go into effect until enough people buy the voucher, and that the vouchers should be for local businesses. At first, they didn’t take it seriously, "Some of the early things we did were an hour in a sleep deprivation tank, or skydiving. We [didn't] want to do stuff that's going to wind up in a landfill. We [didn't] want to sell overstock gadgets. We [didn't] want to deal with shipping and returns” (Carlson). They weren’t willing to risk much, or deal with anything complicated since it was simply a side project.

Faks 5 After realizing the potential of the concept they expanded it further by trying to help small businesses stay afloat at a time of economic crisis when banks weren’t lending. The idea immediately took off. Employees reached out to local businesses, they were hooked. "Merchants started to tell us 'if I want to do a 10,000 dedicated email blast on Daily Candy, it's going to cost me X, but you're telling me I can send it to 10,000 people for free, and only if they buy, we'll give you a cut?' That was an eye opener," says one early employee. They were providing a marketing tool to growing businesses that was virtually risk-free.

It became so popular that Ted Leonsis, builder of AOL, signed on to work in Groupon, eventually becoming vice chairman. Groupon starting growing fast, and expanded at exponential rates. Some investors say that Groupon is the fastest-growing company in history, surpassing Facebook. Today they have over 10,000 employees and are in 46 different countries (Carlson).

Groupon shows the steps and complicated decisions entrepreneurs make on a daily basis. Specifically, the idea that startups may have to pivot from their original idea, since they are selling a new product or service that’s never been tested before.

Startups "The biggest risk is not taking any risk... in a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks" (Mark Zuckerberg). Part of the commitment to create any business is the risk involved. This is especially true with technology businesses as they’re typically completely new ideas that don't yet have a use. Starting a new technology and marketing it to the world is a difficult

Faks 6 and risky process. Some of the factors that go into making a technology startup successful include having a strong idea, having the right team to help you, and knowing how to market a new idea.

Figuring out and analyzing if your new idea is even good enough for the market is the first and, most difficult, phase of starting a technology startup. The best type of idea you could come up with is one that is completely new and will both create and revolutionize its own market. This is the type of idea that will have minimal competition and would yield satisfactory results. In 1984, Intuit created a market for personal finance software. Before this, households either did their finances with pen and paper or not at all. After intense marketing of their software, regular households soon saw the need for a finance software. Once it became the norm, Quicken’s sales boomed. They saw a need for a product that never existed, created a new market for it, and dominated it, giving themselves a business with no competition and an ever-growing market.

The second type of idea for creating new technology is one that improves on an existing product or service. This might have more competition but can still become quite successful. To implement this kind of idea you must have significant improvements over your competition. You also must make sure to market yourself as a different and better company (Theil).

For example, when Steve Jobs released the iPhone there was already other cell phones out there. He found a way to vastly improve and recreate the market where it became centered on his phones, the smartphone. Soon many other companies followed his style and created their own smartphone and mobile operating systems. The iPhone was still a startup within itself though and didn’t revolutionize the market right away. But

Faks 7 after years of marketing, improving, and advertising, most people only use iPhones and even replace it on a yearly or bi-yearly basis, which keeps their customer retention rate high.

One secret we could learn from the way Apple operates and what keeps it so successful is how they’re constantly improving and updating their products. New software and hardware come out on a yearly basis and something big and innovative is becoming expected of them each year. This keeps the market interesting, competitors on their toes and customers coming back for more.

In the technology world everything is constantly innovating and your idea must be able to adapt to market conditions. Before you advance with your idea you must assess how it could evolve in the future to survive. It is extremely important that you have a clear idea of where and how your product will go in the future so you won’t fall into any dark, dead ends on the way. It is important you get the advice of other people you trust.

Building a support you could always fall back on for advise is essential for when you get stuck in a fork in the road. Be careful that you only tell people selectively because an idea is only worth its secrecy. If too many people know the idea someone might steal it. By looking at our past we see how valuable secrets are, once they’re known they become arbitrary, almost meaningless (Theil). In 1981, Xerox completed the first fully-functional Graphical User Interface, a program essential to personal computing. Xerox and Apple were friendly and Apple ended up obtaining the secret. This led to Apple’s success in personal computers instead of Xerox. If Xerox was careful about their secret they might be the ones revolutionizing the technology markets while Apple might just be history.

Faks 8 Once an idea has been established, the focus needs to be on a proper team to help you. The people you pick to be on your starting team must understand and agree with the company’s goals, values and moral code. Your team will go down in your company’s history as the people who helped establish your company. They should be prepared to sacrifice anything to achieve the company’s goal. They should be educated, experienced and above all diligent and willing to learn (Zuckerberg).

Experience is very important but sometimes it’s good to have a young team.

Young adults coming straight out of college are fresh out of the box and establishing themselves in this world. They don’t have many financial or social obligations so they are more willing to adapt to any company. Young adults want to feel apart of something, they want to make their mark on this world and feel important; what better way to feel important than creating a new business and solving a common problem. At the same time, you want a mix of experienced people too.

The more connected your team feels to the problem your company is trying to succeed in fixing the more diligently they’ll work to solve it. It’s important to have a diverse team because all their ideas will fuse together and will produce ideas of how to serve all different kinds of customers. The more viewpoints you have the more selling fronts you could succeed in (Zuckerberg).

Next you have to find funding. Pitching a completely new idea to investors is especially challenging and you must be prepared. Before going to an investor you must have a clear plan of action. Investors want to see that they’re putting their hard-earned money into something tangible. It is your job to prove that they will get a return.

Investors want to see that you know all the numbers and statistics of your business so you

Faks 9 must be ready to answer any question. They also want to see that you aren’t just in it to make money but that you have a passion for what you are trying to do. “Chase the vision, not the money; the money will end up following you” (Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO). Like mentioned earlier about building a team, it is vital that everyone involved with creating your company believes in it’s goal, that includes you!

There are two different types of investors, one that wants to give you the money and see the return and another that givea you money, time and experience to see you succeed in your path. You must figure out what type of investor they are from the beginning of your pitch so you know how to strike a deal. Once you’ve convinced the investor that your business will yield a return and he/she is interested you have to pitch a plausible deal. You should know before going how much equity you’re willing to give up and how much money your business is worth. However, you should not have a set number in mind because things always change. Try to have a range and work with the investor to come up with a number that works for the both of you. Once you figure everything out and have the legal work done you will have a partner and funding to back you up in your path (Theil).

Once a business is created, a proper marketing plan is the key to success. You could have the best product, but without the public knowing its existence, it’s useless.

The first step in creating a marketing plan is stating the company’s goals. This is important because it sets the stage for the rest of the plan, everything should connect to your goal. Your goal should be the reason you ever wanted to start your business. It should be the problem you want to solve, what you see wrong in this world and your solution to it. This goal shouldn’t include anything about making money, because in

Faks 10 order to make money you have to have a plan. Secondly, you need to analyze your customer market. It is important to know how your customers will reach your product, Will you sell to distributors? Will you open up stores? Will you have a website? Will you sell through other websites such as Amazon? All these questions need to be addressed in your marketing plan. The third step is to analyze your potential competitors. You have to see how they price, promote and distribute their products so you know how to sell yours.

It is also important to see how you could beat these competitors because if you can’t you should steer clear of them. The fourth step is to analyze any trends, economic conditions or changing markets and see how they may effect how you market your product. The technology market is constantly changing and it is important that you address how you’ll deal with these changes. The fifth step is to see if your assets, such as money and man power, are enough to achieve your plan. The sixth step is to estimate a timeline. Lastly, the seventh step is to create measurements for success. For example, you must define what your Customer Acquisition Rate goal is and how you plan on getting there. As you go along with this plan these measurements will tell you if you’re on track or if you’re falling behind (Theil).

It is important to understand that with technology companies you typically don’t have direct connection with your product’s users. Whatever road you plan on taking to market and advertise your business must accomplish a connection between the user and the product. Your plan must be cohesive, different methods should be aimed at different consumers. It should also be realistic, your timelines, budgets and goals must be achievable and setting the bar too high can be detrimental to your business, especially in its early stages (Flanagan).

Faks 11 Tips for future entrepreneurs always come from former successes. In 2004, Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook from his college dorm. Now, only 12 years later, he is worth $35.7 billion dollars. In an interview published by Evan Carmichael, Mark lists his top ten tips for success. His second tip is to Get Feedback. For the past 7-8 years in Facebook, every week, he would have a Q&A session with his team where they could ask him any questions. This allowed him to gain feedback from his employees and allowed employees to have a strong connection with their boss. Another tip he gives is to build a really good team. He said that without such a wonderful team helping him start his business he would not be where he is now (Zuckerberg).

In conclusion, there are many factors that go into creating a company and it is vital that you understand them before you start your business. Your idea should be able to survive the fast-changing technological world and must have a clear plan of action. It is important that you could define the issue you are trying to solve. You must have a team that believes in your goal and will help you achieve it. When pitching to investors you want to portray your company as one that is stable and growing. There are many steps to a marketing plan and you should go through them carefully. If you need help or feel stuck look at past entrepreneurs for advice. Remember, “Any time is a good time to start a company” (Ron Conway).

Small Businesses When we think of a small business, we think of typical shops or offices that have been around for decades. To an extent, this is true. Small businesses, as opposed to startups, aren’t something new that hasn’t been tested before. Therefore, it has much less

Faks 12 risk involved than startups. Today we think of only startups, specifically technology startups, as the “path to being a billionaire” but in reality this isn’t the case for some of the time. Small businesses could include clothing shops, restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, and professional service offices. They could also include bigger, more wholesale categories such as caterers, food chains, franchises, factories, and distribution lines in different fields.

In all markets there needs to be a creater, manufacturer, distributor and seller/retailer. Sometimes one company may include multiple roles or one role could include multiple companies. Some fields outside of this might include public service fields such as lawyers, money handling fields such as accountants, and consulting. Many different companies, big and small play into out daily lives. They each have their role to play to keep everything working smoothly. Starting a small business can be easier than starting a startup, since you wouldn’t be the first to open your kind of business. While you still have to deal with the same paperwork and legal filling, it would be easier to follow the steps used from other entrepreneurs. Also, as stated before, hiring employees is much easier for small businesses because they typically are fine with the average worker, working on an average salary, with average expectations. There is no need for building a culture or having a mission to entice potential employees to work for your company.

Funding a small business usually comes from one’s personal savings, loans from friends and/or family, and a loan from the bank. They typically don’t receive funding from VC angel investors. In order to receive a loan from the bank you must have a good credit score. A credit score measures how well you took care of your past debt, if you had

Faks 13 any at all. When taking out a loan from the bank you usually pay it back in installments over a period of time with an interest rate. An interest rate is the percentage of the loan that the bank charges for their services.

For example: if you need $100,000 to start your business, the current interest rate is at 4.50%, and you want to pay it off over the course of 10 years, you will pay about $1,036.38 per month for 120 months. The downside to taking a loan is that by the end of your term you end up paying $24,365.60 more than you originally took out. Some people even work at a job, full or part time, to help pay the cost of starting their business.

