Open Books Page 24

Music Garage Page 10

John Tobias Lopez

C2E2

DESIGNCONTESTS

FAME

Fashion Mentor

Better Than aStar Trek Convention

Helpful or Hurtful?

What YouMissed!

Page 14

Page 18

The

Page 8

Page 16

NSSE is Coming!Page 23

What’s Happening Around Here?

AROUND CHICAGO

CONNECTCONFERENCE

See the calendars to find out.

Connect to YourFuture Page 9

Page 26

FLASH FICTION

12 aeye March 2011

F We would like to thank Anne Flannagan for having her students compete in the first ever Flash Fiction competition! The basis of Flash Fiction is extreme brevity. Anne’s inspiration for this assignment was a well-known Hemingway story that is only 6 words long: For sale: Baby’s shoes. Never used. So without further adieu, the winners!

lash iction

1st Place

“Love lost, war won.”by Josh Veltman

Love lost, war won. Revenge taken.

Rock, paper, scissors, SHOOT! I win.

Red? Blue? Tick, tick, RED! BOOM!

Italian plumber saves the Mushroom Princess.

Giants rule. Comet falls. Humans rise.

2nd Place

“Open door.”by Melissa Chavarria

Open door, love, sex. broken heart.

He gave, she drink, Tomorrow confuse.

3rd Place

“Live life.”by Joshua Derr

Live live in the eyes of children

Duck!! What!? Quaaaackkk!! Oopsie daisy!

Blind man sees further than most

Wiki leaks leaked bit too much

[ If you are interested in submitting flash fiction, please send your name and work to A.Eye_ILIC@yahoo.com. ]

AI BABEAI BABE

Did being an attractive woman sway you into becoming a Fashion major student because I um would think you would be a model?

Um, yeah. Like I’ve always liked clothes and even in high school I always (pauses to text on her phone).

Umm. So Jen... would you consider yourself eye candy and would you go out with me?

Eye candy? Starts to giggle. I wouldn’t know (goes back to texting).

You are eye candy. I gave her a stern look, but she didn’t hear me. She just kept texting.

What would you say is your best physical attribute?

Probably what you are staring at.

I’ll take that as a yes to going out with me. As for being an attractive woman does it make life easier?

Is that a real question? Things got very awkward.

So being in Fashion, what are your dreams?

Umm. I want to own my own fashion line, dress celebrities up and tell them what to wear for like when they go to shows and just wear around and I want to have a lot of money.

At your level of hotness that is very plausible. Have you ever considered acting?

OMG!! She actually said omg. I’ve done some acting. I was in a few music videos. It was like really awesome. I was just rocking out. She started listening to her MP3 Player.

Awesome can you show me some dance moves?

She stands up but then gets a text and starts texting again and sits down.

I know some people in the film industry. If you want to give me your number I’ll have them contact you.

Like for real? Like for real real? That would be like totally awesome. I’m So excited-ed-ed. Bonus!!

This is on a side note, but I’m sure people are wondering if you consider yourself a Feminist?

Ugh, no I like boys.Oh crap! I accidently stepped on her white coat leaving a shoe print.

What?

Nothing. So, as a hot babe do you have a boyfriend?

Uhhh. Um no. I’m currently single right now, it’s just me and my dog, Ginger Foo Foo, but I’m on the look out. Then she winks at me, no she didn’t but that would be awesome.

What kind of guy are you looking for?

Umm. Well, I would say he has to be tall, rich, funny, and charming.

Being a tall beautiful woman such as yourself, you must be an elegant dancer?

Right, what are you 5 ft?

Knock Knock?

Whose there?

This good looking guy! Oh yeah!

Long moments of awkwardness and a lot of sweating on my part.

Um, okay. So, um... you must get hit on all the time?

Yeah, like right now?

Shhhh, let’s just have our moment.

You’re weird.

I was on a mission to find the hottest A.I. babe. I believe that the goal was finally achieved. After 58 successful stalkings and 120 slaps to the face I finally managed to get the hottest A.I. babe to sit down and have a chat with me. This young adult heartthrob is one that will make you drool. Jenna Harvey is a fashion student here at our very own school. She has requested to remain anonymous.

Interview with a Hot Ai Babeby Jonathan Gonzalez

BISTRO BITES

BISTRO

BITESAn experience

The first half I was in the back of the house. The class puts students in different stations in the kitchen. I was in Garde Manager. Chef Howe had us come up with our own recipes for each week’s menu. In my station, I had to come up with new recipes for salads, soups, and appetizers every week. We also had to know how we were going to plate everything. Combined with my other schoolwork meeting deadlines felt like it was near impossible.

I learned a lot from Chef Howe. He hounded us in the kitchen about cooking and prepping cleanly or how to make deadlines for customers. I took out of his kitchen a better understanding about working clean. Little things like that can make the difference between getting the job and being in the unemployment line.

The final he gave us scared a lot of us, but I looked forward to it. It gave us the chance to step out of the box and have a little fun doing what we love. He gave us certain ingredients and we had to gather what else we needed and basically knock his socks off with the final product.

The next half I moved from the back of the house to the front. The first adjustment: how to tie a tie. For a man it is basic knowledge, but for a woman it can be a challenge. Once wehad the basics, the manager for the day ran the class. We spent the first few days learning how to set a table, fold a napkin, and what not to do while serving a customer.

Some days we would have Christmas parties and business parties. Every couple days

Chef Tyler would change our positions so that we could work in every position. It seemed we had more parties than time to actually serve “normal” customers. Needless to saythere is a difference when serving a table of two versus serving a party of forty.

There were also extra assignments to complete. I selected going to lunch outside of school during class time. I was able to go to the Palmer House for lunch and have it paid for. I had to observe the service and staff and then I had 24 hours to write a seven-page summary of the experience.

