Stony Brook University SUNY Korea

Elijah Huggins-English and Dinasty Ly may change the fashion world once they graduate from FIT. Thanks to a major scholarship from Gucci, lack of funds won’t stand in their way.     Huggins-English and Ly are among the 2021 Gucci Changemakers Scholars announced this month. Huggins-English, a rising sophomore studying Fashion Design, and Ly, a rising senior studying Fashion Business Management, specializing in Product Development, each received up to a $20,000 scholarship, in addition to mentorship and virtual internship opportunities through Gucci America.     The Gucci Changemakers Scholarship is a $1.5 million fund over four years, created to provide need-based scholarships to diverse undergraduates interested in fashion. It is one part of Gucci’s multipronged effort to increase diversity in the industry. This year’s class comprises 22 students.     Huggins-English, originally from Atlanta, didn’t attend school last semester because he couldn’t afford tuition. This scholarship was “a tremendous weight off my shoulders, and will allow me to search for other scholarships and be able do my best work,” he says.     The scholarship has also given him the confidence to set more ambitious goals and to show others that they can achieve what they strive for. “I want to work for a fashion house and expand my knowledge so that I can start my own brand,” he says. “The more I put myself out there, the more things come to me, and I want to motivate others to do the same thing.”     Ly, who is originally from Vietnam and now calls Boston home, believes in the power of positive thinking, and had been taking loans out to pay for school, so when she heard about the Changemakers program, “I think I kind of manifested it myself,” she recalls. “I told myself, ‘I’m going to get this scholarship,’ and I actually did!”     Ly, who is trying to figure out her passion while focusing on her school work and internship, will put the scholarship funds toward her final year at FIT.     “This has given me resources I didn’t have before, and will really help with my last year so I don’t have to take out other loans,” she says.

This year, FIT’s Advertising and Digital Design students won eight Young Ones awards from the One Club for Creativity, the preeminent professional association in the field. These awards included a Gold, Silver, and Bronze Pencil, which honor “big ideas paired with quality execution,” as well as an ADC Silver Cube, which symbolizes “meticulous craftsmanship, design, and innovation.”     Based on these wins, the One Club has ranked the Advertising and Digital Design program No. 5 in the U.S. and No. 10 in the world among similar programs in 23 countries—the highest ranking the college has received.     “The One Club competition is like the Academy Awards for advertising,” says Associate Professor Joseph Staluppi. “It’s a really big deal.”     Students could choose from a selection of briefs, for example, to promote Spotify’s Your Daily Drive playlists at a time when few were commuting. The Gold Pencil and ADC Silver Cube went to “Grand Theft Audio,” a tongue-in-cheek campaign to bring the playlist into the massively popular video game Grand Theft Auto. Students Din Terpuni, Ethan Sims, Yuliya Kosheeva, and Margaret Panoti created and executed the concept.     Image of a earthen archway and partly cloudy sky “Spotify Spots” won a Silver Pencil from the One Club for Creativity. The Silver Pencil went to “Spotify Spots,” a campaign to install Your Daily Drive playlists in national parks and at lookout points across America, for road trippers to enjoy. Victoria Orlovskaya and Michelle Kim worked on that project.     Separately, in the New Blood awards, hosted by the British organization D&AD, Advertising and Digital Design student teams won two Wood Pencils, for a campaign promoting an e-waste recycling program (by Matthew Lafergola, Hasibul Islam, and Daniel Persaud) and a Spotify feature that connects listeners to lesser-known artists (by Hasibul Islam, Victoria Jeon and Emily Xia).     The students developed these entries in a course called Student Competition, taught by Staluppi, to prepare work for a range of industry competitions, which can help them land jobs when they graduate.     Staluppi believes this year’s success can be attributed to the Advertising and Digital Design program’s embrace of digital media. After a recent revamp of the curriculum (including a name change from Advertising Design), the program offers nine creative technology courses, including User Experience (UX) Design, Typography for Digital Content Design, and Digital Product Design. FIT was the first school to offer these courses in a BFA program. Students now graduate with a true 360-degree multimedia focus: digital, print, audio, and video.     “The new program really prepares them to do much better work, award-winning work,” Staluppi says, “on par with the top ten schools in the world.”

