Guest of Honor: Sara Krulwich

Spotted: Sara Krulwich, New York Times photographer, guest of honor at Baruch.  In her classroom visit, she outlined the progression of women’s rights through the lens of a female photographer. In an exceptionally well-delivered performance, she moved swiftly through various stages of her development. She showed us that what began as a passionate hobby as a college newspaper photographer ended up being a full-time job. Now a much sought-after photographer for the New York Times, her gender is hardly an obstacle.

Krulwich delivers a certain comic relief to the sad reality of the male chauvinism that existed in the 1960s. She says of her alma mater, University of Michigan, “No women, children or dogs allowed on the field.” It sounds like a joke, but it is far from comical. In fact, “there were no women in the marching band; no women cheerleaders; no women security guards.”

I know Sara Krulwich is coveted photographer, but her storytelling skills are also pretty impressive. She describes the fate from which she was saved when she was a novice photographer in college.  In her sophomore year, with a certain measure of defiance, she stepped on to the football field, camera in tow, ready to cover the game. The male security guards were about to physically remove her from the field, but decided not to make a huge commotion once the game was in session. That she remained on the football field was a direct lead for her to become a star in the photojournalism field. By doing so, her civil disobedience made a huge statement in women’s “power” in the workforce.

The other side of her presentation was more technical, discussing how she managed to buy camera equipment for very cheap in second-hand shops. Sara Krulwich struck me as exceptionally real person, a hard worker. She knew her limits and she fought them to get what she wanted. She had a goal and she was determined to reach it. Neither financial concerns nor sexual discrimination stopped her. She proved that nothing could stand in the way of motivation. Her presentation left us empowered. Krulwich shouts YES-WE-CAN! to women in every field.