The hard part of the class was the written final, which covered everything in the handbook (remarked by Chef Tyler as “the dining room Bible”v). Unfortunately, some things in the handbook we were not able to actually do or experience. I hope that improves as I did feel like I missed something or lacked an experience.

Something that I would love to see for the future is that each of classes are a full quarter long allowing the students to gain even more experience. Another option is to let the restaurant be open more days a week so that more experiences can happen.

Overall, the two classes were both fun and challenging and I can only hope that all Culinary students get to enjoy it too. If nothing else, everyone should stop in and have a meal and experience the casual finedining that is right under all of our noses. Overall, I would say that the Bistro does not bite but it does require hard work. aeye

My experience at The Bistro might help fellow

culinarians get a realistic look at the class. The first

half of the quarter is spent in either the back of the

house or the front of the house switching in the

second half the quarter. Does the final class being

in the Bistro really bite?

by Sabina Jackson

RECIPES BY SABINA

aeye March 2011 13

This Issue’s Recipe:

[ Turkey Stew ]

PREP 20 minutesTOTAL 75 minutesMAKES 10-14 servings

2 (4 oz.) cans of mushrooms

1 large onion, chopped

2 tbsp. garlic, chopped

2 (10 oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup

3 cups turkey or chicken

16 oz. frozen vegetables

2 cups wild rice

2 cups white rice

COMBINE all ingredients, except for the rice, in a large stock pot.

BOIL and add the rice. Make sure there is enough broth to cook rice fully.

STIR occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

SERVE with a crusty bread in a deep bowl once rice is fully cooked and watch it disappear!

what you need make it

RECIPES BY Sabina

Don Norman, a columnist from

core77 magazine, who has served

as a judge for a number of design

competitions, fears that aesthetics

will always trump functionality.

“They reward the visibleparts - styling - and ignore themost important, but hardest parts: interaction, experience, truly meeting needs, and even economic success.”

Also worth noting, jurors in such

contests can only judge the work

submitted to them. In the absence

of a proper explanation of your

work, it may be overlooked. As a

result, these contests perpetuate

the myth that design is all about

appearances reflecting poorly

on the industry. (After all, when

selecting colleges, the argument

was and still is, “If you want to

make pretty pictures, attend a

fine arts college.”) However, I feel

that design contests are entirely

necessary as they bring out the

best in design and encourage

those who participate to extend

their own creative boundaries.

As students, we approach

everything with an open mind,

inside and outside the classroom.

The trouble with keeping an

open mind is choosing sides,

especially (in this case) when

both sides of the argument are

sound. The truth is, you will not

be able to choose sides until you

put yourself right in the middle

of the argument by experiencing

the design contest yourself. In

order to formulate your opinion

on design contests, enter them!

Odds are you are have not been

touched by the gods and you will

not win every contest that you

enter. But for the sake of argument,

let’s say you have learned from

your mistakes and won a contest.

You are brimming with prestige.

(Not that you entered the contest

for the prestige.) So you set

out to conquer more design

challenges, as it has recently

occurred to your young and able

mind that recognition feels great.

And why shouldn’t it? Winning

awards is great. It should come

as no surprise that they look

great on a resumé. But beyond

that, the level of exposure you

can attain is an award in itself.

To succeed as designers, we must

be eager to engage in design.

And if uncertain as to whether

or not to partake in a specific

event, contest, or lecture, ask

yourself what do you have to

lose, and what do you have to

gain? Uncertainty, if anything,

should be enough incentive

to partake in the quest for the

answers. Enter a design contest,

however big or small it may be,

and find your own answers. aeye

DESIGN CONTESTS

THE DESIGN CONTEST: H e l p f u l or H u r t f u l ?by Nick Redford

It is widely assumed by students that submitting your work in contests is “great exposure” and “good fun”. There are others who firmly believe that design contests (in their current state) are harmful to the industry.

The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago

Graphic Design Conference

Merchandise Mart Conference Center

Thursday & Friday, May 5 & 6

6-8PM & 10-7:30PMCO

NNEC

TThis free event highlights professionals from

various segments of the design industry.

Joy Burke Creative Director, Studio Joy, Inc.

A STORY OF JOY

Margo Chase Executive Creative Director, Chase Design Group

STUMBLING DOWN THE PATH TO SUCCESS:

the haps and mishaps of growing a design business.

Chase Dunlop Owner, Chase Talon Design

CREATING IDENTITY: Looking cool doesn’t cut it.

Roxane Jubert Typographer, Author, and Art Historian

EXPERIMENTAL TYPES AND ATYPICAL ALPHABETS

Martin Rosenberg President, Rosenberg Associates Ltd

Vintage Fine Art Posters of Eastern Europe

Holly Rotman-Zaid Freestyle Mktg

GETTING RESULTS: Using graphic design to create promotional

and incentive merchandise that can make a difference!

Karey Uhler Graphic Designer, Crate and Barrel and CB2

CRATE AND BARREL: Private Label Packaging

For schedules and additional information:

ai-connect.com

MUSIC GARAGE MUSIC GARAGE

By Nick Redford

Interview with John Kempler

Music Garage

AEYE How long has the Music Garage been open to musicians?

John Kempler About 7 years. We initially started out as just band rehearsal space and over the course of the past 3 to 4 years we’ve been expanding. We now have a retail store, several recording studios, hourly rehearsal rooms, and a

repair/rental shop. Like I said, initially when we started, it was just private band rehearsal rooms. Bands would have their own room and rent out a room. But since then, we’ve expanded to what we are today, and hopefully more in the near future.

AEYE Typically, what sorts of bands do you work with here, as well as age groups?