June 30, 2021 In a commencement ceremony on June 18, 41 FIT students graduated from SUNY Korea, receiving an AAS in Fashion Design or Fashion Business Management. Of those graduates, 26 attended the event in person. SUNY Korea President Wonki Min and Honorary President Dr. Myung Oh addressed the graduates from the stage; Stony Brook University President Maurie Mclnnis and FIT President Joyce Brown offered congratulations remotely. “How we conduct ourselves in difficult times is a measure of character, and you, the class of 2021, seem to have character to spare,” Dr. Brown said, in a speech that acknowledged the challenges of learning during a pandemic. “This experience, arduous as it may have been, will serve you well for the rest of your lives.” SUNY Korea is a global SUNY campus founded in 2011 in the high-tech business district of Songdo, near the capital city, Seoul. FIT began offering its two most popular programs there in 2017. Graduates can attend FIT in New York City for their bachelor’s degree; since the first graduating class in 2019, 100 students have selected this option.  Watch a video of the June 18 ceremony. Click here to read the original article

June 28, 2021 Stephan Kanlian, chair, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management (CFMM), was a recent guest on The Future Shop podcast in an episode titled “The Future of Retail Leadership.” He appeared with Morgan Hagney, assistant vice president of omni-retail marketing, Maybelline New York, and a 2017 CFMM graduate. Podcast host Wendy Liebmann discusses with Kanlian and Hagney the expertise retail leaders will need in the future, along with the critical capabilities required in the new “phygital” retail environment. The Future Shop podcast, presented by WSL Retail Strategists & Shopping Futurists, was originally released on June 14. Listen to or download the episode from the WSL Strategic Retail podcast page. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and other apps. Click here to read the original article  

June 24, 2021 On Wednesday, June 23, on YouTube Premiere, students from the FIT Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management (CFMM) master’s degree program presented their capstone project—The Future of Consumerism—a two-part study spanning 16 countries that examines how COVID-19 triggered shifts in consumer mindsets and identifies its ensuing impact on brands and retailers in a post-pandemic world. Part One of The Future of Consumerism study, titled The Future of Global Consumption, addressed the shift from shareholder-led capitalism to consumer-led capitalism. Part Two, The Chameleon Consumer, examined the evolving values of U.S. consumers and their emotional relationship to purchasing. Key takeaways from the research are as follows: CFMM Market Opportunity #1: The Circular Economy We live in a linear economy in which consumers and brands are on a never-ending cycle of take, consume, and dispose. With a circular economy, brands can be value-driven and allow consumers the opportunity to disrupt the old pattern with a model of “make, use, return, and repeat.” Today, only 9% of the global economy is circular and the opportunity for brands to profit from the untapped 91% will be valued at $4.5 trillion by 2030. (Accenture) Consumer Behavior: The Future of Traceability Consumers track all aspects of their lives and are looking to make better choices for their futures. Therefore, brands need to put the consumer’s core values at the center of their business and strategy. 66% of global consumers align themselves with brands that mirror their values. (FIT Lifestyle Survey, 2021) 88% of global consumers want brands to help them make a difference. (Forbes, 2019) 71% of global consumers are willing to pay a premium for brands that provide traceability. (IBM Institute of Business Value, 2020) Recommendation: CFMM’s Personal Impact Index (PII) Brands must value consumers over all other stakeholders. Research led the students to create an indexing tool, dubbed the “Personal Impact Index (PII),” through which consumers can track every purchase to see how it aligns with their social values, such as transparency and sustainability. In turn, consumers with higher PII scores can unlock higher credit scores as a result of participating in ethical consumption as responsible global citizens. Simultaneously, brands can leverage PII data to predict future purchasing behavior and marketing opportunities. CFMM Market Opportunity #2: Understanding the Post-COVID Consumer How can brands in the U.S. pinpoint consumers’ shape-shifting values? Brands can better serve their consumer audience by identifying which of the following CFMM-coined values is driving their purchasing decisions: “For Me” values: introverted and self-serving “Fulfillment” values: rewarding and community-building “Fundamental” values: logical and practical Consumer Behavior: Chameleon Consumers Today’s consumer is like a chameleon, constantly changing their purchasing behavior based on mood, situation, and core values. 75% of U.S. consumers believe their purchasing decisions shift based on the circumstance they are in. (FIT Lifestyle Survey, 2021) Recommendation: CFMM’s Chameleon Credo The CFMM students developed a brand survival guide, coined the Chameleon Credo, which brands must follow to future-proof their businesses: Deliver newness that’s intentional when it comes to communication, innovation, and buying channels. 62% of U.S. consumers say brands need less assortment and higher quality. (FIT CFMM Consumer Values and Behaviors Survey, 2021) Predict the shift by understanding what a consumer values the most at a particular moment (flexibility, quality, wellness, time and convenience, price, or community) 100% of the time, flexibility was marked as a top 3 driver in all purchase scenarios presented to survey respondents. (FIT CFMM Mood Mapping Survey, 2021) Transform the experience by offering interactivity from the comfort of the consumer’s home. 7 out of 10 respondents prefer shopping online because it’s convenient for them. (FIT Shopping Experience Survey, 2021) Click here to read the original article