Contrast When starting a small business, a proper education may be more important than a startup. This is because in a startup you're creating this new thing so for the most part you can't be educated on it. There is a big controversy whether a college education is needed to achieve this, experience through a job or internship, both, or neither. Some may argue that an education isn't necessary for any type of entrepreneur; some may argue that it's vital for all entrepreneurs. When starting any company you definitely need to educate yourself on legal issues that may arise, hiring and running a team of employees, management strategies, and money-handling. While you'll learn all this and more in great detail at a university when completing an MBA (Masters of Business Administration) some argue that it's harder to retain that information for a practical use outside the classroom. Some say that while learning in a classroom you cram to learn as much as you

Faks 14 can for the test and final exam, but after you tend to forget until it's put into practice.

These people say that one must have a proper education and an internship and/or job to properly retain the information, concepts, and strategies for when you need it. Some people say that you can’t learn about business in a classroom, rather, only by experience.

The people are against any formal education past secondary school. In my research I have found that there is no definitive answer. If someone has the natural talent of a salesperson or really has such a great idea and can’t wait until he gets a college education, then he should 100% go ahead and start on his business. If someone knows he wants to become an entrepreneur but feels he isn’t yet properly educated, then Yes! he should continue on to college provided he has the resources. It depends on you as a person and no one could make the decision for you. This isn’t an easy question and neither is the answer; ask family, friends, mentors, do your research. Make sure you're comfortable with whatever decision you make and make sure you're not just trying to cut corners but on the right path to success.

Conclusion So which business model is more successful– Startups of Small Businesses? The answer is both and neither. According to Bloomberg 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs who start businesses fail within the first 18 months. That’s 80% of all businesses! This includes both startups and small businesses. The answer is that both models have their pros and cons, which have been analyzed throughout this paper. Startups may have more risk involves but it’s more scalable. Small businesses may be more straightforward but has more competition. If you’re looking to be an entrepreneur you should create your

Faks 15 company based on an idea or a lifestyle and follow suit. If you’re looking to lead a technology revolution, then go for it! Create that startup, build a team, receive funding, market, plan, and plan more because you never know where you may go. The ultimate lesson is that whether its a technology startup or a small business or anything else in life, you never know without trying. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.� -Michael Jordan.

Faks 16 Bibliography:

Allison, Scott. "Startup Success: Throw Away Your Business Books." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 10 Apr. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.

Battelle, John. “The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture.” New York: Penguin, 2005. Print. 95-153.

Briggman, Salvador. "4 Differences Between Building a Startup and a Small Business."

Salvador Briggman. N.p., 09 Sept. 2015. Web. 16 Aug. 2016.

Carlson, Nicholas. “Inside Groupon: The Truth About The World's Most Controversial Company." Business Insider. N.p., 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Aug. 2016.

Carmichael, Evan. "Mark Zuckerberg's Top 10 Rules For Success." Youtube. N.p., 11 Nov. 2015. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.

Flanagan, Patrick. "Marketing High Tech: Lessons for Everyone." Management review 82.3 (1993): 27. ProQuest. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.

John, Daymond, and Daniel Paisner. The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage. N.p.: Crown Business, 2016. Print.

Krishnamurthy, Sandhya. "Tale of Two Startups: Silicon Valley Startup vs. Traditional Startup." LinkedIn. N.p., 21 July 2015. Web. 16 Aug. 2016.

Landau, Candice. "What's the Difference Between a Small Business and a Startup?"

Bplans Blog Whats the Difference Between a Small Business Venture and a Startup Comments. N.p., 19 Aug. 2015. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.

Faks 17 Lynn, Matthew. Birds of Prey: Boeing vs. Airbus: A Battle for the Skies. New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 1997. Print.

Ries, Eric. The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. N.p.: Crown Group, 2011. Print.

Thanedar, Neil. "Are You Building A Small Business - Or A Startup?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 Aug. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.

Theil, Peter. “Zero to One: Notes on Startups or How to Build The Future.” New York: Penguin, 2014. Print.

Hasson 1 Aida Hasson Blumenthal Scholars Program Spring 2017 Origami Art Therapy Part I: What is Origami?

Origami is the art of folding paper. It is difficult to say when origami has begun and who started it. One reason for this is that there are no artifacts because paper degrades quickly, leaving no trace. There are many disagreements over who really started origami because of this.

Paper was said to be first invented around 105 AD in China by Ts'ai Lun, an official of the Imperial Court. However, recent evidence suggest that it was created 200 years earlier than that.

Paper making then spread to Korea where production began in the 6th century AD. It was later brought to Japan in about 610 AD by a Korean monk named Don-cho. The Japanese first used paper for official records and documentation only, but with the rise of Buddhism, demand for paper grew rapidly for religious reasons. (http://ipst.gatech.edu) Since paper was first created in China, many people think that paper folding too, had started in China, but that idea is most likely incorrect because there is little evidence to show that it is true. There are very few examples of early paper folding in China. One example is the yuanboe, which is a paper folded into a golden nugget shape, which was burnt as an offering to the dead. We do not know when this tradition started, but it continues still today. It is in Japan that many believe folding paper really became an art form, and evolved into what we now call “origami”. At first, paper was expensive, and was not available to the public. It was originally used for religious reasons only. For example, a “Shide” is a zig-zag folded paper used in purification rituals. Shide are tied to trees on straw ropes to indicate a holy place. Another

Hasson 2 example was “Mecho” and “Ocho”, which are probably the earliest form of representational origami. They are two butterflies, male and female, that were used to decorate bottles of sake (Japanese alcoholic drink) in traditional Shinto weddings.

Paper folding in Europe is its own story. Most historians think that in Europe, origami developed more-or-less independently from the origami of Japan. This is because the technique of folding in Europe is very different from Japan. The European origami was more exact and grid-like while in Japan, the folds were made as judgment folds; there was no specific reference as to where exactly the folds need to be. It was folded ‘to taste’. From Europe, origami then spread to South America, and then to North America. In the 1950’s, Akira Yoshizana and Sam Randlett developed a standard set of origami symbols to show how to fold paper into models.

These symbols are used in diagrams and help people learn origami models from books, rather than having to learn it from people in person. These symbols remain essentially the same and are still used in origami diagrams today.

Today, many people fold origami as an art, creating more difficult and creative models.

Others fold simple models because they find it relaxing. Origami requires a lot of focus and patience. Today there are thousands of books, videos, organizations, websites, and more that teach origami. The art form continues to grow and change into more and different types and styles of origami. Some of these include wet folding, modular, kiri-gami, tessellations, technical, abstract, golden venture, fashion, napkin folding, jewelry, crease pattern, and many more.

Origami is also used for mathematical purposes and for science. It is used in discovering ways to fold things compactly into space, but then being able to open them up once they’re in space, it has been used to create a space telescope, it has been used in nanotechnology, electricity, and much more. Origami has also been very useful in education.

Hasson 3

Part II: Personal Experience When I was 7 years old my uncle bought me an origami kit which started my interest. I folded simple models for a few years, and as my interest grew I began folding more complex models. I searched online and bought origami books and after a visit to the Museum of Natural History during the holiday season, I saw a beautiful tree filled with origami ornaments made by folders all over the country. After some investigation I found out that these folders were all connected by an organization called OrigamiUSA. “OrigamiUSA, formerly known as The Friends of The Origami Center of America, is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational and cultural arts organization which is dedicated to the sharing of paper folding in America and around the world. There are over 1600 members in 49 states and 19 countries and there are local area OrigamiUSA groups in cities all over the United States and Canada� (origamiusa.org). I started attending their classes and conventions and learning more from experienced folders. I learned from both little children origami prodigies, who design their own complex models, middle aged and elderly classmates from every culture, and older world famous folders and model designers, and began to understand the complexity, simplicity and benefits to this incredible art. I began to teach origami on my own, giving workshops first to my friends and family and later volunteered my time in schools and at other community functions. I began to see the impact it had on everyone. From young to old everyone seemed enamored by their ability to follow a few simple principles and directions and marvel and their creations and accomplishments at the end. Even the most unfocused hyperactive of children who at first seemed apprehensive and doubtful seemed to enjoy the quiet process of folding and at the end always came back for more.

Hasson 4 When choosing a summer travel destination last year, I encouraged my family to visit Japan as I developed a great interest in Japanese culture from my interest in origami. We visited Origami Kaikan which is an origami studio, museum and store in Tokyo that has been there since 1858. “The Origami Kaikan is recognized as one of the "Six Cultural Treasures" of the Bunkyo Ward in Tokyo. It was established during the Ansei Period in 1858 and was originally a store for dyeing and manufacturing "washi" papers” (origamikaikan.co.jp). We folded beautiful creations with Kazuo Kobayashi a world famous model designer. Despite the language barrier (he did not utter a word of English) we shared the common language of origami.

At one of my origami workshops, making origami out of tea bags I was delighted to meet Toshiko Kobayashi, the instructor, who explained that she was an origami art therapist and proceeded to tell us of her experience working with many different populations. The profession piqued my interest as I had experience working with children with developmental disabilities before, volunteering as a ski instructor’s assistant for TASP (Telluride Adaptive Sports Program). I later joined Toshiko as a member of her organization OTA (Origami Therapy Association) whose mission is to spread the use of origami as a therapy to different populations.

They have worked with prisoners, people in mental health facilities, the blind, people with PTSD, Autism, ADHD and with the elderly, teaching origami. Toshiko also travels around the world spreading her therapy techniques and teaching others her methods. I began to volunteer my time with her and her associates volunteering at events and teaching. I learned more about working with people with developmental disabilities using origami as an art therapy. My father being a child neurologist, and my mother a social worker counseling children, has also shaped my interest in this field. Watching my parents’ disciplines interact and work with each other to

Hasson 5 design comprehensive treatment plans has encouraged my idea to use origami as an art therapy in the treatment plan of children with ADHD. Part III: What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a type of therapy whose philosophy is that the creative process of making art can be healing, and can be used as a nonthreatening tool of communication. It can encourage introspection, emotional and personal growth. Art therapy can be used to help all different ages, and can be done in groups, or individually. It can be a coping mechanism, it can be used to resolve conflict, and it can help find relief from emotions and trauma. Art therapy helps people communicate when words are not enough. There are many different approaches to art therapy such as psychoanalytic, analytic, object relations, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, solution focused, and narrative. An example of psychoanalytic would be giving a child a scribble to create into a picture, which can help the therapist see what the child is feeling, and helps the child be more comfortable expressing his feelings. An analytic approach would be to ask the child draw a picture of his family, and then analyze it to see who he put in the picture, who he drew further away or smaller, and why. An example of humanistic would be asking the patient to draw where on her body she feels hurt or sad. This can help figure out how to stop the problem.

A cognitive-behavioral approach would be to ask the patient to make a list of negative thoughts, and then draw a picture of what is contributing to those thoughts. Solution focused approaches often include the patient illustrating certain circumstances in her life and understanding how to deal with them. An example of a narrative approach would be paint a story of what they looked like before, during, and after the problem.