JK Age, I would say anywhere from 18 to… There’s an Internet radio show on the 5th floor run by a gentleman who is, I would guess, in his sixties. But that’s kind of the interesting thing about this place. Besides being a pretty wide range of ages, it’s a pretty wide range of uses, as well as bands. Certainly metal bands, Indie rock bands, and Hip-hop acts. There are production studios, which is something we’ve really expanded on, as well as video editing and DJ’s. So it’s a really multi-use environment here, which lends to really great networking possibilities.

AEYE That leads right into my next question. Networking. Do you guys, here at Music Garage, recommend musicians to other musicians? What are some of the networking possibilities?

JK Well, we’ve got our standard bulletin board that anyone is allowed to post on, our recording engineer on the 5th floor is really in tune with all of the production studios in the building, so when bands come in to record, not just rehearse, we network them with the right producers or put them in touch with someone that might click well with them. As far as networking musicians, a lot of people are doing that on their own, and it seems to work well. Often times, musicians from one band will hear another band practicing in their own rehearsal room and go down to talk with them. There is quite a bit of that going on, but people are always talking in the hallways and in the lounge, so yeah, a lot of great networking.

AEYE How do you advertise, and is word of mouth is a big part of that?

JK We put ads in the reader, ads in the papers, Craigslist. We put up flyers in Guitar Center. There is a variety of advertising we do, but right now I would say our biggest source is word of mouth.

AEYE What do you offer bands besides recording and rehearsal space?

JK Well we’ve got our retail store. The beauty of that is it’s open 7 days a week. And our repair/rental shop that offers repairs services for just about any typeof gear whether it be guitars, amps, etc.The office is open 7 days a week, which means the shop is open 7 days a week, and the store is open 7 days a week.

We’re open as late as eleven or twelve at night in case you break a drumstick or guitar string at the last minute. Gear rental. Say a band is playing a gig and the venue doesn’t have its own PA, we can rent out a PA to that band for their gig. There are a lot of services like that.

AEYE What sort of equipment do you have here in the studios? Are you using Pro Tools? What types of soundboards?

JK In the showcase studio upstairs, we have a large live 32-channel crest board and Pro Tools with digi03. Besides recording, the showcase studio’s primary use is for pro rehearsal or showcase rehearsal. We get big name touring acts that come through.

AEYE What are some of the bigger names that have come through here?

1.1 Music Garage’s pro studio boasts the latest in recording gear. Big names like John Mayer, Jimmy Buffet, Van Morrison, and Sting have rehearsed and recorded.

Bands can rent out these rehearsal rooms by the hour. They have excellent acoustics and are fully equiped with a backline (drum kit, guitar riggs, PA).

1.2

Located in the West Loop and just a few steps from the orange/green line, Music Garage has something for every musician. Don’t let the warehouse exterior fool you. Music Garage is an oasis of musical resources. Boastingthe latest and greatest in recording gear, live equipment, and studio acoustics. I recently sat down with manager John Kempler to discuss all that Music Garage has to offer.

JK Last year we had John Mayer and Van Morrison. The year before that we had Sting and Jimmy buffet come through. We should be getting a few more big names as we’re coming into this new touring season but the pro rehearsal space has definitely had some big names come through there.

AEYE And lastly, do you offer anythingfor students?

JK We have what are called “hourly rooms” which are rooms equipped with a full backline. They have a bass rig, a guitar rig, a drum kit, and a PA system. So you rent the room out by the hour and its all set to go. And for that, we have a student rate available. aeye

Be sure to check out Music Garage onfacebook and twitter, or visit them @

[ Images 1.1 & 1.2]

DESIGNING FOR VETS

12 aeye Spring 2011

MISSION POSSIBLE

Part II

Meet Army SGT Cameron Crouch, this year’s beneficiary of the Designing for Veterans community service project. Cameron was deployed to Iraq as part of the A Co. 1/178th Infantry when he was severely injured in an accident on August 23, 2007. While working as part of a platoon overseeing witnesses and detainees at the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad, a rooftop caved-in, plunging SGT Crouch seventy feet to the ground. As a result of landing on his feet on a marble floor, Cameron suffered devastating injuries to both of his legs requiring nearly 20 surgeries including the amputation of both legs below

the knee. After a series of hospitalizations around the country, including Walter Reed Hospital, Cameron and his wife, Christy, now live in Mahomet, Illinois. In January of 2010 Homes for Our Troops presented Cameron and Christy with a beautiful new ADA designed home at no cost to them, built by caring professional volunteers with donated materials from suppliers, in order to help Cameron move freely and be independent. Cameron’s future goals include completing his college education in the healthcare field so he can pursue a career as a doctor. His wife, Christy, will graduate from the University of Illinois as a

Carol Way Cisco LEED, AP Sargeant Cameron Crouch and wife Christy Crouch

DESIGNING FOR VETS

aeye Spring 2011 13

teacher this year and enjoys teaching second grade students.

Realizing the DreamIf you believe it can’t be done, it can’t. If you believe it can be done, it can. Big or small any idea, desire or thought can be made into reality if you put your mind to it. Notice this statement does not include “mind and action.” That is because it starts in the mind. It is the decision in thought that propels the idea or desire into action. Indeed, you will need to move your hands, feet, body, and/or voice to carry forward that determined thought but it will come naturally once you decide.

So is the case in realizing one day that someone, somewhere needed to do something, anything about helping our young veterans who have sacrificed so much in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Thus began the establishment of a new not-for-profit organization called Designing for Veterans, by students from the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago ASID student chapter.

Designing for VeteransDesigning for Veterans was borne out of a passion to offer thanks and provide

help to our severely disabled veterans for their courage, honor and sacrifice in keeping America safe and free so we all can live the American Dream; whatever that dream is for you. The organization offers professional level interior design services and carries forth that customized design to meet the specific needs of the veteran with furnishings and accessories fully installed at no cost to the veteran.