June 7, 2021 In Study.com's 2021 rankings, FIT’s Animation, Interactive Media, and Game Design major was ranked No. 9 among similar programs nationwide. The site chose FIT’s program among hundreds of others based on academic and career resources, the quality of education, faculty, and more. According to the site, strengths of FIT’s computer animation program included affordable tuition, competitive admissions, and a high graduation rate. FIT’s BFA program in Animation, Interactive Media, and Game Design offers one of the most comprehensive curricula in the country in this growth field. Study.com is a learning platform that publishes numerous rankings in an effort to help students make college and career decisions. Click here to read the original article

May 18, 2021 Learn how the iconic costumes and sets were created for Halston, a new limited series streaming now on Netflix, in an intimate conversation with costume designer and FIT alumna Jeriana San Juan (The Get Down, The Plot Against America) and production designer Mark Ricker (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Escape at Dannemora). This creative team will discuss how they brought the world of the American fashion icon to life, often drawing on assets found at The Museum at FIT (MFIT) and the college’s Special Collections and College Archives for inspiration. Moderated by Raissa Bretaña, who teaches costume design and fashion history at FIT and is also an alumna, the talk premiered Monday, May 24, on Vimeo. Click here to read the original article

May 12, 2021 Dr. Preeti Arya, assistant professor of Textile Development and Marketing, has become a go-to source for journalists writing about performance textiles. She is an expert in textile composites and finishes, research and product development, and textile science and technology. At FIT, she teaches courses on finishes, fabric development, and performance textiles. Within the past year, Arya spoke with Glamour about choosing sustainable fabrics, with Women's Running about how to make athletic gear last, and with Sourcing Journal about the promise of antimicrobial finishes in medical textiles. For NBC News, she weighed in on eco-friendly weighted blankets, and for HuffPost, she discussed the damage done by machine-washing. She also praised the strength and drape of hemp for Hemp Benchmarks. Click here to read the original article

May 5, 2021 FIT has one of most popular and renowned Illustration programs in the country—and two recent rankings help make this case. In its 2021 list of the Top Public Illustration Schools in the U.S., Animation Career Review ranked FIT No. 1. The ranking was based on academic reputation, admission selectivity, depth and breadth of the program, value, and employment data. The site recognized FIT for providing excellent training on computer skills employers require and for the program’s unique visual thesis process. Additionally, FIT’s status as a public college means tuition is affordable, and students get access to resources throughout the SUNY system. StateUniversity.com hranked FIT No. 2 nationally in its list of Most Popular Schools for Illustration. Both public and private colleges were in the running. Ed Soyka, chair of the Illustration program, believes a number of FIT’s strengths factored into these rankings: the motivated and talented students; the focus on myriad fields within commercial illustration, such as editorial, video games, and advertising; the college’s central location in New York City; and the new hybrid classrooms, which are equipped with both digital and analog media, so that students can jump back and forth as needed. Soyka gives special commendation to the caliber of teaching. “Our faculty are expert and highly experienced, both as freelance illustrators and as very empathetic and supportive teachers,” he says. Click here to read the original article  