Hasson 6 Part IV: Origami as Art Therapy Origami Art Therapy is a lesser known type of art therapy. People use origami as a way of therapy for many different conditions and there have been many cases in which origami has had a positive effect on their conditions. It’s used in both physical therapy and mental therapy, but there are very few people who know about it and use it to help treat patients. It has been used to treat physical disabilities such as hand injuries in which origami can help patients regain control of their fingers. It has also been used as therapy for the blind, teaching them how to listen to instructions and use their hands to ‘see’ and be able to fold origami. It has been seen to help mental disabilities too, such as low self-esteem, anxiety, ADHD, autism, mental retardation, depression, addictions, and other conditions (Origami Resource Center). It is difficult to prove the efficacy of art therapy because it can work differently for different people. Origami therapy is even more difficult to show quantitative results for. Depending on the case, when using origami as therapy, therapists look for qualitative changes to see how the origami helps the patient.

Sometimes origami is used to create a bond between the therapist and the patient, and other times it is used to calm the patient and allow them to think.

Part V: What is ADHD? ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder. It was first included in DSM-II in 1967. It affects learning and behavior and often affects school performance. The DSM-V defines Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development, has symptoms presenting in two or more settings (e.g. at home, school, or work; with friends or relatives; in other activities), and negatively impacts directly on social, academic or occupational functioning.

Hasson 7 Several symptoms must have been present before twelve years of age (DSM V). There are several treatment methods to help children with ADHD. Medications are sometimes used, but have associated side effects. Behavioral interventions are sometimes employed but have limited efficacy and utility in certain situations.

Part VI: Art Therapy and the Brain In recent years there has been more research and understanding of the relationship between mind and body and the more direct connections between our emotional and physical function and dysfunction. New studies and technologies allow doctors and researchers to scan the brain and other neurological and physiological activity in the body and see those mind body associations (Malchiodi). Much more research needs to be done in this area as much of this research has major shortcomings. Some relevant studies are that of Damasio in 1994 showing that our bodies respond to mental images as if they are reality. He also shows how images effect other senses such as taste and touch, temperature and pain. Many regions of the brain are involved when we see an image. We also understand that our brain’s connections are a lot more complex than previously thought, and a psychological or emotional change can be made by manipulating something physical. Other research in neuroscience has demonstrated that we can have an effect on attachments made in infancy even later in life and reshape and repair some experiences through the use of simple drawing and reframing exercises that can strengthen parent-child bonds. There are also many studies done that show that the body mirrors our emotions such as our palms getting sweaty when we are anxious or turning red when we are embarrassed. When we see different images hormones fluctuate as well as other cardiovascular and other neurological effects. Sometimes we even display an emotion without even being

Hasson 8 conscious of what caused us to feel or react that way. Art therapy has been and can be used to change physical effects on our body such as promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety. It even has potential to serve as a self-soothing and self- healing treatment (Malchiodi). As the disciplines of psychology and medicine continue to intertwine and impact each other additional research in neuropsychology will inevitably be done and eventually lead to a better understanding of how artistic expression and other forms of psychological therapy can enhance our physical and mental health.

Part VII: Art Therapy and ADHD Until now art therapy has been used to help children with ADHD develop social skills and more fully understand themselves and their disorder. Art therapist work with children discussing their drawings about themselves and their school experience for example using their drawings as a vehicle explaining how they feel about their impact of ADHD on their school life.

Others therapists work with their clients drawing examples of their impulsivity or hyperactivity.

Hyperactivity can be seen in drawings filled with random scribbles for example, the inability to stop drawing or even the child intruding on other’s artwork. Art therapy has been used with children who have ADHD because it is a child appropriate activity, uses visual learning skills, gives the therapy structure, and gives the child a way to express themselves. The art can also serve as a record of the child’s understanding of the disorder and growth and development of their journey and what they have learned. Children with ADHD often have difficulty remembering what has been learned, and the visual reminder of their artwork can be a way for them to recall feelings or thoughts. It is also used to help teachers and other adults in these children’s lives see the impact ADHD has on the child. Artwork has also been used as an

Hasson 9 assessment for ADHD. It looks at a child’s ability to organize and use space and their ability to plan and follow through. Art therapy has been used as an active therapy that provides a hands on and visual approach to helping children with ADHD. It has been used in family and group therapy as well as individually to help children with ADHD (Malchiodi).

Part VIII: Origami Art Therapy as Treatment for ADHD The current treatments of ADHD aim to increase these patient’s abilities to attend to tasks. The nature of origami as an art, draws out mindfulness, attentiveness, and focus. Due to its intrinsic nature it uses fine motor skills, and elicits attentiveness to detail which is a main component missing in children with ADHD. It can be fun, and easy used to create simple models that appeal to children such as the Traditional Origami Boat as well as intricate and complex models like the Fiery Dragon by Kade Chan, attracting folders who are interested in more detail or creating models of their own. Another advantage is it can be used in a non-intimidating and organic way. It has been shown for example that participating in a regular sports program can be a more inviting and more successful and more natural way of fixing a problem than a traditional routine visit to a physical therapist.

Some people prefer to fold tessellations, which are big pieces of paper using many intricate folds with repeating patterns, usually using a crease pattern which are all of the creases used in a model laid out on a paper to follow and collapse into a final piece. Others find modular origami relaxing, which is folding the same piece many times and then inserting the pieces into each other creating a big and beautiful design. Both of these require a lot of patience, and others may prefer folding one piece with many different folds, such as animal models. There are many different symptoms and difficulties that children with ADHD and other neurodevelopmental

Hasson 10 disabilities experience. The different types and styles of folding can be easily tailored to meet the different needs of those children. Patience, attention, focus, relaxation for anxiety, mindfulness persistence, and positive self-image are just some of the areas where cognitive and behavioral health may be improved using origami therapy.

Part IX: Study Design There have not been any formal studies done on origami therapy. I would like to design a study that may show the benefits of origami therapy on children with ADHD. My initial study would focus on ADHD with future plans to study the effects of origami on other conditions with deficits in fine motor skills, and other neurological disabilities. For the ADHD study, I would select a group of children with diagnosed ADHD. Origami art therapists will administer several sessions of origami therapy to these patients. The study will use an objective measure to assess any changes or any improvements to the child following the therapy sessions. One possible tool can be the Quotient Test which can objectively score the child’s disabilities before and after treatment. “The Quotient ADHD System is an innovative device that objectively measures three core symptom domains of ADHD: hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. Based on research from the McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate, this easy-to-administer tool uses advanced motion tracking technology to track a child or adult’s micro-movements while they complete a computerized test that takes less than half an hour. After the test is completed, patterns of motion, accuracy of the responses, and fluctuations in attention state are quickly analyzed and scored using proprietary algorithms. Scores and test data provide you with valuable insights into both the existence of ADHD-related deficits and the magnitude of those deficits compared to expectable results from typically developing children of the same age and gender.

Hasson 11 Quotient is cleared by the FDA with the intended use “to provide clinicians with objective measures of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention to aid in the clinical assessment of ADHD� (quotient-adhd.com).

In addition, EEG can be used to assess for any changes in brain wave frequencies during the origami sessions. Other measures such as pulse rate can be simultaneously recorded as well.

This pilot study will direct us to further research on the benefits of origami therapy.

Hasson 12 Appendix Study Proposal: Introduction: Children with ADHD have a difficult time focusing, are impatient, and are easily distracted. They often fidget and have difficulties with fine motor skills as well. They often have poor handwriting and dyspraxia / motor planning due to the ADHD. Origami requires focus, patience, and good fine motor skills to properly make the folds.

Hypothesis: By having children with ADHD learn and practice Origami, it will help them learn patience and help improve their fine motor skills and handwriting.

Methods: We will first identify children ages 6-16 that have been diagnosed with ADHD using DSM-IV criteria. We will have them take the Quotient ADHD test and will also have them write a standardized paragraph to test handwriting. We will then have them spend four 30 minute sessions practicing Origami folds and preparing different Origami models. We will start with easier models and then progress to harder models as they improve. After each session, we will test handwriting again. We will also repeat the Quotient test after the four sessions. Testing will be done without any ADHD medication. It would be best to test kids with ADHD that have never used ADHD medication, but it is more practical to find kids that take ADHD medicine and test them while they're not taking it.

I have not been able to conduct a study because it requires much more time and resources. In the future I hope to successfully conduct this study and others like it to find out more about the ways origami can help people, not just with ADHD.

Hasson 13 Works Cited American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2013.

Malchiodi, Cathy A. Handbook of Art Therapy. New York: Guilford, 2003. Print.

Origami Kaikan. Yushimano Kobayashi Corporation, 1858. Web. 05 Sept. 2016.

"Origami Resource Center: Know When to Fold." Origami Resource Center: Know When to Fold. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2016.

"OrigamiUSA." OrigamiUSA. N.p., 2007. Web. 05 Sept. 2016.

"Product Overview." Quotient ADHD System. Pearson Education, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2016.

"The Invention of Paper." Invention of Paper. Robert C. Williams, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2016.

Claire Lessler Blumenthal Scholars Program Spring 2017 Feskee: a professional resource for teenage girls As a high school student, finding internships can be challenging. Most internships are targeted towards college students, and few companies are willing to take on the liabilities that come with an underage intern. To top it off, there is no online high school community to turn to; most online forums are dominated by college students or experienced workers. Feskee (Female Experts Spread their Knowledge and Expertise Every day) aims to provide an Internet forum and community for high school girls. Feskee currently sports a user-friendly interface, complete with articles, a page fully devoted to internship opportunities, and a forum page that facilitates the contribution of ideas and developments to the Feskee community. We hope to add in a mentor feature soon, which would allow high school students to pair up with professional mentors in the field of their choice.

Feskee is the product of weeks of hard work and is made almost completely from scratch.

A 4-person team mans the website: Adeleke McMillan, Web Designer; Nazifa Mahee, Front-End Developer; Hillary Osei, Front-End Developer; and I, working as Back-End Developer. We met at Girls Who Code and began developing Feskee as an idea for a final project. Feskee continues to thrive, and we have since expanded past Girls Who Code to accommodate a growing user base. We keep in contact through Feskee’s Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter platforms. Our back-end interface allows for multiple coders to work at any given time, making long-distance cooperation manageable.

Feskee’s content is continuously updated to provide the maximum user experience.

Articles on Feskee come from students and professionals who choose to contribute to the site.

Our “Contribute” page acts as an outlet for users to donate content that appears on the forum page. Exceptional user contributions are scanned and displayed on the home page. Additionally, much effort goes into keeping our internship opportunities up-to-date; I often find myself going to technology conferences in search of new high-school opportunities.

Feskee launched in late August. Within a week, our story and project appeared on the Girls Who Code Snapchat Story, and the number of views and users on Feskee skyrocketed. We reached 3,000 users in our first 5 days. Also in our first week after launch, we landed Feskee a spot on IAC’s user experience platform. The IAC Building contains Tinder, Match.com, CollegeHumor, Vimeo, the Daily Beast, and the Princeton Review within it (among others).