Furniture, lighting, fabrics, drapery, custom cabinetry, materials, supplies and professional services such as carpentry, painting, delivery and installation are provided pro bono by other caring professionals from the interior design industry. Various types of fundraisers are also conducted to raise funds to support each project. By way of example, at the end of this quarter Designing for Veterans is sponsoring a Benefit Talent Show with local talent performing in all areas of the arts. The proceeds will help to fund our first beneficiary.

Handicap Accessible Interiors The first two areas of Cameron’s home to receive the pro bono design and furnishings will be the master bedroom

and bath. These areas currently have barriers that make it impossible for Cameron to navigate his wheelchair around the rooms without banging into furniture. The master bathroom does not have adequate storage for his medical supplies. Once these areas have been designed and fully installed other areas of their home will also be addressed. These include the living room, dining room and guest bedroom.

Join the Team of Mission PossibleYou can make a difference in the life of Army SGT Crouch and his wife Christy by joining the team of ILIC students. Talent and skill of all kinds is needed: photographers, web designers, graphic designers, interior designers, fundraisers and for the Benefit Talent Show they need singers, dancers, rappers, bands, soloists, poets, dramatic readings. Yyou name it.

All it takes is a decision: decide you can do it, and you can. Contact Carol Cisco chairperson and founder at carolwaycisco@gmail.com, Stephanie Hajkaluk, President ASID Student Chapter at shajkaluk@gmail.com, or Janice Belen, Treasurer ASID Student Chapter at jbelen620@gmail.com.

ARTIST OF THE QUARTER

John Tobias Lopez

“Curves.” That was the word that was being repeated over and over again as John Tobias Lopez was explaining the point of all of his work. Although the unfinished gray and white silk dress did not make the cut for his line in the FAME fashion show it still somehow managed to show how much thought is put into one simple garment.

When seeing John, he doesn’t seem like a usual fashion design major. His clothes focus on comfort, favoring jeans and a certain blue sweater. He has a soft face and dark completion that frames his glasses. John’s first impression seems to be more of a bookworm, too. Campus is not just a place for him to go to class, but to work and study even more. The library, where he likes to take studying to a whole new level, is where he balances his time between the computer scanner, books about design (especially corsets) and old issues of Vogue. He even said that his fashion Bible is the library archives, where there are many information fabulous resources such as WDD and Vogue.

If John is not at the library, he will most likely be found tutoring in the Learning Center. When it comes to education he just will not stop.

Although John receives his degree in Fashion Design, he will not beready to give up college yet. Of course he will seek out work within his major, but soon would like to go to graduate school for Fashion Design so he can research the art even more.

“I want to know fashion design very well I want to be a master of it,” John simply stated. It seemed to fit, too, considering his plans for the next few months after graduation is to come back and finish a silk dress and also use Career Services to help him continue into the next phase of his life.

Originally from Texas, John pursued art in college when he first graduated. After a pause from school that changed his outlook on art, he came back years later to continue his education. After college, John decided that the Textiles and Apparel degree was not suiting him well enough. And after a five month internship in France, John discovered that fashion would be his outlet as an artist.

Jumping around from major to major seemed like John’s only option because he “couldn’t seem to find the art – couldn’t get back to the art.” However, in France he had seen what was going on in fashion and fell in love. “[It] gave me the missing link to the art I was looking for that I could not find,” he described.

I want to know fashion design very well I want to be a master of it.

Art

ist

Q

uart

er

of

the

“

“1

by Lindsay Grundy / photos by Katelynn Boyle

ARTIST OF THE QUARTER

It was asked how John found ILIC and chose it to be the school where he would learn the trade. After a lot of research, something he is very fond of, John decided “it was between New York [City] and Chicago. And I selected Chicago – I’ve been here before – I mean not in this school but in this city. And I felt comfortable with the city and what the city is made of. And it was a very good choice for me.”

John was honest when he said he had no clue what to expect with the program or with designing in general when he came to Chicago but said, “for me it turned out exactly as I wanted it [to]. It was art combined with the reality of fashion. The actual human form – a living body – live art – that’s awesome; let that be your medium to work on: a movable living medium.”

“Being a fashion designer is like any other profession. It requires a lot, and you’ve got to work a lot toward it to become very good at it – what makes it hard is if [or if not] you’re willing to work at it,” John says as he admits that the business side is his least favorite part of the career. That does not change anything, though. John still says that he is “a true, hard-core designer.”

The typical student at ILIC is around his or her early twenties. Although John does not speak of his age, he does know that he is quite a few years above the normal age. Does he find this difficult? At first, but he learned that his seniority over the young adults is a gift. It just took awhile to get there.

“Having to simply accept [the fact I’m going to school at an abnormal age] took me a while, the entire reality of what I was involved with at ILIC. And when that acceptance was settled in me, then I was able to pick up lots of strength and momentum in what I was studying. And I took off like a fireball – I became unstoppable…Regardless of where you’re at – time, places – regardless…it takes work; physically, actually doing it work. Thinking it, designing it, envisioning it, putting it together, constructing it, making it, physically getting involved with what you’re making,” John stated as he spoke of how learning fashion design knows no age.

Instead of focusing on graduating, John is more focused on FAME 2011. The process of being in FAME 2011 is something that takes over a year, from designing to creating. Originally John’s focus was on abstract wedding gowns but as the deadline became closer and closer he found himself designing corsets. When it came to the deadline, he had to make a decision. Going with corsets put him behind, but he liked the idea of going into more of a contemporary, modern day look. When asked if he would go back and make any changes to his FAME 2011 outfit, John said he would “not even consider it. What was done was right for the moment.”

Fine words from a designer in the ever-changing fashion world. aeye

1 unfinished gray and white silk dress

2 sketches of different corset designs

3 sketches of different evening gowns

“Being a fashion designer is like any other profession. It requires a lot,

and you’ve got to work a lot towards it to become very

good at it .”