April 16, 2021     In the Oscar-nominated film Minari, a family of working-class Korean immigrants moves to rural Arkansas. The props that convey the Yi family’s hardscrabble life were researched and sourced by Stacy Suvino, Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design ’08. Working alongside a production designer and set decorator, Suvino, the film’s buyer and set dresser, scoured stores near the filming location in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in addition to Facebook Marketplace. Though Minari is set in 1983, she shopped for items from the ’70s, because the Yi family  couldn’t afford new decor. Each character had a color story; props support mood as well. The “haunted” dresser was found at River City Trading Post, a local antique shop. Suvino was convinced that the Yi family needed a small oscillating electric fan, but it was hard to find. An owner of the Trading Post eventually offered one from their personal collection. Also difficult to procure was a classic ’70s couch with blocky lines and bold, rust-hued polyester fabric; the style is trending again, making prime specimens rare. A store run by the H.O.W. Foundation, which helps men struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, proved to be a trove for props: “We hit that place every week,” Suvino says, happy the purchases served a purpose.  In the Oscar-nominated film Minari, a family of working-class Korean immigrants moves to rural Arkansas. The props that convey the Yi family’s hardscrabble life were researched and sourced by Stacy Suvino, Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design ’08.   Working alongside a production designer and set decorator, Suvino, the film’s buyer and set dresser, scoured stores near the filming location in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in addition to Facebook Marketplace. Though Minari is set in 1983, she shopped for items from the ’70s, because the Yi family  couldn’t afford new decor. Each character had a color story; props support mood as well. The “haunted” dresser was found at River City Trading Post, a local antique shop. Suvino was convinced that the Yi family needed a small oscillating electric fan, but it was hard to find. An owner of the Trading Post eventually offered one from their personal collection. Also difficult to procure was a classic ’70s couch with blocky lines and bold, rust-hued polyester fabric; the style is trending again, making prime specimens rare. A store run by the H.O.W. Foundation, which helps men struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, proved to be a trove for props: “We hit that place every week,” Suvino says, happy the purchases served a purpose.  Aspiring Hollywood set designers, take heed: Suvino’s story of breaking in exemplifies persistence, bravery, and making the most of a coincidence. It just so happened that the third season of HBO’s show True Detective was filming in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where her parents live, and they knew the owners of the warehouse where it was being shot. Suvino’s dad sent her a photo of the front door of the warehouse, which had a sign with a cell phone number on it. “Call that number,” he told her. It turned out to be the show’s production manager. He told her they already had a crew. Undaunted, Suvino went home for the weekend and visited the site, resume in hand. When a secretary called in the production designer to show him her CV, he said, “You’re the one with the dad!” She told him, “I really want to be here.” The set designer was “crewed up” for the duration, he said; but the team admired her fortitude and encouraged her to call again. Every week for four months, she did. Each time, they told her no. Suvino gave up, and packed up her car to head home. Thirty minutes outside Fayetteville, her phone rang. Someone was fired, and they wanted Suvino to step in. She worked on the show for over three months, staying late every night so she could learn how the production worked.    Today, Suvino lives in Atlanta, a new hub for film production, and she’s racking up credits: She’s worked on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and a new show for F/X, Reservation Dogs. She has an agent for commercials and editorial, but she hopes to work as a production designer for Steven Spielberg. In the meantime, she’s proud of her contributions to Minari. “It’s a version of the American dream,” she says, “and I think people are looking for hope right now.”  Click here to read the original article 