Rather expectedly, our viewership immediately spiked.

Feskee was created using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. Front-end code was done in HTML/CSS, using the Bootstrap and jQuery Mobile libraries. Back-end code was completed largely in Python and JavaScript, using the Flask web framework.

Much thanks goes to the entire IAC staff, who hosted us at Girls Who Code and encouraged us to think big; the CollegeHumor staff; Vimeo software engineers Ruchita Sarawgi, Dina Smither, and Alyssa Pappas; the back-end development staff at Buzzfeed; and, of course, our instructors at Girls Who Code: Shur Singh, Khandaker Mahataz, and Jane Li. As a final note, Feskee encourages anyone who has interest in computer science to consider applying to Girls Who Code. And keep in mind: the next time you find yourself frantically scrambling for a summer job, visit Feskee for new opportunities, and join the growing Feskee community!

Lin 1 Isabel Lin Blumenthal Scholars Program Spring 2017 Part I: Criminal Law: the ins and outs of the justice system “Innocent until proven guilty.� This is what we hear in every crime TV show, but do we really understand what this means? Our justice system is divided into two main categories: civil and criminal. In the civil system, money is always at stake. It might be because of a fall, a feud between two companies, or a copyright infringement. In criminal law however, jail time is on the line. In the most severe cases, someone may even be facing the death penalty. The criminal justice system in the United States endeavors to be fair and just with all its principles.

There are many different places a criminal trial can take place. The main distinction is between state court and federal court. A trial will be held in state court if the crime committed was a violation of state law, an example is murder. In New York the state court is referred to as Supreme Court, but is not to be confused with the Supreme Court of the United States. A trial will be held in federal court if the crime committed is considered a violation of federal law, such as a bank robbery. These federal courts are referred to as district courts. Even though these are the general rules for determining if a crime is state or federal, every case may have special circumstances. There are many other types of courts reserved for specific criminal activity, such as the Court Martial, a court for crimes committed in the armed forces.

There are two types of trials that can be held in both state and federal court. The first one is a bench trial. This is when the judge, who sits on the bench, is the one

Lin 2 deciding the verdict. The judge will be the only one interpreting the evidence and delivering the final result. The other kind of trial is a jury trial. In both state and federal court the jury consists of twelve jurors and sometimes also alternate jurors. Though alternates are present during trial as well, only the twelve official jurors can deliberate at the end of the trial to reach a verdict. The jurors’ verdict must be unanimous; if even one juror thinks differently than the rest, a verdict cannot be decided. If a jury really cannot agree after having spent a long time deliberating, a hung jury might be declared. This means the jurors simply can’t find a unanimous vote and the trial will be declared a mistrial. If a mistrial is declared, the case will have to be tried all over again with a new jury (unless the prosecutor decides not to proceed, though this is rare). The person that decides these things and other similar matters is the judge. In a jury trial a judge is still present and is often referred to as the “gatekeeper of evidence”. Even though the jury interprets the facts and decides the verdict, the judge determines which facts and evidence the jury is permitted to hear; it is the judge’s courtroom.

Before there is a trial for a criminal case there is an investigation. After the police are sure they have the culprit and enough evidence to back up their claims, they take the case to the District Attorney’s office. All criminal cases have two sides: the prosecution; who represent the state, and the defense attorney; who represents the accused. Sometimes the defendant is allowed to represent himself or herself, though in these cases the judge still usually appoints an attorney to assist the defendant. Before a case is brought to trial in a court there are a few other steps one needs to go through. First, the prosecutor must agree that the case should be brought to trial. If this happens, the next step depends on the type of crime. There are two types of crimes: a misdemeanor and a felony. A

Lin 3 misdemeanor is a less serious crime, such as vandalism, while a felony is a very serious crime, such as murder. If the charge is a misdemeanor, the prosecutor files an information, which is a formal accusation of the suspect of committing the crime. In the case of a felony, this formal accusation is made in the form of a Grand Jury indictment.

The prosecutor will present the evidence and testimony to a jury of 16-23 people and needs a supermajority decision, two-thirds or three-quarters, to indict. The judge is not present for this and the prosecutor is usually the only lawyer present. If the jury chooses to indict, the defendant is then arrested, if he hasn’t been yet, and is brought for the next part: the arraignment. The arraignment occurs when the defendant is brought to court and informed by the judge of the charges and constitutional rights. The defendant then enters a plea of guilty or not guilty. If the defendant pleads guilty, as nine out of ten do, they are told a time for sentencing. If a defendant pleads not guilty, a trial is set. The defendant is then either remanded, or kept in jail, or set free on bail; every case is different (fjc.gov).

A trial does not start from where you usually see it on television, rather it starts with jury selection. Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys have the opportunity to question potential jurors to ensure that the trial will be the most fair it can be. This process of questioning is known as a voir dire, a French term that means “to speak the truth.” During voir dire an attorney may request that a juror be rejected for one of two reasons. If the attorney has an argument for the judge that can be articulated, this will constitute a “challenge for cause.” The attorney will argue that the juror cannot be objective because of reasons, such as being an admitted racist against African-Americans (in a case with an African-American defendant) or the juror is related to the defendant. If the judge agrees with the attorney, the juror will be dismissed. If the judge decides to

Lin 4 keep the juror, the attorney might use a preemptory challenge. When using a preemptory challenge, the attorney does not need to give a reason and the juror is automatically dismissed. However, an attorney must decide if using a preemptory challenge is worth it because, unlike a challenge for cause, there are a limited number of these allowed.

Before the trial starts, the prosecution must give the defense every single thing they intend to use during trial in a process called discovery. This includes evidence, witnesses, and expert witness background and findings, if applicable. If the prosecution does not hand over everything, they are in a Brady violation, which is extremely damaging. Since jail, and in some cases even the death penalty, is on the line, everything is done in favor of the defendant. Therefore, the only thing the defense has to give the prosecution is their witness list. Though this is a general rule, every state does have discretion regarding rules of discovery. In the days before the trial, the attorneys and judge might have pretrial conferences to discuss any matters in dispute. Once this is all done and a trial date is set, the trial will begin.

There is no “average� time that a trial takes. A state or federal trial can take anywhere from one day to one year; it all depends on the amount of evidence and witnesses the case requires. Most criminal trials are jury trials, as juries are known to be easier to persuade. However, a defendant may request a bench trial, as it is their right.

Before a jury is brought in on the first day of trial, the attorneys in most cases make pretrial motions to the judge. Usually the motions are made to suppress or include certain pieces of evidence. Though these are arguments can also be made later during witness examination, an attorney may want to use certain evidence in their opening statements, and therefore want to be certain the evidence will be introduced. Pretrial motions are

Lin 5 done without the jury so as not to bias anyone with evidence that the judge might rule to suppress. The attorney that is not bringing up the motion can always object, and this right to object stands throughout the entire course of the trial. One of the attorneys also usually asks about ‘housekeeping matters,’ such as the judge’s preference to move about the court, approach witnesses and counsel, and to sequester witnesses. A lot of attorneys ask to sequester witnesses, which means the witnesses are kept in a separate room and cannot hear any other parts of the trial, including other witnesses’ testimony. This is sometimes an agreement between both attorneys, though sometimes one might object because they see this as a disadvantage. Even if witnesses are sequestered and the defendant is a witness, the defendant is always present throughout the trial.

After the jury is brought in, the judge reads them the pretrial jury instructions. The prosecution then proceeds with an opening statement. In a criminal trial, the burden is always on the prosecution. They have the burden of proving the crime they are charging the defendant with is beyond a reasonable doubt. The defense does not have the obligation to prove anything, which means that, in theory, they needn’t do anything except show up to court. Wise attorneys will put on a defense case, however, if they can.

An opening statement is an opportunity to frame all the evidence the jurors will hear through the prism of the prosecution (or defense) case. It is not a time to present anything detailed, and is certainly not time for the attorney to testify to anything, which an attorney must never do. Most of it should be in future tense because even though everything happened in the past, the jury hasn’t seen or heard anything yet. Like every other part of the trial, the defense attorney can object to anything improper said in the opening statement. An example might be if the attorney brings up evidence that was already

Lin 6 suppressed in pretrial motions. After the prosecution’s opening, the defense may choose to open, or they may choose to delay their opening until after all of prosecution’s witnesses have been called. There are advantages to both in different cases; there is almost never an advantage, however, to presenting no opening.

After either one or both of the opening statements are presented, the prosecution calls their first witness. Each witness first goes through a direct examination where the attorney that called them asks them questions to get the facts. A most common objection during direct is “leading.” This means the attorney is asking a question that is suggesting a specific answer, which is not allowed on direct examination. Another common objection is “relevance,” which means the attorney believes a question asked is not relevant to proving or defending the facts of the current case. After direct examination the opposing attorney has the opportunity to cross-examine the witness. Cross-examination is quite the opposite of direct examination, as the attorney should only ask leading questions. The attorney is trying to suggest answers that will get the witness to reveal holes in his or her story. After cross-examination, the first attorney has the option to redirect the witness, if there is a need to rehabilitate him. The redirect is usually limited to topics covered in cross, but a judge may use their discretion in each case on the limit. A re-cross can be done, but is unpopular, and is limited to what was covered in the direct.

This same process is done for every witness the prosecution calls, until they have no more. Once there are no witnesses left to testify, the prosecution will then declare “the prosecution rests.”

After the prosecution rests, the jury is excused. The defense attorney then has the option to present a ‘motion to dismiss.’ The prosecution had the burden of proving every

Lin 7 single elements of the charge(s) brought against the defendant. If the defense believes that they have failed to blatantly prove an element they will argue this to the judge. This is another thing done without the jury, so as not to prompt bias. If the judge decides to dismiss the charges, the jury is dismissed and the defendant is released unless he has other holds. If the judge decides that the prosecution has brought enough facts for the jury to interpret, it is time for the defense to present their case. The defense may choose not to call any witnesses, because they have nothing to prove. However, sitting back and letting the prosecution act as the only side the jury hears is not a smart strategy, unless the defense has an extremely weak case. If the defense has not yet presented their opening, they will do so at this time. As with the prosecution, the opening is only a preview of what stands to come. The defense will then call their witnesses, who will go through the same steps as the prosecution’s witnesses. Once they are done calling witnesses, the defense rests. After all witnesses are called, the final part of a trial is the closing statements, or summations. This is where the attorneys will bring together all the points they have made throughout the trial for the jury to see it their way. It is an important rule that throughout the trial there is no mention of jail or any possible punishment. In fact, a defendant that is in jail during the trial will usually wear a regular suit and be free of restraints, another precaution to prevent jury bias. After the closing statements the judge will read the final jury instructions and instruct them on the law. The jury of twelve, as alternates are not even present during deliberation, must now deliberate and come to a unanimous verdict of either guilty or not guilty.

