CCNY Alumna Works Project Runway!

This is an example of my favorite work. I am proud of this story, done on a CCNY Alum.

Photo, courtesy of Millana Snow

Her name has been resonating through the CCNY Newswire for the last couple of weeks and now that Millana Williams, 23, has made her way into the fashion industry, City College has applauded her on her road to success.

“I always knew I wanted to be an actress and be on T.V. but it was at 17 that I really became passionate about modeling as well”. Hailing from Denver, CO, Ms. Williams (whose actual Sir name has been Snow since she was four) started her dream when she decided that New York was the place to be. “I decided to go to CCNY after visiting the city my first time during spring break; just four months before moving. When I got the acceptance letter in the mail at my old dorm; it was decided... I'm moving to NY!”

Millana Williams, now known as model Millana Snow, graduated from City College with her Baccalaureates in Advertising and Public Relations on May 28^th, 2010. Just ten days after throwing her cap into the air, Ms. Williams sloshed her way through New York City streets on what she described as “just a rainy day” and auditioned in front of Project Runway casting directors. So how did this young woman’s winning streak begin? I think perseverance is the key word in this case!

“I’ve known Millana since her first semester at CCNY when she joined the Media & Communication Arts department about three years ago”, says Professor Lynn Scott Jackson. During her time at CCNY, Millana recalls the numerous amounts of connections she made while completing her major. “There were a few [professors] in particular that literally changed my life,” stated Millana. “Professor Scott Jackson really opened me up to the power of relationships and networks.”

Photo, courtesy of Millana Snow

Along with her mention of Professor Scott Jackson, she also named Professor Lynn Applebaum who helped her through numerous struggles as a full-time student/ worker, and Professor Edward Keller who helped her come to terms with real life; noting that “he offered me honest advice and thoughtful recommendations. They all took a vested interest in me and helped me grow as a person, student and professional.”

As for Project Runway; Ms. Williams made one thing clear. “Project Runway is a job for the models. Although it was a competition for us as well, it was a job first. For now, I just have to keep on focusing, even with myself, on the fact that this show was a real journey that showed me firsthand how important it is to stay focused on positive energy.”  Does this not scream perseverance?

“Ultimately, I see Millana as a multi-faceted mogul, running an expansive, multi-media business empire with product lines…” stated Professor Scott Jackson. “She also has a tremendous capacity to share and give back; I certainly envision her mentoring others who would like to follow in her footsteps,” continued the proud CCNY professor.

I learned a lot from Ms. Williams during our virtual interview and it’s made me realize that it’s an overall lesson I’ve learned while attending The City College of New York as well. In the words of the new inspirational model, “keeping your eyes on the goal will allow them to come to pass.”

And a lasting comment she left with me: “I have my mom and dad, Kim and Kevin Snow, sister Jillian Snow and dog Shyla Snow, all back in Denver whom I miss and love very much!”

       --This article first appeared in CCNY's newspaper, The Campus   

Rent or Buy-Which Textbook Option Is Right for You?

As a rising senior, I have already gone through the textbook buying process six times. Like many other CCNY students, I receive financial aid, and my cash flow is tight. A recent article in the New York Times reports that the average American student spends $700 to $900 a year on textbooks. Spending hundreds of dollars of my own money to buy books is a huge burden. Worse, this semester, my book stipend was delayed and I dreaded what it would mean for my bottom line.

However, City College is trying to help. This semester, CCNY is one of 650 colleges included in a program called Rent-a-Text. Sponsored by the Follett Higher Education Group, a company that runs university bookstores, Rent-a-Text gives each student an online registration account which allows them to rent textbooks through their college campus bookstore. As you get ready to register for Spring (or Winter) classes, now's a good time to start thinking about textbook savings.

Once you rent the book through Rent-a-Text, you have until the official last day of the semester to bring it back to the bookstore without paying a "non-return charge" and processing fee. According to a recent article posted on www.dailycollegian.com, "Last Fall, Follett tested the rental program at seven universities and found students saved, on average, 50 percent or more compared to the cost of new books."

That's how it worked for me: I rented Shirley Biagi's Media Impact for my Introduction to Media Studies class. It retails for $130. I rented it for $58-half of what I would've paid.

In an interview, rising senior, Chanel Jones, said she has been using the Rent-a-Text program offered by her school for two semesters now. "I love it!" said Jones, 21, who is majoring in business at Temple University in Philadelphia. "I never buy books. I rent every chance I get!"

Eva Geoghegan, store manager of the CCNY bookstore, noted that approximately 35% of the textbooks at the bookstore are rentable. "I can't tell you estimates of how many people have rented textbooks but I can tell you that we are trying to get professors on board now," she says. "If they can choose textbooks that will be used up to four semesters in a row then I see this program going very far!"

Though Rent-a-Text is new to CCNY, some students have been renting through other companies like chegg.com and bookrenter.com for a while now. Despite the savings, many students-and professors-don't know about the option to rent. Others aren't even interested. "It seemed too complicated so I didn't even bother to go that route," says Coretta Stembridge, 24, who is majoring in English.

Others have their own ways to avoid the high cost of textbooks. Science major Amaani Bhamla says her system of searching the internet for the best textbook deals on sites like half.com and alibris.com works best for her. "I don't find the [Rent-a-Text] program useful when I can buy my textbooks for barely a dollar and sell them back at the end of the semester," she explains. Sometimes, she adds, she even makes money!