April 5, 2021 FIT is advancing its investment in experiential learning through the launch of DTech Live, a series of interactive events powered by Bambuser, that will connect designers directly with consumers for a live shopping experience. An extension of FIT’s Innovation Center and a first-of-its-kind initiative in higher education, DTech Live fosters innovation by practice, facilitating the exploration of business and creativity through emerging technology and real-world experience. DTech Live debuts Tuesday, April 6, at 1 pm, with 7 Collections, a fashion pilot featuring the extraordinary work of FIT alumni from seven countries, all of whom earned MFAs in Fashion Design.  FIT was selected by Bambuser as its first partner from the global higher education category. A worldwide leader in interactive live video shopping, Bambuser is the platform of choice for companies such as Moda Operandi, Farfetch, and Clarins that are seeking deeper connections with customers across digital platforms. “We are pleased to provide FIT’s emerging designers with the exclusive opportunity to leverage the same new technology that is driving innovation for some of the world’s leading luxury fashion and beauty brands,” said Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT. “We are especially proud to debut 7 Collections to a broad audience, expanding FIT’s commitment to supporting new alumni in their role as valued contributors to the creative economy.” During the 7 Collections presentation, the audience was invited to view garments shown in engaging videos; watch one-on-one conversations with the designers and Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT; engage in a live chat; and have the opportunity to purchase a selection of custom made-to-order items from the collections of these emerging designers. The alumni discussed their inspiration, what comes next in their careers, and how they were influenced by their diverse backgrounds and geographies. Items available for purchase include head-to-toe looks as well as dresses, coats, and accessories. All proceeds from sales will go directly to the designers who will have full oversight of garment customization and fulfillment. “7 Collections celebrates beautiful design while seamlessly connecting creativity to commerce,” said Cathleen Sheehan, professor and acting chair, Fashion Design MFA. “Through this experience, the designers overcame the challenges of the pandemic to focus on craftsmanship while remaining true to their artistic vision. The breadth of themes and approaches represented is very exciting, and we can’t wait to watch these designers shape the future of fashion.” FIT’s partnership with Bambuser enables unprecedented experimentation with the next generation of fashion design talent. “FIT is a widely respected force of positive transformation in fashion and other creative industries worldwide, making them a perfect partner for Bambuser,“ said Maryam Ghahremani, CEO of Bambuser. “As our first collaboration with an educational institution, we view our relationship with FIT as a perfect opportunity to nurture the next generation of fashion industry talent and provide insights for working across the entire value chain. We look forward to innovating together to drive the future of interactive customer experiences.” DTech Live, the latest launch from the FIT DTech Lab (dtech.fitnyc.edu), is reimagining how designers and brands connect with consumers. “Innovation requires tremendous determination, resilience, and agility,” said Michael Ferraro, executive director of DTech Lab. “The designers featured in 7 Collections developed these critical career skills through a learning environment that models professional practice and closely connects students to industry.” DTech Live will continue to bring together students, faculty, and industry partners to experiment and solve real-world problems at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and technology. Its next project is set to debut in the fall. Click here to read the original article 

March 18, 2021 FIT’s student-run fashion and culture magazine, Blush, has won a 2020 Pacemaker Award from the Associated Collegiate Press for the second year in a row. The Pacemaker, considered the “Pulitzer Prize of collegiate journalism,” is judged by teams of professionals based upon coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership, design, photography, and graphics. In this national competition, Blush was one of nine chosen in the four-year feature magazine category. “The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” Associated Collegiate Press executive director Laura Widmer said. “ACP is honored to recognize the best of the best.” Gary Lundgren, ACP associate director and coordinator of the Pacemaker competition, noted that the quality of the winning collegiate magazines rivals those produced by professionals. “The verbal and visual storytelling in the winning magazines is incredible and robust long-form stories combine with shorter quick-reads to pace the reader through the pages of the feature magazines,” Lundgren said. The Blush team submitted their fall 2019 "Ferromagnetic" issue for the 2019–20 academic year. Due to the pandemic, the student organization was unable to submit a typical spring 2020 issue. Blush also won the Pacemaker in 2019, the first year they submitted an entry. The Pacemaker awards were announced during the ACP/College Media Association Fall National College Media Convention awards ceremony, presented virtually on Oct. 22. Click here to read the original article 

March 11, 2021 FIT President Joyce F. Brown has issued comments regarding racist attacks and hate speech directed at Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders. Her statements read as follows: March 19, 2021 Dear FIT community, Recently, I put out a statement condemning anti-Asian rhetoric and violence. It deeply saddens me to think about the number of statements I have issued over the years condemning hate speech—speech that incites the ugly instincts that some harbor against the “other”—people not like themselves. I think of this as I consider the disaster in Atlanta with eight beautiful lives lost, six of them Asian women. I write now to highlight and support the joint statement put out by the SUNY and CUNY boards of trustees condemning this act of racism and hatred. What happened in Atlanta is intolerable—what happens in every city and town and rural country road that harms anyone because of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation is intolerable. So today I add my voice to what I hope is a thunderous chorus—a roar of condemnation—from every corner of this country protesting the twisted thinking that produces hate speech and violence and in this case, particularly, violence against Asian women. I refuse to believe that our voices are not effective tools for change. I will continue to speak out and I hope this long loud volley of support brings some solace to the Asian American community, including, of course, our own Asian community at FIT—the students, faculty, and staff members of Asian descent who make up so large and dynamic a part of FIT’s richly diverse family. Dr. Joyce F. BrownPresidentFashion Institute of Technology March 11, 2021 Dear FIT community, There is a long history of anti-Asian sentiment in American society. This continues in spite of the fact that our Asian colleagues, businesses, students and visitors are an integral part of the rich mosaic not only of the FIT community but of our cosmopolitan city as well. In the past year, anti-Asian rhetoric and hate-filled speech have ratcheted up and been reinforced by public statements and private actions such that overt discrimination and violent crimes against our Asian neighbors, relatives and friends have become horrifyingly prevalent in the daily headlines. Indeed, they have reached record levels. Our collegewide efforts to celebrate diversity, to practice civility, to be mindful of our language and be inclusive in our behavior should ensure that FIT is a safe haven for every member of our community. I hope that these efforts will prevail beyond the walls of FIT—and perhaps influence others as well—so that those in the Asian community are no longer targets of discrimination and violence and are treated with the dignity and respect that every person deserves. Dr. Joyce F. BrownPresidentFashion Institute of Technology       Click here to read the original article 

