6 Opinion
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SGI Must Represent the Student Body Managing Board XCV
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Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of the Torch. Columns and other content are the opinions of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of the Torch. Opinions expressed in editorials, columns, letters or cartoons are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty or administration of St. John’s University. All contents are the sole responsibility of the editors and the editorial board and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of St. John’s University unless specifically stated.
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This week, Students of Consciousness told the Torch they believe student government leaders need to be more in touch with students’ needs in order to represent them better. We couldn’t agree more. SGI is one of the most important organizations on campus; they are charged with representing students, planning events and keeping their fingers on the pulse of what’s going on at the University. While they certainly do a great job with event planning, we believe there’s work to be done in terms of representation. Of all groups on campus, SGI should be the one working with students to help facilitate change; they may be trying, but if students are at the point of walking into Newman Hall to force a meeting with administration, then frankly, SGI is not doing enough. SGI only has as much power as the University will allow them, obviously. But at the same time, there is clearly more they can be doing in terms of advocacy. And to their credit, they are trying new initiatives. The new community dialogue instituted at the start of floor meetings is a good example of this. SGI President Frank Obermeyer told the Torch this week that this new addition to floor meetings shows that the group is willing to evolve. However, it can’t stop there. It’s easy to hear students out; taking action is the
tough part. SGI has more access to administrators than any other student organization on campus. If a high number of students are advocating for something that directly affects campus culture, SGI should prioritize facilitating conversations with the powers that be. They don’t have to agree with the cause, but their job is to represent the student body. And they need to push hard for change. And if they are already trying to do this, then they need to make that more clear to the entire student body. For example, the university’s chief diversity officer Nada Llewellyn told us this week about initiatives she’s working on in collaboration with SGI. If this is news to us, then surely it’s news to the student body. That shouldn’t be the case. SGI executive board members get paid a stipend for their position, and part of that responsibility is advocacy and representation. If they aren’t actively advocating for students, that’s the equivalent of not showing up for your job. Clearly this isn’t all on SGI. Students need to be more engaged and administrators need to listen. But SGI plays the ever-important role of the conduit. And in order for this setup to work, students need to know that their representatives are aware of their concerns.
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Interning is Beneficial Whether You Get Paid or Not ALEXIS GASKIN
Staff Writer
This past semester, I interned with one of my all-time favorite fashion designers, Christian Siriano. This internship was unpaid, but offered college credit. Unfortunately, since I am a sophomore, I couldn’t earn credits for my time at Christian Siriano. However, it was completely and 100 percent worth it. As a plus sized girl, it’s really hard for me to find clothes that fit, from finding jeans in the store for everyday wear, to finding a prom dress for that special day in high school. It’s hard. Fashion is steadily evolving and it’s because of designers like Christian Siriano that I get to have more choices in fashion and in stores. So when I got the chance to work with him, I didn’t care that it was unpaid and that I wouldn’t get credit because this was the chance of a lifetime.
In the fashion industry, it’s very hard to get internships without prior experience, so I saw this as my chance to add my voice to the inclusivity of size, gender and sex. Christian Siriano has always been such a huge inspiration to me. When I first found his designs, I was blown away by his masterpieces and the diversity of the people that he was designing for and dressing. Top celebrities such as Beyoncé, Michelle Obama and Leslie Jones are only a few of the amazing women that he’s designed for. When I decided I was going to be a PR major, I knew that I wanted to work in fashion and that I eventually wanted to work with Christian Siriano. I was thrilled when I was offered the internship. It was scary though. I had to balance school and this internship, but I gained better time management and organizational skills. My time at Christian Siriano was priceless. I was surrounded by beautiful dresses everyday that came from his different collections and were worn by celebrities.
I was able to help with the packaging and care of these dresses while they were being sent to celebrities, stylists and magazines. Working in-house gave me the chance to be a part of the everyday work environment. Since I was an intern for the PR/Sales department, I got to see the business side of handling clients and celebrities. The PR/Sales department consisted of some amazing and strong women, who I aspire to be like in the industry and worked on specific areas of the business. These women, who I worked with three days a week, made me feel welcome and helped me make the best of my experience in the office. They always kept me on my toes and pushed me to be better at whatever I was doing. If I did something wrong, they were sure to let me know and help me fix it. I wasn’t afraid to ask for help. Of course, being in the same office as Christian Siriano himself was amazing, being able to work alongside him and assist him in whatever he needed.
From the random fun facts about some celebrity to the knowledge I learned on different fabrics, most importantly the difference between tulle and chiffon. The lessons I learned from my time at Siriano’s will follow me to other jobs and in life. Most importantly, working in a business that is thought to be ruled by small sized women, as a big girl, I never felt out of place; I felt beautiful. Models would come in and tell me they liked my hair, celebrities would smile at me and above all, I’d look at the showroom full of gowns for all sizes of people and think “I could wear that, I can feel beautiful too.” I’m coming out of this internship with a lot of memories and new skills in the industry. So was it worth it? Absolutely. If you get the chance to work for the people or company that you want and it’s unpaid, take it. Everyone has to start somewhere, and the experience is priceless.