Name: Marah Carpenter
Age: 22
Year: Senior
Major/Minor: Fashion/ Fine Arts 2D
Position in Student Government: President
What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion is anther venue of art. It’s very connected to the “fine art” realm in its processes and focus. It serves the designer the same way a painting might a painter. At the end of the day it’s an expression of us, others to us and us to others
Do you design stuff for the runway or stuff for the everyday?
Well I suppose anything can be for the runway or at least has been in one form or another (the trends we buy were taken from something on the catwalk), so I would say both. There is something satisfying about both sides of fashion (practical/ function vs. impractical/ nonfunctioning). So it really depends on the situation and what I’m either being inspired by or what’s being called for.
What made you interested in Fine Arts?
Fine arts was something that I understood and stuck with my whole life. It wasn’t a momentary interest or a mediocre hobby. It started as something I had a knack for and could bond with my mom through (she is a fine artist herself) and grew into something that was automatic. Though I was never very disciplined about it! It was structured more like a casual friendship that was there when I needed to talk or explore.
What was your internship?
I had two, one was in Philadelphia with Rae Kids clothing, a punk rock children’s wear company. I got to do a little bit of designing for Rae in textiles and garments, but I did a lot of construction, which was a big help. The other was in NYC with Susan Cianciolo, who worked in a variety of things, women’s wear mostly. She moved between art and fashion in her work, often never disconnecting them.
Do you have any advice for younger students in either Fashion or Fine Arts?
Don’t just stick to your major. Take as many classes as possible for you and take them in as many different areas as possible. You can’t ever know what challenges you will face and the more you know the better prepared you are. Plus it’s the unconventional ideas that bring on innovation.
What is the purpose of Student Government (S.G.)? What are the details of your job?
The purpose of SG is to be the advocate for the students. While we are not the only student leadership or advocate group at Moore, we deal with more of the governance side of student life. Well I’ve served in different positions of SG sense I joined my sophomore year, but now as president I preside over the entire group. It’s a great deal of management and organization of the committees, ensuring they are on the right track, they have the resources they need and staying on a timeline. In SG there are three members of the executive committee (Secretary, Vice President and President) and we divide up the committees create to over see certain ones and aid them as necessary. Probably the two biggest “details” about my job is emailing and follow-up and thinking on your feet. You can always plan things out, but you can’t control what happens. Oh and patience.
What do you like most about student government?
Meetings are always fun (yes I said fun) because you never know what’s going to come up or happen. Granted this also can make it frustrating at times but most of the time you’re in a room with a large witty group of students and they keep it fun and open. Actually this goes for the college wide committees too.
Does S.G. offer any special opportunities to students?
SG does offer a lot to its members. The obvious and most important one is that you have a chance to really make a difference at Moore. Moore is one of those rare locations where a student isn’t a “student”. You are an equal to every other constituent of the school and you aren’t only treated as such but you are given the opportunity to act on its full potential. Along with that you have a great amount of networking with members of the college and board, which often opens other doors (big and small). Then there is a variety of other smaller perks like going to events for free when you help out and occasionally getting’s some freebees.
What are some of the changes you have made and current projects?
Recently we create the “Spring Fling “ event, which is meant to be a traditional formal event and we are going to have it again this spring. Along with this we have played a part in getting student concerns and suggestions to SAGE about the dining. There’s a larger portion of SG that revolves around information and research on concerns or suggestions students tell us or we hear. This is so we can create proposals to bring to College Wide committees or departments to discuss the issue. So for example we have looked extending the distance the Moore shuttle can run. In the end we were unable to change the current policy because of a variety of issues, but we took what was a student concern and argued it as far as we could. Part of this then became information students of the results and reasons for the set up.
As far as our new projects go we are about to complete two proposals revolving around increasing professional crits in departments and an initiative to bring foreign language options to Moore. Some new projects include looking into 24 hour studios during mid terms and setting up a connection with neighboring colleges.
Any advice to people thinking about S.G.?
Go for it! SG is an open group that wants differing opinions and motivated students. The more variety the better choices we can make for representing our peers. SG is a time commitment and is much like another class but its extremely rewarding for both the student body and the individual. The lessons in professional practices and the empowerment you get when you know you have helped someone or completed a goal is unbelievable. I would tell everyone to apply and try it out if they have a voice they want to share and a motivation to make a difference! We do have applications coming up soon, though our date isn’t set yet but there will be massive advertise and emailing about it!
Being a student and the President of S.G. must be kind of stressful; any advice on balancing it all?
Never tell yourself you’ll do something later. This isn’t to say I don’t do that, but that is what gets me in trouble. I have to make list and decide on a plan of action and just do it. It sounds too simple but at the end of the day if you can get yourself to sit up and just start and focus you’d be surprised at how much you can get done. Also tackle small things and big things in the same mix, don’t do all difficult stuff together. I would send two emails about meetings or SG write ups and then start a major project, get to a certain point then move on to another assignment. This helps keep my attention and motivation up, while also making sure everything is being worked and moving along. Break things down, goal points not only help lesson the anxiety but also help your own morale when you start crossing them off!
If there is one thing someone should take away from your interview, what is it and why?
Oh that’s tough. I would say that nothing is limited whether you talking about your abilities in leadership, joining a group or mixing majors. You are your own person and you have the final decisions to your actions and your abilities. Don’t limit yourself by thinking you have to have limits.