February 25, 2021 Each year, a growing number of enterprises collate and crunch swaths of data to build college rankings, relied upon by high school seniors worldwide in making college decisions. Though a number can hardly encapsulate the complexity of the college experience, we are still pleased that FIT places well. Here are a few recent rankings. In its 2021 rankings, study.com ranked FIT the number one Best Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising  and the number one Best Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising. The popular ranking site based its decisions on academic and career resources, quality of education, faculty, and more. Another highlight: Study.com also included FIT’s up-and-coming Entrepreneurship program for the first time in its top 50 Bachelor’s Degrees in Entrepreneurship. House Beautiful compiled the 13 best interior design schools—in no particular order—and FIT’s renowned program made the list. In another ranking of top Interior Design degree programs, both undergraduate and graduate, Intelligent.com included FIT’s undergraduate Interior Design major and its graduate Experience and Exhibition Design major in the mix. Criteria included flexibility of study, faculty excellence, course strength, cost, and reputation.  Best Value Schools ranked FIT number one on its list of Best Fashion Design Schools. The site’s editors based the ranking primarily on tuition costs; FIT’s top placement reflects the college’s unparalleled value. In a similar vein, CollegeCalc recognized FIT as the most affordable school in New York State. Of 143 schools in the category of Specialized Sales, Merchandising, and Marketing, FIT’s Fashion Business Management program was the most popular, its curriculum was the third most focused, and alumni salaries were ranked at number four. FIT was also the most popular of 370 competing programs in the category of Public Relations and Advertising, corresponding to FIT’s Advertising and Marketing Communications major. The curriculum was judged to be the second most focused, and the program was given an overall rank of second place nationwide. FIT also ranked at or near the top in the categories of Textile and Apparel Studies, Visual and Performing Arts, and Design and Applied Arts. In fact, FIT received badges for high placement in 72 of College Factual’s rankings for many of the college’s varied programs in business and design. Prep Scholar named FIT the top fashion school in the country, based on its enviable New York City location, its successful alumni, the breadth of its programs, and its overall reputation. The site included all of FIT’s many fashion-related programs, both in business and design, in the ranking. GameDesigning, a site for those looking to create their own video games, included FIT in its ranking of the top graphic design schools in the U.S., as many graphic designers become game designers. For those looking to focus on video games from the get-go, FIT also offers a BFA in Animation, Interactive Media, and Game Design. UniversityHQ praised FIT specifically for its Advertising and Marketing Communications major, placing FIT’s program in the top 20 among all marketing programs nationwide. FIT strives to be a welcoming place for students of all races, ethnicities, and cultures. In a recent ranking by Hispanic Outlook on Education magazine, the college had the second-most Hispanic students in the category of visual and performing arts degrees. Click here to read the original article 

February 23, 2021     When children wear school uniforms, how much do they forfeit their individual identities? On Feb. 4, Kyunghee Pyun, associate professor, History of Art, gave a presentation about school uniform culture in South Korea. Inspired by the theories of semiotician Roland Barthes and sociologist Erving Goffman, Pyun examined images from media, such as the popular Korean film Our Twisted Hero (1992), which is about a schoolboy who is bullied. “I want to challenge a hypothesis that social influence has a significant impact on our beliefs or behaviors, making us more similar to others around us,” Pyun said. Following an established dress code “often represents superficial public compliance rather than private acceptance,” she argued.     Click here to read the original article