2 3

FAME

BY LINDSAY GRUNDY

PHOTOS BY KATELYNN BOYLE

FAME 2011

FAME

The saying “there’s something for everyone” definitely applies to FAME. Before the fashion show even begins, the audience is able to walk around the Harris Theater where all majors are showcased. Boards outline each room with projects from all majors. Mac’s are lined up with slideshows of marketing projects, photography examples (Erika Cespedes’ “vintage flair” photography board was worth looking at) and website models. Touch the mouse and mini versions of video games can be played.

A small room is devoted to showcasing fashion in different ways. The top three designs for the stage, a competition held for Interior Design students to design the stage set for FAME, each having a 3-D model accompany each design idea. Within the rest of the room, dramatic costumes inspired by wonderlands, dragons, and geometrics are set up on mannequins. Alicia Batman and Kelly Varma’s “Made for Print Dress,” publicized in Extra Bilingual Newspaper, was a favorite of passerby’s. Some even remarked “they wished people would make the dress for me.”

This was all before the actual show.

Although there were two shows, the day show was more of a practice round, allowing high school students to get a taste of the runway and their possible futures at Ai .

The night time was the high life, where there was a bar and all the fashionista’s came out to play. There might have been a lot to see on the runway but there are almost just as much of an eyeful within the audience. With all the trendy chic outfits there was only one conclusion; these people are the fashion; adorable heels, eye-catching accessories, and stylish skirts.

In the hallways the conversation and commotion overpowers each of the floors but inside the theater it is calm. As if a sense of serenity and utter comfort washes over. All eyes fall on the richly colored orange curtains and the place quickly filled up. With a media pass ticket seats were right next to all of the fashion designers that participated in FAME.

The designers walked about and talked to one another, nervous about the show. Think about it, these entry level designers have worked months on pieces that will be shown to hundreds of people. This show is the world’s first impression of each fashion designer.

Of course, the show began fashionably late. Erica Strama from The Shops at North Bridge (a sponsor of the event), and NBC 5 Chicago’s LeeAnn Trotter introduce the show. They spoke about how every degree program is used for this event. From fashion designers creating the clothing to the fashion marketers dressing the models and even interior designers who made the stage set (Felicia Dobbey’s “Cityscape” design won over the judges).

The curtains opened to reveal complete darkness. A video showed how every major helped out with FAME, and then Lady Gaga’s hit single, “Born This Way,” began to play until the stage lights were flipped on, showing three men and the first scene, “Recycled, Re-Purposed, Re-Fashioned.”

From tire boots connected to overalls to seat belts and burlap bags, the designers thought of creative ways to express recycling.

Audra Kase’s “Sogno di Milano” and “Bed Head and Bows” were two adorable lines. “Bed Head and Bows” literally looked as though she tore her bedding off and fitted it to look like a quirky outfit to wear down the runway. “Future 3010”, by Elizabeth Leukuma, showed how LED lights can be used for what one wears instead of what one sees.

Scene two, “Urban Excess”, showed off some of my personal favorite outfits. The designer Love Alexander-el is now a favorite that I hope to one day be buying in stores. The boho, flowy, cream dress and hooded dress from Love Alexander-el’s “Urban Funk” line definitely caught the eye. Love Alexander-el’s “Zip Files,” shown a few models later, showed how intense a dress, zippers, and dark tones can be used together.

Michael Schellenbach showed how great men’s clothing can be when playing off the grey tones in “Oliver Twisted”. Another personal favorite was Kelly Brinn’s “Versailles 2011”, with wonderful prints, flowy shirts, and a great dress and leggings combo. “Garbage Chic” by Andrew Sourdif was another favorite, with many different looks for a woman, from working to risqué styles.

Each queue of the well received playlist signaled the models to walk off the stage in unison and another set would come on.

Scene three, “Hats Off”, was the millinery section of the show. From rich reds to blues, top hats to flat hats, everything was made. Emily Rose Brandi created many different excellent designs from “Twisted Mad Hatter” to “Versailles”, where top hats were the main style.

Scene four, “Brighten Up”, showed many different styles of dress, from “Vintage Barbie” by Patricia McDowall to “Warrior” by Marta Cebrat-Czernik. Popular trends of houndstooth, leather, and the color cobalt blue were combined within one jacket.

During the night showing something seemed to be different with the men’s clothing. There seemed to be a few extra outfits paired with a new model for the night showing. Every time this male model would take a turn at the stage, the designer’s would praise him with claps and yells. As it turns out, he is actually a teacher here at Ai and filled in when a model did not show.

Scene five, “Action Packed,” began as sporty outfits with “Haute Tennis” (Kaneez Abbas) which had a zipper compartment for a tennis ball. Also “Sustainable Glamour’s” (Justine Boquiren) swimwear consisted of cute one pieces, cover-ups and a high waisted two piece. In scene six everyone was wowed by the long trench coat assemble titled “Cloak and Dagger” by Nicole Paprosky.

Scene seven allowed David McIntosh to show off his wonderful dress named “The Black

Swan”, something that looks like it came off the red carpet. A great street style pant outfit by Nicole Paprosky was also showcased. Even this issue’s Artist of the Quarter’s John Tobias Lopez’s “Dimensional Path” had great corsets and silk pants had its own set of claps.

“Bridal Unveiled”, scene eight and the last scene, showcased many great dresses. “Rustic Elegance” by Monica Shuppe was a personal favorite, but everyone, including the judges, saw that David McIntosh’s “The White Swan” wedding dress, with it’s cream tone and layer after layer (of lace?), was breathtaking. “The White Swan” was the perfect way to end a show.

