by Dana Heyward; Photos by author

Governor’s Ball can be said to be the East Coast counterpart to Coachella as it is easily one of the most diverse representations of music all in one place.  I don’t know many concerts where you can listen to rock legend, Axl Rose belt out “Welcome to the Jungle,” and just across the field you’ll find the rapper Nas, spitting out some of his hits. This was only Governor’s Ball third year in existence and its biggest lineup to date. Headliners of the three-day festival included Kings of Leon, Kanye West, The Avett Brothers and smaller acts such as Local Natives, Dirty Projectors, and Portugal, The Man.  It was definitely its year to earn some music festival cred.

Despite the nearly-perfect weather on Saturday, the damage from the torrential rain on Friday sustained throughout the rest of the festival. As soon as I passed the festival gates I was faced with the inevitable challenge of making it through the deep mud. Unfortunately, I did not get the mud memo before heading to the festival and wore white converse that ended up getting trashed by the end of the night. But even those who wore rain boots still struggled around the muddy trenches that seemed to get progressively worse throughout the day. But despite the conditions, concert-goers still braved the elements to see their favorite bands and artists. Many chucked their shoes and just ended up barefoot. Plus seeing people helping out fellow concert-goers in the mud made the whole ordeal feel like a true team effort.   

After stuffing our faces with some pricey yet amazing shrimp rolls from Luke’s Lobster, we decided to head down to the Skyy Vodka tent to catch Robert DeLong, who seemed to surprise almost everyone in attendance. The American singer/DJ performed his crowd-pleasing radio hit “Global Concepts” but went on to perform some new songs that kept everyone on their toes. Icona Pop was up next and their song “I Love It” seemed to be the theme song of the entire festival (and 2013 in general). Just to put it out there- these two girls know how to put on a show and get a crowd going. They could get even the manliest of men to sing along with their pop melodies. 

After wandering around for a bit we grabbed some Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches and laid on the main field (one of the few patches of dry land) and listened to trap DJ Paper Diamond from a distance.  But soon the ultimate decision had to be made. The two acts I really wanted to see that day were Kendrick Lamar and Animal Collective. I was hell-bent on getting a good spot to see Kendrick Lamar, but Azealia Banks (my guilty pleasure/spirit animal), was going on 45 minutes before him on the other side of the festival. After some debating, my love for Kendrick Lamar trumped and I had to skip out on Azealia and her weave of wonder. It was all worth it in the end because we ended up getting incredibly close to the stage and K-Dot did not disappoint. I’m still reliving when he dropped the opening beat of “M.A.A.D. City” twice. 

I ended my day with Animal Collective, who have been one of my favorite bands since the beginning of high school. Watching Animal Collective live is such an experience whether you’re a fan or not. Everything from their eccentric stage set-up and light show will leave you entranced. Although their set was mysteriously cut short, it was still the perfect way to end the night.  

Purchasing a ticket for Governor’s Ball was hands-down one of my best decisions of the year. Although I was only there one day, I’m already planning on putting away money to buy early-bird tickets for next year. I really want to see how Governor’s Ball in going to fill the big shoes they’ve created next year!

By Madeline Thompson

FIT President Dr. Joyce Brown and Keynote Speaker Fern Mallis, photo courtesy of FIT

 “Always be nice,” commencement speaker and recipient of the President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement, Fern Mallis, advised to graduates of the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology at The Fashion Institute of Technology’s 2013 Commencement.

Listening to Mallis, the former executive director of the CFDA widely credited with creating New York Fashion Week, explain her Top Ten Interview Tips, families, friends and FIT advisors were witnessing a lifetime achievement of these graduates last Thursday morning, May 23 at the Javits Center North Building.

More words of wisdom were followed by distinguished guests, from Dr. Joyce F. Brown, FIT president, to Elizabeth Peek, chair of the FIT Board of Trustees, who advised graduates to sometimes unplug themselves from technology and be inspired by “real” life—museums, dance, nature.

FIT Student Association President Anubhuti Swarup explained that FIT is definitely not a traditional university.  Balancing 21 credit hours, an internship and a social life is not the average university experience, but it is what makes FIT and its graduates one-of-a-kind.

Graduates of the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology were more than prepared for the future as they listened to honorees share their last words. From the cheers and applause the attendees gave as each graduate stood with their major and class, they were just as excited to watch the graduates take the next step in their adventurous, one-of-a-kind journey. 

Graduates don creative mortarboards during the ceremony, photo by Matthew Septimus

By Megan Venere

Job hunting is a stressful and crazy time for all graduating seniors. With the economy slowly building itself back up, it’s still hard to find entry level positions after graduation. Many graduates are turning to interning after graduation until they find full-time employment. Liza Garrin, an FIT alumna, graduated last year and started an internship at Carole Hochman Design Group, which eventually turned into her full-time position there as a Sales Assistant.

A Carole Hochman pajama set, photo courtesy of Carole Hochman

Megan Venere: How did you get your internship at Carole Hochman?

Liza Garrin: The Human Resources manager from Carole Hochman came to lecture in my internship class. When she spoke about the company culture and the impressive portfolio of luxury brands offered at Carole Hochman, I knew I wanted to work there.  I immediately asked my professor for the Human Resources manager’s contact information. I emailed her the next day and initially asked if she had any entry-level positions available. At the time she only had a paid internship position. She then asked me to come in for an interview and mentioned that they are known for hiring interns.