For more information, go to the Rent-a-Text website at www.rentatext.com.

--This article first appeared in CCNY's newspaper, The Campus (see link)

Race Within a Race

What associations come to mind with the phrase “race within a race”? Many relate it to the subdivision that has been created amongst many races. Others relate it to the obstacles that an individual might personally face. I heard a young lady proclaim her ethnicity the other day. Verifying the fact that she was Caribbean seemed to be an imperative part of her. Maybe it was just the circumstance she was in at the time but nevertheless, it made me wonder. Why is it that most people of color usually state their ethnicity or their nationality instead of their actual race? When conversing about race, why do people look for specific differences that make them stand out from the rest?

On January 20^th, 2009, our nation swore in its very first African American President. With the support of many, history has now been altered in a myriad of ways extending its hand out to open possibilities of change and renewal. This occurrence has recently given me a better understanding of the potential our people have. We look around and sometimes all we see are bits and pieces of an action being enforced instead of the whole thing together. This also goes for the way we think as a whole. We constantly see subdivisions being the main focus these days. It has led me to believe that at this most crucial point and time, many races, whether it by Black or white, have created division within their ethnicity. Without realizing it, we have individualized ourselves in so many ways dealing with race just so that we can stand out in any way possible. For instance the young lady I mentioned seemed to think it was important that she declare her ethnicity as a Caribbean woman.

Every day you see people distinguishing themselves from their common race and it’s not to say that this is wrong but the real suspicion I had about this subdivision is does it hurt races as a whole instead of pushing them forward in these rough times? Through seeing this joyous occasion of having Barack Obama as our president, we have come to understand how important sticking together as one has impacted our lives. It is mentioned in newspapers about how much of a change President Obama will make in developing this country. Then you hear all of the hopeful remarks about his strength and how his victory will one day smash out all of the many stereotypical remarks made about colored people. The phrase “race within a race” can be taken negatively.

          
          A novel I read last semester entitled Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quinonez presented how much of an impact categorizing a race can have on society. In a section of this fictional novel, the main character spoke about how segmented his Latino culture was. The way Cubans looked down on the Puerto Ricans opened up the theme of isolation. This theme showed the intense difference Cubans and Puerto Ricans thought they had. In a short quote of the book Quinonez inserts an argument to push the theme of Isolation. He wrote “Dejesus, the shorter and therefore fatter of the two officers showed his nails. You and me have nothing in common, he sneered. I’m Cuban, you’re Puerto Rican.” From this quote you can see the agonizing separation that the Latino culture had to deal with and this conflict also goes for other colored people.
          
        The way many Caribbean people see themselves different from African Americans is another example of this “race within a race”. Will it take the coming of an African American president to change the way various races think? Even though we want to stand out amongst others like ourselves, will isolation further push us away from our goals? Its up to those who think it wrong. As for now, we can only hope.  

--Originally published at CCNY in The Paper (The Black History Edition), Feb, 2009 

Should Hookah Get the Hook!



If you thought New York City's ban on smoking cigarettes in public was harsh, check out the City Council's latest target. Hookahs are now on one councilman's hit list. 

Practiced originally in the Middle East, hookah is an instrument used for smoking herbal shisha and sometimes tobacco. It is widely practiced in Arabic culture and has become popular in the United States where many restaurants and bars feature it. Recently, it has caught on among students.

But Vincent Gentile, a councilman from Brooklyn, would like to put hookah smoking to an end. Last month, he introduced legislation to prevent the creation of new hookah bars in New York City. 

He cites health as his main concern. "There are some people going there thinking that as long as it's not tobacco, that it's not harmful," Gentile told the Daily News. "It's been established that it is harmful." Experts agree that hookah smoking can carry the same risks as smoking tobacco-and maybe more since sessions last longer than a regularly smoked cigarette. Gentile adds that some bars have been caught adding tobacco to their hookah mixes.

What do City College students think of the proposed ban? Most don't like it. "Many people consider hookah to be a cultural exchange," says, Erica De La Cruz, a 20-year-old junior who is majoring in English. "This seems like just another ploy to sidetrack the public from real problems going on around us. This ban can also be seen as an infringement on the people's rights to make independent decisions."

Adds senior Freddy Torres, Jr.: "I've smoked hookah before and find nothing wrong with it. It's not something I continuously practice as well as many people that have tried it." 

English major Jasmin Figueroa says she has mixed feelings. "I think this is an issue all of a sudden because of hookah's rising popularity, especially in light of the crackdown on regular cigarette smoking," says Figueroa, 20. Although I am not in complete favor of the ban, I'd be all for restricting the opening of something that could potentially cause so much damage to people."

CCNY alum José Saavedra is also on the fence. "If people want to smoke that crap, then they can. Just don't do it around me," he says. "But if it is banned, the people who smoke it may take it other places that could potentially endanger others more than if it was contained in its old spot, a restaurant or bar."

If this ban goes into effect, new hookah restaurants and bars would be illegal by the year 2012. Rising junior, Sarah Miller, 19, a psych major, doubts the anti-hookah law will do any good. 

"Getting rid of the creation of new hookah bars will have no affect on New York becoming a smoke-free state," she says. "Putting a ban on something as culturally diverse as hookah will probably deteriorate our already dying economy. After all, I'm sure these hookah bars pay the state taxes which we all know adds to the betterment of our economy."

--By Courtney James

--This article first appeared in CCNY's newspaper, The Campus (see link)