FAME isn’t an event for level three students. Eight students, such as Annie Porter, Tammy Montella, Rachel Burazer, and Ethan Haas are all level ones and still worked hard enough on their designs to join FAME 2011’s group of fashion designers. Thousands of hours were put into the clothing, the show, and the event altogether to create one night of Ai fashion and media for the city of Chicago to enjoy. ILIC students were able to showcased their talent that the school had helped each student form while studying at ILIC Chicago. As for the many wonderful outfits that were created for classes and for FAME 2011, well, if the designers need any help getting their clothes off their hands, there are many other ILIC students who would be happy to take care of the garments for them. aeye

Oddly enough, the title of the fashion show and media extravaganza, FAME, makes sense. Every year, ILIC students’ receive a chance to reach actual fame, something that normally isn’t done while still working toward a degree. With all the glitz and glamour that FAME 2011 had, it gave everyone the chance to feel like a celebrity.

C2E2

2 2One subculture in our society is that of the comic book fan. Comic book fans, whether you call them geeks, nerds, dweebs, dorks, or friends. It is hard to ignore the impact they have on pop culture. There is not a better place where this is demonstrated than the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Exposition or simply C2E2. For those of you who dismiss comic conventions as “a bunch of over grown children getting together and dressing up like superheroes,” you couldn’t be further from the truth. There are costume contests and masquerades, but that is only part of the attraction of conventions. omic conventions are the lifeblood of the industry. If you are a fan of cartoons, movies, comics, webcomics, action figures, fringe fashion, and gaming then you would be right at home at C2E2. Amateur artists can go there and talk to industry professionals. Fans can go there to buy, sell, and read

comic books. Also they can get an opportunity to meet their favorite artist, writer, or even the actor from an upcoming movie.

I got the opportunity to talk to some very interesting individuals: Aaron Sparrow and James Silvani, They are involved in the comic book continuation of the cartoon show “Darkwing Duck.” Do not be ashamed to be excited to hear this news. The comic is in the same spirit and art style as the original cartoon series. Aaron Sparrow, the editor of the comic until recently, said that he was always been a big fan of the show. Later when he was asked by BOOM! Studios what comic he would like, “Darkwing Duck” was the first thing that came to his mind. James Silvani is the primary artist for the comic and he says that he thinks it’s the “best job in the world.” He was able to

by Margaret Logan / photos by Katelynn Boyle

che

ck i

t o

ut

C2E2

draw characters that were familiar and loved . This was made easier by the character sheet that was given to them by the cartoons original designer, Tad Stones, along with his blessing.

There was a lot of very interesting information on getting started in the comic book industry there. Conventions were, after all, how undiscovered comic artists and writers pitched ideas prior to the Internet. There are many at comic conventions that keep that tradition alive, not to mention others who are more than willing to give advice for the future generation of comic book lovers. I got a chance to speak with my personal favorite comic artist/writer Terry Moore, who had a lot of great advice on the subject. For those who do not know, Terry Moore is the Award winning artist/author of “Strangers in

Paradise” which has won the National Cartoonist Society’s Reuben Award, The GLAAD media award, and the Will Eisner Award for best serialized story or comic. Terry Moore started his own studio, Abstract Studio, to publish Strangers in Paradise, He had some great advice for up and coming artists/ writers.“Start Small, don’t go get loans or bite off more than you can chew.” He gave other great practical advice for aspiring authors, like don’t overwhelm yourself and take small steps, but he also said, “Don’t do it if it makes you miserable”which anyone or of any professional background can take to heart. At the end of the day, although comic books are a serious business their purpose has been to entertain and sometimes even enlighten us. I think that is something everyone can appreciate. aye

LEFTGoup of C2E2 fans compete in a cosplay competition .

MIDDLE Darkwing Duck co-artist sets up her booth.

RIGHT Top view of the exposition.

the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Exposition

BLOOM BOX

a new way to power our lives

What man and the even the most brilliant scientists fully failed to predict, was the greater power of Mother Nature. Today the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan endangers all our lives because man could not predict and build a fortress strong enough to withstand the earthquake and powering tsunami that Mother Nature throws at us. The Fukushima disaster has occurred because even the brilliance of Japanese engineering, which they are well known for, has not passed the test.

Now that makes one ponder strongly about what it takes to “effectively” construct nuclear power stations that

also protect the populace it is trying to serve. Mother Nature is unpredictable. This brings us to alternative energy. It exists today in many forms.

Solar, wind and geo-thermal are a few well known and good resources but are blocked by vested interests and thus not supported enough to make a significant shift to energy production that not only serve but preserve human life.

There is another alternative energy source that seems to defy the odds and is financially supported. It is in bloom, making its way into the lives and workplaces of America as you read this.

Imagine a box. It can be large or small. Inside are plates of ceramic squares coated with green and black inks. In between each are metal alloy plates; each square as thin as a credit card. Now imagine, pumping in oxygen (air) into one side and fuel into the other side, a fuel that is eco-friendly like fossil fuel (natural gas) or bio-gas made from landfill waste and is carbon neutral. When the fuel and air meet those coated ceramic plates you have a chemical reaction that creates electricity, enough electricity that can power your house with a box that is 8” tall 5” wide and 5” long. Also visualize the fact that this box has no wires, is clean, inexpensive with no emissions. Now that’s a box – wouldn’t you say.

by Carol Way Cisco, LEED AP

Since the discovery of atomic fusion by Leo Szilard it has been known that nuclear power in the hands of man could cause the destruction of all life on this planet. We are acutely aware of the radiation dangers by atomic bomb as seen with Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Then there are Chernobyl and Three Mile High, to name only two of thirty-three identified nuclear power plant incidents. This discussion of prior nuclear distaster serves to acknowledge the finger of human frailty under which such devastating power exists.