MV: What was the job market like last year when you graduated? Were there jobs available to new graduates?

LG: The job market was not the best in 2012. By the time April came around, I had applied to over 30 jobs and only received one call for an interview. When I submitted my resume online it basically felt like I was sending it down a black hole. It was frustrating but I wasn’t going to give up. I continued to reach out to all of my industry contacts, go to every career fair and networking event at school, and kept an open mind.

MV: How did you approach obtaining a full time position at Carole Hochman?

LG: When I started interning at Carole Hochman I made sure to prove that I was reliable and hardworking. I also scheduled monthly touch base meetings with my current bosses and Human Resources Manager to discuss my progress. The touch base meetings were definitely helpful for me because I had the opportunity to receive constructive criticism. It also showed them that I was committed and interested in a future at the company.

MV: How did your intern duties differ from what you currently do now in your full time position? Were you given more responsibilities being a college graduate?

LG: When I started interning at Carole Hochman, I was never treated like a typical intern; no coffee runs for me! I was immediately welcomed on to the team and given the same responsibilities as a sales assistant. Now that I am a full-time employee, I am responsible for a lot of the same things, but on a more serious level.

MV: Would you advise graduates to look for internships along with entry level positions?

LG: If you are currently having trouble with your job search I would definitely recommend searching for internships (some are paid!) along with entry level positions. If you end up interning at a company you love, you never know where the internship could lead.

MV: What were some positives and negatives about your experience interning after graduation?

LG: When I first started interning at Carole Hochman there was a period where I was unsure if I was going to be hired. But ultimately, the phrase is true, good things come to those who wait (and of course to those who work hard).  On the positive side, I had the chance to learn a ton before getting hired. Therefore, it allowed me to get familiar and comfortable with all of the responsibilities that were expected from a full time employee. For me, interning before getting hired was similar to a mini training program.

MV: Looking back on the past year, do you think you made the right choice?

LG: Yes, definitely. My internship at Carole Hochman was one of the best learning experiences I had had throughout my four years of interning. I am so happy and lucky to work at such a wonderful company. Everything happens for a reason, right?

By Megan Venere

Photography by Mary Tsoules

It is safe to say that attending Coachella once is on just about everyone’s bucket list. From the music to the celebrities and fashion, Coachella is a breeding ground for young talent from all different industries. Mary Tsoules, FMM major and writer of the blog Frizzy Blonde Music, got the chance of a lifetime to go to the festival this past April. She sat down with W27 to share her experience beyond the live stream.

Megan Venere: How were you able to go to Coachella? How many days were you there?

Mary Tsoules: First off, let me just say how stoked I am to be in W27! This is awesome.

My brother lives in LA and works in the film industry; he goes to Coachella every year.  I’ve always been super jealous of all his awesome stories when he comes back.  But this year my family surprised me a few weeks before the festival with Coachella tickets for my 22nd birthday!

MV: What’s the comparison between what people watch on the live streams as opposed to being there live? Can they compare?

MT: They are so completely different; you can’t even compare the two. What they film for the live stream is very high-quality and they do a great job. But sound is huge factor when it comes to this, and if you’re streaming from your laptop, those speakers just don’t cut it.  When you’re actually there, in front of the stage, not only do you feel like your eardrums are going to burst (in an awesome way), but also you feel the experience.  People are stepping on your feet, bumping into you, you’re a sweaty mess, and that kid next to you is screaming the lyrics with all he’s got.  It’s sensory-overload and sensory is a huge thing for me, for a lot of people I think.  You can’t get all this with just streaming.

MV: Did you use your blog throughout your Coachella experience?

MT: The set times for each show were so close together, and there were so many bands to see that there was really no “free” time the whole weekend.  It’s also in the middle of the desert, so phone service doesn’t always work.  It’s a hard experience to re-cap, but I did take a bunch of pictures on a disposable camera and write up a little something when I got back, both of which you can find on my blog, frizzyblondemusic.blogspot.com!

MV: What acts were you able to see? Anyone in particular that stood out for you?

MT: There were so many great bands playing, and unfortunately you can’t see all of them. Here are the top bands I thought were the best live: Robert DeLong, Bat for Lashes, Alt-J, Mona, The XX, Postal Service, Wild Belle. The best crowd/dancing experience I would say was Major Lazer, the most passionate performance was Robert DeLong and Wild Belle by far was the biggest surprise in that they were awesome! The most exciting and crazy experience was being fourth row for Phoenix and having Thomas Mars crowd-surf right over me!

MV: What do you think makes Coachella such a notable music festival when there are so many festivals in the U.S. and worldwide?

MT: This is my first major music festival, so I don’t have much to compare it to.  But I do know that Coachella is the kickoff of the music festival season.  I think that’s why it’s such a big deal.

MV: What was the atmosphere like? Was it a more celebrity/“in crowd” group or more music lovers?

MT: There are so many different groups of people that go to Coachella.  I even saw kids in strollers with earmuffs to protect their ears!  I was surprised I didn’t see any celebrities after hearing about how many go to Coachella.  But I would say there are two groups: those that go because their friends are going or because it’s the “in” thing to do, and those that are completely there for the music and map out a set schedule as soon as the bands and set times are revealed. And then there is the group that goes for the fashion.  For them, it’s called “Cute-chella.”