The justice system does not always appear to be fair. The fate of an individual’s life is in the hands of twelve strangers. Bryan Stevenson is an attorney that works to free

Lin 8 innocent people who have been sentenced to death. In his book Just Mercy, he talks about countless cases where blatant racism, inadequate counsel, and bias resulted in the merciless execution of an innocent person. Unfortunately, many cases end up like this.

However, the justice system has brought peace to many families and helped put away many dangerous people. Though it’s not perfect, the criminal justice remains a necessity in our country. Though we must work to make it better, without it, we would descend into chaos.

Part II: Criminal Psychology: the most serious type of profile Have you ever wondered what goes on inside a killer’s mind? Members of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit can tell you exactly what one is thinking. They are popularly known as profilers. They specialize in a type of psychology called criminal profiling. Criminal profiling is a psychological practice used by FBI to help identify, catch, and better understand criminal minds.

Although the ability to psychoanalyze a criminal is part of any FBI agent’s job spectrum, the main unit that focuses its efforts on criminal profiling is the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), located at the FBI headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. Originally called the Behavioral Science Unit, the unit was established in 1972 at the FBI base in Quantico, Virginia. The unit is responsible for coming up with the term “serial killer” and is where the idea of criminal profiling first developed ("Meet the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit”). Special Agent Jim Fitzgerald, former Program Manager of Threat Assessment/Forensic Linguistics at the BAU, classifies profiling as a mixture of art and science. The profiler is required to have both assets of a cop and a psychologist (Roland).

Profiling is mainly used by law enforcement as an investigative tool to track down

Lin 9 unknown subjects and stop them from continuing their criminal activity. Profiling could also be used to help determine how to interrogate a suspect in custody in order to get the suspect to reveal something important. Part of criminal profiling is being able to step into other people’s shoes, whether it is the suspect or the victim. It is a way to collect information in a criminal case to try to form a guess about exactly what happened and why (Finn). In the profiling process, the agents will use evidence from the crime scene and autopsy data to create a criminal profile (Lerner). The BAU handle many different categories of crimes, but the majority of their cases are serial crimes. In order to determine whether there is a serial offender, the agents look to two main factors: modus operandi and signature. A criminal’s modus operandi, or M.O, is his way of operating, or his way of committing a crime. For example, a serial killer’s M.O might be to abduct victims from their homes and kill them the next day with a single gunshot to the head. A criminal’s signature is something specific that a criminal does that sets him apart from any other criminal. The signature is a crucial part in linking crimes together. An example of a signature is a serial killer slashing an ‘X’ on the forearm of every one of his victims (Roland).

In addition to profiling the criminal himself, the members of the BAU also focus on victimology and create a geographical profile. Victimology is the study of a criminal’s victims and is used to determine why and how a criminal selects certain victims. The agents try to look for any connections between the victims, such as all of them being women with long dark hair, as in the case of the “Son of Sam” killer. The victimology can sometimes help determine the criminal’s stressor, which is the event that possessed him to start committing his crimes. For example, a serial killer might be killing women

Lin 10 that remind him of his mother because he had a strenuous relationship with his mother who has just passed away. This recent stressor in his life caused him to start killing women who look like her. Geographical profiling is used to help determine where a criminal might be hiding or in some cases where he is keeping his next potential victim.

It is helpful in catching him if it is known where he is most likely to abduct or dispose of a body next. A geographical profile is determined by pinpointing the places on a map where all the elements of the crime occurred. These elements, if known, include the abduction site, the actual site where the murder happened, and the disposal site. Using this method the agents can determine the criminal’s comfort zone. This is where he is likely to stay if he commits any further crimes, where he is keeping any current unfound victims, and where he probably lives and can eventually be found (Roland).

There are many different ways to classify and differentiate killers. The first way is an organized killer versus a disorganized killer. An organized killer is smart and his kills are premeditated. They know right from wrong, are not insane, but show no remorse for their crimes. On the other hand, a disorganized killer is usually mentally ill or under the influence of some kind of substance. They will not plan their crimes and are the type that will leave evidence behind (Winerman). Under organized or disorganized, a serial killer usually falls into one of the main subcategories: power and control, visionary, missionoriented, or hedonistic.

A power control killer is one that experiences gratification from the domination and humiliation of a victim. These are usually the traits of a sexual killer. The visionaries are considered psychotic and are often listening to the voices in their head when finding their next victim. A mission- oriented killer feels a “duty� to kill a certain group of

Lin 11 people, such as a certain religious group or prostitutes. A hedonistic killer is also sometimes known as a thrill killer and receives pleasure from his acts. This killer will take the time to torture his victims (Chase).

To come to one of these conclusions about an unidentified person, the profilers must analyze the person’s behavior at four different phases in the crime. The first phase is the antecedent; the killer’s motive or, as explained before, his stressor. The next phase is the method and manner of the actual crime. This is where the killer’s M.O, signature, and victim types are analyzed. Next is the body disposal where geographical profiling will be used to try to determine the killer’s comfort zone. The fourth phase is the killer’s behavior after the crime. Sometimes, a killer might inject himself into the investigation because it gives him pleasure, or because he wishes to steer the police the wrong way.

After looking at the killer’s behavior at all four of these phases, the profilers can begin to come up with a ‘profile’ of the killer. This usually includes the answer to each phase along with the killer’s approximate age, ethnicity, and other key points that the agents were able to deduce.

In 1979, the Trailside Killer was successfully apprehended with much help from a profile. Since all his victims were murdered in the mountains and attacked from behind, profiler John Douglas profiled him as having a speech impediment because he had to attack the women he took from behind, as opposed to persuading them to come with him voluntarily. When they finally had him in custody they were astonished to find that he has a stutter. In another case, a mother called the police and said that her child, while unattended in the lobby of her apartment building, was kidnapped. The police soon started an investigation, but the only thing they found was one of the child’s mittens. The

Lin 12 next day, the missing mitten was sent to the mother in the mail. Although the police continued investigating, Agent Gregg McCrary, a Supervisory Agent brought in as a consultant on the case, had another idea. He believed that the mother had faked her own son’s kidnapping and that he was already dead, and he used his profiling to prove it. First off, he referred to the call that the mother initially made to the police. Her choice of words had been that her son had been kidnapped. Usually, a parent would be in denial and might have said that the child had wandered off, but she decided to assume the worst.

McCrary also explained how a mother would probably never leave her child all alone while going to the bathroom, but would take the child with her or ask someone to keep an eye on the child. The most important clue though, was that of the mitten that was “sent in the mail” to the mother. It was unlikely for a kidnapper to send proof of abduction without a threat or a ransom note. Unfortunately for the child, McCrary was proved right when the mother led police to her child’s body in the woods (Roland).

Even though criminal profiling has its successes and failures, the methods used by profilers usually direct them in the right path towards catching the criminal. There are many people skeptical of the reliability of profiling and many people believe it is just a guessing game. However, cases such as the “Mad Bomber,” who when the police apprehended him, was dressed exactly how Dr. James A. Brussel said he would be, prove otherwise (Finn). Although the practice of criminal profiling is a relatively newer law enforcement technique that has some reservations surrounding its accuracy, in the end, it does way more good than harm.

Lin 13 Works Cited Chase, Jennifer. “Exploring Four Types of Serial Killers.” Crimespace.

Crimespace.ning.com. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.

Finn, Robert. “Criminal Profiler Shares Some Secrets of the Trade.” Vol. 36, No. 5.

Clinical Psychiatry News, 2008.

Lerner, K. Lee, and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, eds. The World of Forensic Science. Web. Gale Group, 2006.

"Meet the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit." The Forensic Examiner. Web. Fall 2010.

Roland, Paul. In the Minds of Murderers. Chartwell Books, 2009.

Winerman, Lea. “Criminal Profiling: the reality behind the myth.” Monitor on Psychology. Web. July/August 2004, Vol. 35, No. 7. American Psychological Association.

Marcus 1 Nathan Marcus Blumenthal Scholars Program Spring 2017 Expedite: Birth of a Startup My name is Nathan Marcus and I am an Internet entrepreneur, as well as the chairman, chief executive, and co-founder of Expedite. As founder of this company, I can proudly say that I am a dynamic, intelligent, confident, loyal, hardworking, and determined individual. Although I am just a junior in Yeshivah of Flatbush, I have much experience particularly in the business field. I have interned at investment banks and brokerage firms, as well as even the New York Stock Exchange. This is the story of how I developed the concept for my new venture.

On a snowy evening in 2015, I had trouble traveling through Brooklyn to get food and other necessities. So I came up with a simple idea—tap a button, and get any object of your desire. What started as an app of which a few couriers delivering groceries, Expedite will change the logistical fabric of cities around the world. Whether it’s a book, a sandwich, or a package, we use technology to give people what they want, when they want it.

Our goal here at Expedite is to provide and efficient, convenient, and expedited system to enable you to receive any product in under one hour. Our plan is to develop an app that will revolutionize the direct marketer-consumer industry. Our revolutionary urban logistics and ondemand delivery platform connects customers with local couriers, who purchase and deliver goods from any restaurant or store in a city.

The way it works is pretty simple. Want something in your area in a short amount of time? The Android, iOS and Windows Phone app connects riders with drivers using their

Marcus 2 phone’s GPS capabilities. Just call for a car with a smartphone running the Expedite app, enter your zip code, and search what you want. A driver is then is called to the purchaser’s location, who then delivers the purchaser’s desired product in under one hour. No cash is exchanged because payment is taken automatically from the passenger’s debit card, and no tip is required.

Our app represents a flexible new way to earn money. For cities, we help strengthen local economies, improve the marketer- consumer industry, and make virtual purchasing safer. When you make delivering virtual purchase as reliable as running water, everyone benefits.

In a 24 hour per day city like New York, there’s always someone wanting to purchase something. If you fire up the app, you can see a nearby car on the map, and you’ll get a fairly accurate estimated time of arrival. This concept is particularly similar to Uber, however Expedite enables you to receive any product in your vicinity in a short period of time, rather than just hailing a taxi. Expedite allows you to receive food, household items, health and beauty aids, apparel, footwear, medical needs, and accessories efficiently and conveniently.

Expedite is the smartest way to purchase something. One tap, and a car with your product comes directly to you. Your driver knows exactly where to go, and payment is completely cashless. Whether it’s your errand across town, early morning breakfast, or late night drinks, count on Expedite to bring it to you.

A few years ago, when you wanted to go from a place A to a place B, you had only a few choices. You could either go by public transportation, use your car, or take a taxi. In case you didn’t want to use your car, the fastest and most flexible way to go was to use a taxi. Today, this

Marcus 3 market has changed. If you want to go from A to B, you have a large variety of choices. You can use a shared car which is provided by Zipcar or DriveNow, or you can order your personal driver at relatively low cost. This last kind of service is provided by companies like Lyft and Uber.

Expedite is assuredly part of the transportation industry. The transportation industry has been on a tremendous increase in recent years. This is due to much advancement in technology.