BLOOM BOX

It’s a Bloom box otherwise known as Bloomenergy. Its creator and inventor, KR Sridkar, was a NASA scientist whose job was to create oxygen on Mars at a time when the space program was in its prime. When that program was abandoned Sridkar reverse engineered the principles to arrive at the Bloom box. Over 20 companies are using Bloomenergy today. Large corporations such as FedEx, Walmart, Staples, EBay and Google are the first to test the invention. EBay has five large units (approximately 6’x5’x5’) that provides 15% of their power and in one year has saved over $200,000 in electrical costs. They use bio-gas from local landfill waste. And according to EBay’s CEO,

John Donahoe, these Bloomenergy boxes generate five times more power than EBay can actually use. In the architectural world, Bloomenergy boxes can help reduce the footprint of large corporate buildings, provide clean energy, eliminate the power line grid that traverses the global terrain and replace the need for nuclear power stations.

To this end, KR Sridkar applied science and his creative genius to create a better and safer tomorrow where; “life will bloom children will bloom the environment will bloom and jobs will bloom.” A description of the box by Sridhar’s nine-year old son won the title

of the box, Bloomenergy. “It is about seeing what the world can be, not what it is,” said Sridkar. And that indeed is what architecture, interior design and all the arts are truly about. aeye

How Bloom Energy Servers

Create Electricity

If you would like to learn more about how the Bloomenergy box will be coming to your home in the next five to ten years please visit:

www.CBSnews.com/Alternative Energy: The Bloom Box.

CREATIVE RESOURCES

thePauper

The Pauper is a new website with

an interactive portal and network of

information for artists and creative

individuals. Like many artist resource

websites, it was created by three

“starving artists” who were all

working in the financial planning

industry and saw how important it is

to be able to access these services in

the artist community. The Pauper was

born as a newsletter but has since

grown to become a premiere website

for assisting artists in whatever they

may need. After years of searching

the web, the creators of The Pauper

have accumulated a large number of

useful sites for artists. Their goal has

always been very simple: “ to help all

artists get the information they need

to achieve success while pursuing a

career in the new creative economy.”

One of my favorite aspects of The

Pauper is the interactive web portal.

When you join the website, you can

create your own artist blog. In the

blog, you can post your work and

also browse through other artists’

work for inspiration. Like other social

networking sites, you can also build

your artist circle by adding friends.

Another cool thing is that you can

actually accept donations for your

artwork as well. Overall, I truly find

the portal to be a valuable tool that

we can use to promote, sell, network

with other artists, and attain the

resources we need to succeed. We

spend countless hours on other non-

creative social network sites. Spending

a little time on The Pauper can actually

benefit your career as an artist.

The Pauper also offers a newsletter

sent via e-mail, as well as another

subarticle of The Pauper called the

ARTrepreneur Newsletter. One of the

newsletters I read was titled “What

Every Artist Should Know about

Websites.” I found this article to be

by Lauren McKiddy

The Internet is one of the most important resources a student could have nowadays. It provides jobs, inspiration, and communication all over the world. To be successful artists, we must educate ourselves on the Internet. The problem with that is: where do we start? With so many links and websites, it’s sometimes diffficult to find where to begin the search. There are many online resource websites for artists, but I decided to take a look at ThePauper.com and I found that this website makes that endless search of links and sites more productive by placing all of those links in one place.

very interesting because it gave you

tips on how you should build your

website (use a professional) and what

the average cost is to build a website.

In final consideration, I think we

students could really use this

website to our advantage. Most of

us use social networking sites every

day without having them benefit us

in any other way, aside from getting

our social fix. Using the portal of this

site could educate you on the career

path, which we have all chosen to

take. The Pauper could even make

us a little money by possibly selling

artwork. By putting your work out

into the world, the possibilities are

endless. You never know who might

see it. Whether you’re a student or

a professional artist, The Pauper’s

community and artist gallery is

the place to get your work seen by

millions. aeye

IS COMING TO AI!by Rachae l Mar r

bk

NSSE

NSSE

As the spring quar ter winds down we will be overloaded with school surveys. Ah, those infamous boxes stare at us from our desks like a car coming at full speed. It seems as though we have the deer in the headlights look. In our panic we have all asked, “What is the point?” For surveys to work properly you (obviously) have to take them. You may be thinking “So what, my opinions don’t matter.” But you would be wrong.

Associate Dean Marlene Atkins puts it this way, “Surveys help us help the students. They help us put policies in place to make the student more successful.” And that is what we all want to be right? Successful.

On April 4th the school will be sending out a new survey via email. This survey, NSSE (pronounced like the name Nessie) will be emailed to summer/fall freshman and spring/ summer seniors. No, this is not the infamous monster that haunts a Scotland loch. Rather the acronym stands for “National Survey of Student Engagement.”

The subject of “engagement” is where the NSSE diverges from other surveys. The NSSE begs the question “How do we get students more involved?” This survey will help staff and faculty reach each student more efficiently.

Maybe you’re wondering where these results go after you have completed the survey. The NSSE is used to rank our school nationally. This helps ILIC look at all Ai schools across the country that might have a higher score and see what policies they are instituting. It also assists in giving our administration an idea of whether an implemented policy is working or not. Also, the NSSE affects all depar tments - all are subject to ranking in this survey.

Marlene Atkins explains that many students leave school and we never find out why. Maybe it was for personal reasons, or maybe the reason had to do with the school itself. These are things that the school needs to know in order to change policies to better suit us.

Your voice is critical. In order for faculty and staff to know what our concerns are – you have to voice them. So when you see NSSE in the subject line of your inbox, make your voice heard for all of us. aeye

Illustration by Katelynn Boyle

OPEN BOOKS OPEN BOOKS

24 aeye Spring 2011 aeye Spring 2011 25

How did you and the founder, Stacy, start Open Books?