When customers are waiting, every minute counts. Expedite helps you avoid costly bottlenecks during the busiest hours. You can get as many deliveries on the road as you need. As fast as you need them. Expedite allows you to set a delivery time. Choose a time later today, tomorrow, or the following day—and well take care of the rest. Our teams are working to create opportunities for millions of people and improve the way products gets from A to B. It’s no small task. But we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Saad 1 Estelle Saad Blumenthal Scholars Program Spring 2017 Psychology in Advertising Have you ever seen an advertisement that made you want to run out and buy a product?

How often have you thought that a product could have a dramatic effect on your life just from what you heard about it on TV? Do you ever subconsciously reach for a certain brand name without even thinking about it? Effective advertisements strive to attract a consumer’s attention, inform them about the product, and influence his or her purchase. Advertisements are meant to be noticed and remembered, and to keep a brand's name in the public eye (Gay 13). Ads are a "powerful weapon in influencing human behavior� (Mierau 65). Certain aspects are used to appeal to specific audiences, and to bring out emotions which "feed into, shapes and controls our conscious thought� (Du Plessis 106). The purpose of advertising is to make a lasting positive impression on a person, and to 'teach people' what they want (Gay 13). To market effectively, numerous psychological elements must be considered. When putting together a campaign, three aspects must be considered: the audience you are targeting, how you plan to persuade them, and the execution of the plan.

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, and is an integral part of advertising, targeting the short term and long term memories. Short-term memory refers to immediate sensory experiences that are received and

analyzed, holds information for a few

seconds, and is immediately available to us. Long-term memory, on the other hand, is in the back

Saad 2 of our minds, and must be retrieved in order to be used. Advertisers try to relate concepts to their products with certain images and phrases so that the consumer will eventually haul them out from their long-term memory easily. As Erik Du Plessis states in The Advertised Mind, "what determines whether a shopper will buy a brand is largely memory, and memories derived from advertising are among the memories that are liable to come to mind," meaning that the job of advertising is to make itself remembered in order to influence the purchase decision (Du Plessis 8).

Neurology is often studied in order to understand how certain elements touch and influence people. The brain receives input from the rest of the body through the nervous system based on what is seen, heard, and how it has touched the individual. According to Du Plessis, the first task of advertising is to "ensure that [the advertisement] is noticed, and to this purpose it has to be designed to attract an emotional response from us" and to be "remembered....to shape consumers' buying behavior, and in order to do so we need to pay attention to the connection between the advertisement and the brand, and to the buying process, and the role of memory within it� (Du Plessis 27).

When trying to persuade, the devices ethos, pathos, and logos are used. Ethos is the credibility of the speaker to make his argument, pathos are the emotions the speaker brings out from the audience, and logos are facts and logic the speaker uses to let the audience understand how she is backing up her claims. By incorporating all of these devices into an advertisement, an advertiser is able to appeal to consumers' emotions and influence their purchases. Campaigns try to "establish an emotional bond between the consumer and the brand name," according to

Saad 3 marketing columnist Bruce Horovitz, making them more likely to buy that brand's product (Gay 20). When sample testing new products, companies ask test subjects to share their emotions when seeing an ad they want to put out, to make sure that the emotion they are trying to convey is getting across (Gay 31). Advertisers also try to convince people that buying their product will "fulfill higher needs" (Gay 46). They may suggest that the product will make you appealing, popular or successful, or accomplish whatever your heart dreams of. An ad has to be creative and clever, yet simple enough for the audience to understand it. If an ad is too complex for the average person to understand, the marketing campaign will be unsuccessful. What we are trying to do with an ad is make a consumer remember the name of our product and purchase it. As my primary mentor and advertising professional Laura Walker states, advertisers "get into the crux of why people like your product and then use that to shape your campaign."

People tend to buy brand names that are familiar to them, according to Kathlyn Gay's Caution! This May Be an Advertisement. A very important aspect of advertising is getting the brand name stuck in consumers' heads, whether it's accomplish by a catchy jingle, a clever slogan, or a memorable ad. Jingles, slogans, and product figures also include a key benefit. As per the classic marketing advice "sell the sizzle not the steak" – it is important to focus on selling the benefits rather than the actual product features (Gay 40). Consumers also tend to buy and respond better to tag lines that are more positive and upbeat (Du Plessis 54). For instance, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups’ positive slogan – "Two great tastes that taste great together" – gives the audience good feelings about Reese's, whereas a slogan like Lea & Perrins' "Steak sauce only a cow could hate," uses negative words (Hussein 2). The familiar face of a product figure, such

Saad 4 as the Pillsbury Doughboy, tends to draw consumers in. People also often buy products advocated by their favorite celebrities.

An advertiser must look at the specific product he is trying to sell, and determine what to do to appeal to the specific audience. Every audience is different, depending on who would buy the product. It is vital to figure out your target audience when considering how to put together an ad. Firstly, you must understand what your product's purpose is and who would most likely need it. Then you can start to paint a picture of the customers, grouping them based on where you would think that they live and see the ad, and thinking about their relationships and interests (Gay 29). Next, think about who you would influence with your ad, and how you can get as many purchases as possible. Targeting certain groups of people who are most likely to buy a product allows ad agencies to spend time and money making a campaign appealing and accessible to the people who will respond positively. Product-sample testing gives companies a sense of who will buy their product and how it will be used. When companies see the preferences made by certain groups, they gear towards them when advertising the product formally.

Sometimes it can be clearly inferred who the product will most appeal to; for example, if you are selling Trix cereal, you know that your main target is children ages 5-12, so you would incorporate a more “kid-friendly� advertisement, and put it where the kids would probably see it, perhaps on a children's television channel. The people in target groups may share common characteristics, a certain age, a particular hobby, live in the same geographic region, similar origins, or have other relevant commonalities.

Saad 5 Marketing research explores factors that impact a company in order to develop a strategy to implement successful systems in the company. Research includes giving surveys, doing interviews, testing pools, focus groups and round tables (Mierau 32). External, uncontrollable variables to consider are political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological factors.

Companies then use system analysis to decide what information is important to them, which is then used to create an effective strategy.

Advertising concepts are often based on real world conditions and issues. For example, during the Great Depression advertisers "turned from ‘soft sell’ to the ‘hard sell’ high pressure sales techniques, designed to convince people to continue to buy even when they were broke” (Hussein 63). People were short on money during this time period, so advertisers focused more on making customers feel like what they were buying was a necessity as opposed to a luxury that they did not need nor could afford. Additionally, according to Ms. Walker, advertisers must be aware and sensitive of what is currently going on in the world, so as not to unintentionally insult anyone when creating an advertisement.

Visual and perceptual attributes are also major factors in designing marketing strategies.

Color is a key component in advertising and leads to 60-70% of consumer reaction (Benoy).

Each color conveys a different message and are used to pitch relevant products. Red represents increased blood pressure, heart rate, and appetite, and also stimulates quick decision making.

Pink represents sweetness, and is often used to sell candy. Orange gives off an energetic or aggressive vibe, and is often used in fast food restaurants. Yellow draws attention, because it is the first primary color that catches our eye. Green gives off a relaxed feeling, and appears as

Saad 6 environmentally friendly and natural. Blue is seen as loyalty, and is used to sell jewelry. Purple represents royalty and luxury, and brown a natural, earthy feeling, plus solidity and strength.

Black shows power, sophistication, and formality, and is used to make other colors pop. White gives off a sense of cleanliness and holiness, beside simplicity, newness, and high technology.

Similarly, sound cognition plays a large role in advertisement. The vowels and sounds of an unfamiliar brand name can affect a consumer's view of the brand. Certain sounds make people unconsciously associate a brand name with certain images, qualities, and emotions. According to researcher and lecturer Alina Duduciuc, brand names containing front vowels, as opposed to back vowels, are perceived as "smaller, lighter, milder, thinner, softer, faster, colder, more bitter, more feminine, friendlier, weaker, lighter, and prettier." Sounds like 'sl', 'u', and 'fl' give off negative connotations, since most words associated with these sounds are negative. For example, people often associate the sound 'u' with disgust and dislike, relating to words such as blunder, bung, bungle, clumsy and muck (Hussein 20).

According to Therese Berkowitz, former creative director of TWC and graphic design teacher at the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School, the words of an advertisement mean just as much as the design. She said that when creating ads, she researches the background of the product and how competitors are marketing the product. She also researches the vernacular of the targeted audience, their interests and way of speaking, to understand how to appeal to them.

Another selling factor of a product is its packaging. The wrapping of the product acts as its own as an advertisement. Bright colors and happy or attractive people on the packaging are

Saad 7 often used to lure consumers. A commonly used technique is to write that the package contains a 'free prize’ in order to get people excited and want to buy the product; in reality, however, the cost of the 'free' item is incorporated into the final price (Gay 8).

Additionally, the font used in an ad has a major impact on the way the product is perceived by consumers. There are two types of fonts; those that are ‘over the top’ or sugary and sweet, and those that are simple and elegant, Ms. Berkowitz explained. The letters that spell out “Dunkin' Donuts,” for example, are big, plump, and sugary, reflecting the donuts they sell.

Similarly, the spelling and letters of 'Tootsie Roll' reminds one of the product, according to the packaging; the letters are short and stocky, like small Tootsie Rolls, but the words together are skinny and long, as is a long Tootsie Roll.

It is crucial to shape early perceptions of a brand and to understand its purpose. A company must be able to identify what makes its product different, something that consumers need and will keep them coming back for more. Instead of branching out and trying to be a 'jack of all trade surplus,' first try to focus on perfecting and specializing in one item. That way the company can be more focused and successful.

After creating the ad, proper placement of the ad is also vital. Important factors to keep in mind are how many people will be able to see the advertisement, determining whether those are the individuals you wish to target, how many times that audience had seen the ad before, and the cost of the slot (Mierau 42). The size of the audience being reached is measured in gross rating points, or GRPs. This total is calculated as the number of people that would have the ability to see the ad multiplied by the average frequency these people saw the ad before. Media planners

Saad 8 try to get as many GRPs as possible, as cheaply as possible (Mierau 43). According to Herbert Krugman, past president of the American Psychological Association, there are three stages of psychological exposure in reactions to advertisements. The first stage intrigues people, getting them to know about the existence of the product; the second stage occurs when people listen closely to hear additional information about the product; and the third is when people think that they have already seen the ad, embedding it in their memories. With more exposures to an ad, the more responses there will be (Mierau 43). According to Professor Hohn Philip Jones, during the first week after exposure to an advertisement "the brand's share of spend" was 24% higher among those who had been exposed to the ad, opposed to those who had not. There was also a long-term effect in addition to this short-term finding, and sales usually increase over the year following the advertisement (Hussein 15). The Federal Trade Commission ensured that marketers are not misleading people and aren't omitting important facts that consumers should know. If the FTC gets complaints about an ad, they give the accused company the chance to prove their ad not misleading and explain themselves. The FTC has the ability to fine companies and take down ads if they are found guilty.