Stacy Ratner, the founder and executive director and I worked at another company. We wanted to start something new and get into nonprofit work. When we sat down and really thought about it we found that both of us held reading as a top, priority in life. We did some research and found out a lot more about the literacy crisis in Chicago. According to a study done by other literacy organizations, we found that in Chicago, 53% of the current adult population has low or limited literacy skills, 44% of America’s 4th graders cannot read aloud fluently and only 33% of high school graduates go on to earn a college degree. These statistics and others were an inspiration to us and we knew something needed to be done to improve the literacy rate. The ability to read is something people take for granted every day. We wanted to make an impact and bring literate and nonliterate together in a supportive environment.

For the first year what would you say your main focus was?

We accomplished three important things in 2006, the first year. 1. We met with A LOT of

people to get our idea out there. 2. We never stopped trying to collect as many books as possible. The first year we collected about 50-60,000. Now we collect about 10-20,000 a month. 3. We concentrated on our marketing and branding. We only added key staff when necessary, and we finally opened our store in November 2009.

So how do you help with the literacy crisis in Chicago?

We have three classrooms right above the bookstore and we offer four different programs for children and teens.

Can you tell us more about the programs Open Books offers?

Sure, there is Adventures in Creative Writing, a field trip program for 4th-12th graders held in our classrooms above the store. This program is offered to any school around the city willing to apply. Once their application is approved the school brings their classes to our space and we lead them on a creative writing adventure. On this two hour adventure students write and read either as a whole, in small groups or individually with assistance from supportive coaches. We then discuss what was read and

Did you know there was a place you could donate books or buy books for half the price they are normally sold for and have your money help a literacy program in Chicago?

Open Books is a nonprofit social venture, containing a retail component (books store), but operating as a 501 C3 literacy nonprofit organization. Open Books is located at 213 W. Institute Pl.Chicago, IL 60610. They collect books from all over the city and beyond. Anyone can donate books they don’t want to the store or go online and schedule a pickup. Open Books sells these books online and in store for half the cover price. All the money raised helps their literacy program. aeye got the insider scoop from Becca Keaty, Director of Marketing & PR.

they then have time to write their own works of non fiction, memoirs, poetry, etc. Another program is the Open Books Buddies. We match elementary students with a reading mentor who goes to their school and spends one-on-one time weekly with the children to help them work on their reading skills. This was one of our first programs and it’s always a thrill for the schools to notice their children improving due to Open Books. The VWrite program is geared towards high school juniors. This program is 8-weeks and pairs teens with an adult mentor to work one on one in college and career communication. It allows students to work on their resume, cover letters, email and phone etiquette, interviews, college search, application process and more. The V in VWrite stands for “virtual” meaning most communication is done via phone and email, enabling students to see how professional communication is conducted and to allow mentors from around Chicago to contribute. We are currently working on the program, ReadThenWrite. This program is working with teenagers, 6th-12th grade. It is sort of a book club, where the teens read stories and discuss them with Open Books leaders and volunteer coaches. They learn about pertinent literary devices and how to apply them to writing and life experiences. With this knowledge they work on writing their own stories and present them at a gala event at the Open Books store. This program can be done on site after school or at Open Books depending on the circumstances.

This is all so wonderful of you to help children. Are all the people who work at Open Book store volunteers?

There are about 10 staff members including the Literacy director, book director, managing director, marketing and events director, program coordinator, and others. In the store there are two full time staff members. Otherwise there are about 50 volunteers to

run the bookstore. Currently there’s a waiting list to volunteer for the store.

How about the volunteers for the programs? How do you become a volunteer?

As far as the programs, we are always accepting new volunteers to help out. We ask volunteers to sign up online and attend an orientation to learn about Open Books. From then on we find out which program is best for the volunteer and they choose the program where they want to give back in volunteering. There is a vast age range for volunteers. Whoever wants to help out is welcome. It’s never too early to get started volunteering. We’ve noticed that young students respond to young mentors, people they can identify with and look up to as role models. We want volunteers to have the best fit with the program and students they’re helping. Even if Open Books isn’t right for someone, we will help find the right program for them even if it is not within our organization.

What kind of books does Open Books accept as donations?

We accept all books that are in good condition. Anyone can drop them off or schedule a pickup online. Open Books donates 5% of our inventory back to needy organizations such as shelters, clinics, etc.

Can anyone come in and purchase a book?

Yes, we are a fully organized and inventoried store. We resell all books at a very affordable price. If you wanted to call and see if we have a book we can look it up for you. We also have a watch list. If you are looking for a book we don’t have we put your information in our system and when the book comes in we notify you by email and phone. All books are mostly half priced of what you would have normally paid. It’s roughly $5-$10 for books

and we also have $1 book bin. There are over 50,000 titles held in the store organized by category just like any other book store. Our children’s section holds 10,000 titles with a children’s area to read. Families of all different means are welcome and able to afford our books.

Where do you see Open Books headed within the next 3-5 years?

We are always working on expanding our book collection, trying to get as many books as possible to make money for the cause. We are extremely close to opening up a warehouse to store more books and build an infrastructure for online sales. We are hoping to soon branch into ebooks, and hoping to open another store within the next five years.

That sounds unbelievable, I wish Open Books the best of luck. Is there anything else you wanted aeye readers to know about Open Books?

We are always having events and interested in volunteers and book donations. One of our events coming up is on April 15 Open Books Open Gallery. We are transforming the store into an art gallery. From 5-9pm we will have two featured artists, Stephen Coates, displaying his paintings and Meghan McCook, displaying her glass art and wearable design, accompanied by free food. The entire event is Free! We would love anyone to join. Everything is online at Open-Books.org, if you have any other interests.

When I was there I was amazed I think I picked up about half a dozen books from the $1 bin, some were even in plastic wrappings, never opened. This organization is utterly amazing and I suggest if you haven’t been there already you should check it out! See them online at www.Open-Books.org.

by Ashley Buziecki

CHEAP BOOKSGREATVALUE

THE ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF ART– CHICAGOQUARTERLY STUDENT MAGAZINE

F R E E F R E E

SP 11