In addition to exhibiting a noble social conscience, supporting certain causes can also be a great marketing tool for a company. As CEO Blake Mycoskie of the TOMS shoe company said, "giving builds loyal customers who turn into supporters." Social responsibilities can be used by a company as publicity. People who support a certain cause will also support a company that promotes this cause, and will likely become loyal customers. By helping society, companies can simultaneously boost their image and their sales. As Steve Jobs explained, you are selling

Saad 9 more than a product – you are selling an idea, a lifestyle. For instance, Apple proudly states that they support being different and breaking societal norms – and they also sell computers.

Advertising is certainly not free of controversy. It is a common debate whether advertisement manipulates young children and causes people to smoke and drink alcohol, promoting these habits as though they might make one appear more trendy or appealing. Other criticisms of marketing are the expenses involved and what this does to society. An average of 50% of the price of products is to pay for the expense of marketing, which most people agree is an unnecessary expense (Gay 19). Additionally, many argue that the lifestyle standards marketing creates and promotes are detrimental to society. We have become a materialistic society, never happy and always wanting more. Research indicates that this has helped lead to increased depression and substance abuse, and has also made people more selfish. Also, marketing often stretches the truth and causes people to buy an item thinking they are getting one thing, when in reality they are getting something else. This practice leads to unnecessary purchases and wasted assets.

However, there are also many benefits to marketing. It allows customers to be well informed and to know what they should expect from a product. It keeps competition high, which keeps prices low. It creates an incentive to innovate and create the next big thing to offer customers, and improves money flow.

I chose this topic out of sheer curiosity two years ago. I never expected to gain so much out of this program, but through my research and mentor I have decided to study this topic in

Saad 10 college and enter this field. I expect to use the information I have learned to build on my own talents and interests, and succeed in the advertising industry in the future.

Saad 11 Works Cited Gay, Kathlyn. Caution! This May Be an Advertisement: A Teen Guide to Advertising. New York: Franklin Watts, 1992. Print.

Hussein, Anum. "14 Companies with Really Catchy Taglines & Slogans." Blog.hubspot. N.p., 2 July 2015. Web. 31 Mierau, Christina B. Accept No Substitutes!: The History of American Advertisement. N.p.: Twenty-First Century, 2000. Print.

Plessis, Erik Du. The Advertised Mind: Groundbreaking Insights into How Our Brains Respond to Advertising. London: Kogan Page, 2008. Print.

Psychology and Advertising. Dir. Lori Benoy and Sole Lander. YouTube. N.p., 8 Dec. 2009.

Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

Blumenthal Scholars Program 03.06.2017

─A Compilation of My Writings

Yaron Sternberg

The Inevitable End 3111 Avenue J Brooklyn, NY 11210

Sternberg 1

Overview This chapbook will include my poetry, allegories, short stories, and satire. I have always enjoyed writing and have seen language as a form of both expression and argument. In writing, one must not only understand how their mind works, and how transport their ideas to a paper, it is also understanding how to get through to your specific audience.

Once I knew I wanted to write, I was left with two questions: what style or format should I use, and what topic I should write about?

Since childhood, I have always enjoyed poetry. Having gone to a Jewish middle school we would learn gemara in the morning and learn the secular subjects in the afternoon.

Gemara, for me, was its own poetry. There was the basic meaning, which on the surface, even a simpleton could understand. But like an onion, it consisted of layers. It could be understood on different levels. The average individual could reread it hundreds of times and each timid learn something new. In the afternoon, we would have math, history, English and the sciences. Math was and still is my favorite subject. There was a direct correlation between comprehension and performance. The subject was black and white.

You were either right or wrong. Everything just made sense. You could not argue the facts.

Science was similar. History is where things took a turn for the worse. It was not comprehension. One who knew the material was one who memorized the material. You could not derive a formula while taking the test. English was an interesting subject. You were not limited by anything. If math was black and white, English was a rainbow of answers. You were judged on how well you answered the question. Developing a style was difficult. You wanted to stand out and be unique but at the same time be understood. I was never artistic, I could barely draw a stick figure, but give me my pencil, like a brush, to the paper, my canvas, and true art would be displayed. As a child, I did not have many friends. I worked hard in school, and felt more respected by the teachers than I did by my piers. I knew I was different, and writing was my way to express why, and take pride in it.

When I first began this program, my goal was to write poetry. I did not intend to write short stories, or allegories, and most certainly not satire. I had seen poetry as formulaic, and I was even under the impression that style could not apply to such writing. Then, I began to read. I read everything from Frost, to Poe, to Shakespeare, and even Dr. Seuss. Each poet would discuss matters they wanted to discuss. Be it a problem pertaining to them, a belief they would like to display, or simply the entertainment of others. And in discussing a topic of their choice, a unique style was used by each respective poet.

Among my strengths was the ability to find topics I was passionate about. I took an idea that pertains to every human being, as opposed to a unique demographic. Death is something we commonly fear, and by writing about it, you open room for the interpretation of the reader. Some setbacks include the controversy that stirs from reading

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these poems. An author, or poet, wants his reader to not put down the writing, but at the same time stir up his emotions so the reader wants to. Death is shown as an end. For some, that might mean closure, while others do their best to kick the can. While developing a style for myself, I have attempted to learn from the greats while putting a little bit of my own story in each of my writings. My poetry is built on my passion for the accumulation of knowledge, and the spread of expression of ideas. While reading my satire, or my short stories, you begin to get a little bit of a feel for my mind. In my poetry, I can take the position of almost a God. In my writing, the only morals that count are the ones I declare be it implicit or explicit.

Suicide and depression are both recurring themes in my work. Like an onion, like my gemara, there are layers of meaning in each poem. I enjoy working on ways to hook the reader. Although similar to math and science, one might be able to derive satisfaction from their comprehension of the work, even if they missed an allusion or symbolism, or even the duality of words. Like history, there are certain things you just need to have memorized while going through the poem. I might give you a single sentence with punctuation to show you “stop and think about what you just read”. Most of my works are no more than two pages. The reason is that a powerful shot is not dragged out. You walk into my world for just a page or even just a sentence and with little to no punctuation you read through, shot by each idea,, until ultimately you are done.

Each of my works is an entrance into my mind and emotions. There is the thought, the necessary logos, and I research each illness to achieve ethos. The pathos is my structure.

The thought I put into each and every word. If the paper is my canvas, and the words my strokes, the colors of my choice are allocated different shades. The smallest deviation from shade, and luster, could mean the difference between a dark night, and armageddon.

Moments in life have given me the most inspiration. A friend being a second away from taking her own life after suffering from depression. A difficult series of experiences with my family members. So while my major influence for writing might be from school an area that promises safety, for the most part, as hard work is rewarded, I also feel there is some flavor added to my work, when I add in the extra variable of difficulty that throws the reader off track and leaves him curious.

In this overview, it might seem that I am telling a story of my life, an autobiography of some sorts. What is the relevance to this project? In it, I give a simple story for the reader to appreciate. An intellectual would take this information into account when reading my writing. Understand how it affects my opinion, bias, and point of view. My very purpose of writing this chapbook can be revealed by my life and it's challenges and my beliefs.

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Goals 1. I hope to continue to write for this chapbook or to create a sequel. Averaging about a poem every week or every other week, I will look to more poets for inspiration.

Interestingly enough, I will look to expand the to different forms of writing. I plan on working on a larger project, a story, per book, that will take time to develop. Unlike these writings, it will not be short and to the point. There will not be the same ambiguity and openness to interpretation.

2. I am searching for a permanent mentor. One who is published and is a poet in profession.

3. I will incorporate the skills I have developed and learned from my mentors in my writing and comprehension of other authors.

Mentors Ms. Bloom - my teacher for AP Language & Composition The following English teachers for looking over and making corrections to my work ● ● ●

Ms. Agassi Ms. Mayer Ms. Lamm

To those whom this may concern A friend of mine who asked to remain anonymous deserves special thanks; She is still fighting her battle. This book is for those who are fighting the war. I am amongst you. Let us win for humanity, and save ourselves from our captors: saving ourselves from ourselves.

Milestones I.

Research Reading and analyzing poetry, short stories, books, and articles

II.

Development First checked over by a mentor, a member of the English Department, and then revisions made. Finally deciding placement and order of writings based on theme.

Waingort 1 Renee Waingort Blumenthal Scholars Program Spring 2017 One Hundred Years of Fashion: a personal journey The History “I approach fashion as an evolution. It’s always changing. As you know, sometimes it changes in three months.” This statement, by designer Carolina Herrera, encapsulates the constantly changing nature of fashion. Over time, fashion has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world. There are many different aspects to fashion: it is at once a business, an art, and a way to express oneself. History has shown how fashion has both the power and the grace to lift the basic human need for clothing to an elevated form of creativity and expression.

The last century has witnessed a fashion revolution, with changes in power structure, economic markets, and brand availability. The fashion world continues to evolve at a rapid pace right before our eyes. My own design sense has been shaped by many style trends of decades past.

The year was 1914. World War I broke out and during this time, fashion was very limited because the government controlled which fabrics the designers could buy and how much of it they were allowed to purchase. Women also did not have all the rights and freedoms they do today and had to dress the way society expected of them. They dressed very modestly in long dresses that fully covered their arms and legs (Pendergast). Less than a decade later saw many changes occur in both society and style. This period became known as the “Roaring Twenties” and was a time of great economic growth in America. This post-War boom created vast amounts of wealth for many and it also saw women begin to ‘break free’ of previous societal constraints in many ways. They veered from the conservative norms demanded of them and stared to dress

Waingort 2 in ways that reflected a more playful, provocative approach. Many women, known as “flappers,” wore headpieces and short dresses with feathers, sequins, and fringes. They would attend parties and dance in these clothes, while the men, referred to as “dapper,” would wear elegant, stylish suits (“The Definitive Guide to 1920s Flapper Fashion”).

The next decade, following the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the period known as the Great Depression. It was a time of terrible economic hardship during which the average person struggled to make ends meet and many were out of work. Fashion was obviously not a main concern of those who suffered this type of deprivation, but wealthier Americans and Hollywood celebrities still dressed fashionably and started new trends. Actresses wore glamorous gowns and extravagant jewelry in motion pictures, creating an allure for the common woman to aspire to.

“The glamour of the ‘30s had a lot to do with escapism as a reaction to the Great Depression,” says Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. People looked to these icons as an escape from the everyday troubles they experienced in their lives (Wilson).

Then came the 1940s and the outbreak of World War II. Designers learned an important element during the war: how to efficiently manufacture clothing for large amounts of people. All clothing before the war had been custom made, but during the war clothing producers learned to make uniforms for many different sizes of people at a fast rate, thanks to enhanced technological methods. Designers then used this concept to change the way they made their clothes. When clothing was made in this manner it became more affordable to produce and sell, which opened up opportunities for a larger audience to dress in style (Pendergast). This was a major gamechanger in the fashion industry and opened the market to design and aim for mass appeal.

Waingort 3 Next comes the 1950s. Women still dressed modestly but attractively, wearing skirts that covered their knees and shirts that covered their necklines. Television, which had become a very popular medium, provided a style guide for popular fashion at the time. For example, many young women also wore “poodle skirts” which were pleated, mid-calf skirts often depicting the picture of a poodle in the front. The shirts were regular collared shirts, which people still wear today. Popular culture has continually returned to that era for nostalgic and stylistic purposes; the musical “Grease” takes place in the 1950s and includes many of the styles worn back then (“Fashion Ads Fondly Recall 1980’s Nostalgia for the 1950s”).

The next decade is the 1960s. People dressed in bright colors, but still remained modest and reserved for the most part – at least for the early part of the decade. They wore collared shirts with sweaters on top, and skirts covering their knees. The fashion was very soft and feminine.

“Traditional family values” were still seen as the societal norm and women dressed to present that point of view (Parsons). The latter part of the decade saw social upheavals and more provocative clothing designs take hold.

Next comes the 1970s, which has become known as one of the most controversial times in fashion. In the later part of the decade, the styles were informed by both disco and punk. It was another time period, mirroring the ‘50s and ‘60s, where fashion was mixed with music.

Many people wore platform shoes and others wore articles of clothing with spikes and rips.

People say that it was a time period in fashion where many who remember it would rather forget it (Ind).

Enter 1980s fashion. The ‘80s became one of the biggest decades in fashion history.

During the 1980s, people wore garments with shoulder pads, tight jeans and shirts with draped necklines. Women also wore many accessories in various, often neon colors, including

Waingort 4 sunglasses, big hoop earrings and bangles. They also began to wear more gaudy makeup and, in some instances, women’s clothing styles had actually looser during this time period. 1980s fashion is definitely still remembered today (Norwich).

During the 1990s, much of the fashion seemed to have been recycled from the previous decades. It also became more globalized due to the increase in technology. After this came the time period in which I am living and have witnessed personally: 2000-2017. Fashion has since grown into one of the biggest industries in the world. Fashion icons have become influential leaders. Everybody always wants to dress with what’s “in.” During those years fads have come and gone, but the overall style that people wear is jeans, T-shirt, with sneakers or boots, which is more of laid back style. Yet, as styles and fashion changes, everything around it is also changing.

While fashion is evolving, so is technology and business, which means that the way people sell and display clothing has changed greatly over the years.

Being discovered in fashion can be very difficult. Designers now display their work to the public mainly through social media. For example, models are a major factor in popular fashion. If someone is scrolling through social media and come across a model they find intriguing wearing a certain style, they will also want to wear that style. Some current models that help start trends are Karlie Kloss, Cara Delevigne, Gigi Hadid, and Kendall Jenner. All these models have so many followers on Instagram that just by posting one picture of what they're wearing can stir great excitement. If designers are able to get one of these models to wear their clothing, it will be very good for them. It will display their look to the world and expose their name and style to the fashion world. Once exposed, they can then begin building or growing their business (Bowles).

Waingort 5 Fashion doesn't only open up jobs for designers and models, though; it also offers many career opportunities for photographers. Photographers are needed for photo shoots, backstage at fashion shows and on the runway. Photographers have to be creative in order to capture a certain element that goes with the clothing. Whether it’s the angle or perspective from which the picture is taken or the lighting, many factors contribute to the effectiveness of the final image. In order to succeed in the fashion industry, whether through designing, modeling or photography, relationships are extremely important. Forming relationships with experienced people in the fashion world can definitely help one get far (Ahearn).

My Journey Not only has fashion evolved; I have also evolved in the way I studied fashion and started to design. Even when I was young, I had always been interested in fashion. I was always telling people if their outfits matched and whether or not they were in style. Then, when I got a little older, I went to sewing class for two years. From this class I learned how to make many different items. I learned how to make a pillow, an apron, a bag and a skirt. I also learned the basics of sewing; one year for Chanukah, my parents bought me my very own sewing machine; it was such a nice surprise. Now I have a sewing machine at my house that I can use whenever I want.

One of the best parts about sewing something is picking out the fabrics. I love walking into the fabric store and looking at all the different choices I have. Once you have your fabric and an idea of what you want you're set. Next, when I entered school, I began to get very involved in the Pathfinders program, which is run by Mrs. Hanon. Through this program, I was able to have a few of my own experiences in the fashion industry and interned for the dress designer Margit David. Another experience that I had with fashion through Pathfinders was interning for the company Blanknyc Jeans. These two experiences were extremely enjoyable, because of my love

Waingort 6 for fashion. I am currently meeting with someone every week for two hours to work on fashion designs towards creating a portfolio for F.I.T. Even in the process of designing clothes there is evolution. At first, the design just appears as an idea in your mind. You have to sketch the design onto tracing paper and then transfer it to drawing or watercolor paper. Then, you have to shade and color in your designs. If it all works correctly, you end up with an amazing creation. It is such a great feeling once I finish a design of mine, because I put a lot of time and work into something that I have created.

When I interned for Margit David, I got to go to the city and helped my mentor Jacqueline with whatever she needed. We went to a hotel and in the room there were many different dresses that she had designed. It was amazing just looking at them. Then two sisters walked in: one, a bride to be and the other, her maid of honor. The dresses that were made for them were beautiful. The maid of honor had a pink dress with flowers sewn on to them. When she tried on the dress they realized they needed a few more flowers and I got to be the one to cut the flowers out of the fabric. It was so cool how I got to be a part of creating that dress. Then, when I worked for Jill Shehebar from Blanknyc, I went to the Javits Center and had the chance to walk around and look at all the different booths of people showcasing their material for the next season. It was great; everywhere I looked, there was a new boutique with different clothes or shoes or accessories. It was an incredible experience and shows how you always need to be thinking ahead in this industry.

Then in school we had Career Day, where I got to see Jaqueline from Margit David, and Jill from Blanknyc again. I interned for both, but I never had the chance to ask them questions until that day. I went into the Career Day fashion session where Jill from Blanknyc Jeans told us how she got into the business. She said that when she was younger, she had absolutely no

Waingort 7 interest in fashion. She wanted to work in the music industry. When she graduated college, Jill did intern within a music-related position, but then one day that all changed. Her father approached her and asked if she wanted to help him make a jeans company. At first she wasn't that interested, but she joined him anyway. The company that she and her father started was Blanknyc Jeans. At first it was very hard for them; no retailers wanted to take their jeans, which were sold at around $60-$70, when they were able to sell other jeans for around $200. This all changed after the recession of 2008. After the recession, fewer people wanted to buy jeans for $200, and knowing this, the retailers then turned to Blanknyc Jeans. This is how their company started to grow. As she worked more and more in the company she grew to love fashion. She says that in the fashion industry you are always working ahead. You have to create a whole new line of clothing and accessories for the year to come. Additionally, since she likes what she sells, it makes it easier for her to sell it. Jill discussed the various factors involved in building a successful clothing company. This includes the formation of a design team, a social media team and a web team. These team members are needed to hear what the customers want, create it, and then show these creations to the customers. She said that clothing design and marketing is a fun, yet challenging, career choice.

I also enjoyed the unique opportunity to interview Jacqueline from Margit David.

Renee: How did you get into the fashion business? How did you know you were interested in fashion?

Jacqueline’s response: when she was a child, her grandparents owned a fabric store and she would always come and take all the leftover fabrics. She would always try and create things with it. Her grandmother then taught her how to sew and she was fascinated. She didn't want to dress

Waingort 8 the same as everyone else. She wanted to wear something different. She wanted to create new styles.

Renee: How did you make yourself known and become discovered by the public?

Jacqueline’s response: when she first started, she had only made two dresses for herself. She didn't really think that anyone would like them, because her style is very different from what she believed most people would like. People not liking what she had created was always a fear of hers. Still, she took a chance and posted a picture of the dresses on her personal Instagram account. She was surprised by the number of “likes” and positive reactions to the picture. She does not think her fashion career would have happened without the use of social media.

Jacqueline would continue to create and wear new items she had made to weddings and other occasions, which people would either love or hate, but they all knew she would be wearing something original and different. The mostly complimentary feedback on her designs pushed her to do more, and she eventually created an entire line of fifteen dresses. Jacqueline then said that she learned to create a website by herself, uploaded videos on Youtube and, in general, tried to do everything on her own; she did not want to spend extra money on employees, since she was not sure how things would turn out.

Renee: Is this a fun or “cool” job?

Jacqueline’s response: She loves her job and has a passion for it. Jacqueline said that after delivering a dress she has designed for someone, she likes to make sure the person is as excited about the dress as she is. Jacqueline said she would never sell something that she herself was not excited about. She says that it is a cool job because of the personal satisfaction it gives her, and the fact that people actually appreciate what she does. The coolest part of her job, though, is that

Waingort 9 she literally starts out with nothing and can then create something amazing, and seeing someone wear an item she designed is a very bif thrill.

Renee: Is it a hard job?

Jacqueline’s response: It is a hard job, because you are dealing with so many different personalities. The job can get hard when things don't go the way you wanted or the way you planned for them to go. It can be very frustrating and upsetting when a design she had in mind for a certain type of fabric does not come out the way she had hoped. Once, a women ordered a dress from her and loved it so much, that she ended up ordering eight more dresses for her son’s wedding. There was great pressure on her to finish all the dresses alone in just two months. She would come home crying because it seemed like too much for her, but her husband came over and told her that she can’t cry every time her job gets hard. He told her that she has to get up and move forward. She said since then, that’s what she has done.

Through this Scholars Program project, I have been motivated to explore the evolution of fashion and what fashion means to me. Working on this project allowed me to research a topic I have great interest in and expand my studies beyond the classes I am taking in school. I believe it has also helped me develop further towards my career goals.

Waingort 10 Works Cited Ahearn, Meghan, Holly Stuart Hughes, and Conor Risch. “Fashion launch pads.” Photo District News Nov. 2013: 52+. General OneFile. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.

Bowles, Hamish. “Forces of Fashion.” Vogue Sept. 2015: 697. General OneFile. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.

“Design not the be all and end all of fashion careers.” The Jakarta Post. Web. 23 May 2004.

Ind, J. “Golden jubilee special: 1970s fashion: Punk fashion rules the day.” Birmingham Post.

Web. 20 June 2002.

Nemy, E. “Eleanor Lambert, empress of fashion, dies at 100.” New York Times. Web. 8 Oct. 2003.

Norwich, W. “1980s are making comeback - just check the white house.” The Record. Web. 28 Dec. 2000.

Parsons, J. “FR fashion review spring 2009 : fashion special.” Herald. Web. 19 Aug. 2009.

Pendergast, Sara et al. Fashion, Costume, and Culture: clothing, headwear, body decorations, and footwear through the ages. Vol. 5. Detroit: UXL, 2003.

Rozhon, T. “Fashion ads fondly recall 1980s nostalgia for the 1950s.” New York Times. Web. 22 Aug. 2003.

“The Definitive Guide to 1920s Flapper Fashion.” Grimsby Telegraph/Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph. Web. 24 July 2012.

Wilson, E. “Front Row.” New York Times. Web. 15 Feb. 2005.

Waingort 11 Appendix

Waingort 12