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The Meaning of Friendship (IDC Final Project)

December 7, 2023 / sophb149 / 1 Comment

What does friendship mean to you? To us, the meaning of friendship is connection, laughter, good memories, and a sisterhood that will last a lifetime. Our names are Ani Papazian, Sophie Blumenthal, and Gunjan Barua, and we met in our first semester at Baruch College. Although the relationships started out as friendly faces to see in class, we found a connection we would have never imagined. Our friendship is so strong that we see it lasting years into their future, maybe even being in each other’s bridal parties one day. Inspired by how we first met and our favorite memories together, our short film takes events, memories, and objects significant to our friendship and makes them relatable to every girl (and even boy!) friend group. We wanted to highlight the significance of friendship and how important it is in ours and everyone’s lives. Our short film aims to:

Help others recognize the importance of friendship and connection in their lives and remind them to not take their friends and loved ones for-granted
Recognize the important role that art plays in bringing people together
- Music is an important connector in many relationships
  - Ex. bonding over a favorite song, singing karaoke together
- The reason our friend group exists is because we all met in our IDC Class and took the trip to the Met together
- In many female friendships fashion and beauty is a popular conversation starter
- Recognizing a girl’s outfit is one of the main reason we became friends
Relate to the young female audience by recreating different scenes and events that girl friend groups can relate to
- Meetings friends and complimenting others in the bathroom
- Shopping together
- Eating your favorite foods
- Sharting your love of a favorite song
Teach others, especially male friend groups, about what it’s like to be a woman and in a friend group of girls.
- It is a unique experience for women meeting friends and having conversations in the bathroom.
Make the audience laugh by sharing our first impressions of each other
- We all thought the other girl was mean
- Internal monologues everyone experiences when meeting new people
Take the audience on the journey of our friendship, from meeting each other for the first time, to looking back on all our fun memories together and laughing at our inner monologue
Inspire others to reach out to their colleagues or peers
- You never know where a deep friendship or connection might lie
- Take a chance, don’t be shy! Reach out to those around you. Chances are they feel the same way.
Introduce the audience to our friend group and explain how it has become so significant to our lives
Recognize how grateful we are to have met each other and to have such good friends in our lives
Show how our friend group is unique but also how we are similar to other girls and to the stereotypical girl group
Highlights how sometimes our appearances can be different from a persons’ true personality
- People are not always what they seem
- You need to really talk to someone and get to know them before making any judgment

Songs Used (Credits):

Fantasize By Ariana Grande

7 Rings By Ariana Grande

Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande

Blog Post #3

November 4, 2023 / dheyalasimrin / 0 Comments

Throughout history, food and fashion have both shaped society and it’s trajectory. They are two integral aspects of cultural identity as they serve as reflections of traditions, values, and histories. However, fashion has undeniably played a significant role in the construction of gender identity as clothing choices often conform to societal expectations for masculinity and femininity. Moreover, food has also been tied to gender roles, with certain dishes and responsibilities being associated with men and women. While we slowly, but fortunately, grow past these stereotypes today, it’s important to reflect on these embedded preconceptions and the effects that they have had.

At The Museum at FIT, a trio of fashion accessories consisting of a pink lace hat, embellished pumps, and pink lace pillbox hat were presented together. The artist described the accessories as “sweet,” “dainty,” and “frothy.” This goes to show the ways in which gender roles, which paint femininity to be synonymous with innocence, have been built and reinforced time and time again by both food and fashion. This is often present in the soft, usually pastel, colors that are associated with sweetness and femininity, such as pink. Moreover, the flowing fabrics, ruffles, frills, and floral patterns that are rarely seen in men’s fashion contribute to the delicate aesthetic that females hold. The same applies to the act of baking, a sweet and nurturing gesture, which has historically associated women with the role of homemakers. In this, traditional gender roles have connected women with sugar, while men may be associated with “spice” or more savory foods; this reinforces the idea of women being passive while men are stronger and more assertive.

This narrow definition of femininity has historically contributed to the objectification of women, reducing their identity to a set of characteristics that are designed to please or be pleasing to others. Whether this be built off of ideas of the ideal housewife or other cultural traditions, these preconceptions have undermined agency and autonomy in women through imposed expectations of modesty and sweetness. The exhibit at FIT allows for a reflection of this history and how far we’ve come, but also a marker of how much more we have to grow.

Sounds of Home

October 30, 2023 / stephaniepisarevskiy / 9 Comments

https://photos.app.goo.gl/d2DeK3Kvy2q5YPqMA

Our video focuses on silence, noise, and voices, particularly those of our mothers. As the video starts, we are looking through family photo albums and recognize that in each photo, our mom is there, supporting us from afar. The video then pans over all of the tasks that our mothers complete for us throughout our lives so that our hands are empty and have the opportunity to create something magical.

The specific focus of our video was on the noises of the background that our moms create contrasted with the silence of our own combined with the words of wisdom, in our native languages, we keep in mind as we move through life. This part was partially inspired by the fascinating fact that studies have found that it is better to make decisions in our “second” language, or the one we don’t normally use, because it allows us to present our options as authentically as possible.

Our mothers live through noise for us so that we can contribute a verse in life.

Translation of the advice:

Focus on yourself and be kind to others. Treat others how you want to be treated and the right people will come into ur life. Follow your dreams no matter what. However, you will need to work hard and not everything will be handed to you. You can’t be selfish because when you love someone, doing things for them will make you happy.

Penn Station Choreography

October 3, 2023 / danieliqbal06 / 0 Comments

On my way back to Penn Station from Baruch, I decided to record this video of outside the station. This video shows the different functions that the surroundings of the station has, whether it is walking on the sidewalk heading towards their destination or waiting on the side of the road waiting for an uber. This video brings a feeling of sonder to the viewer after realizing that each individual has a life and story as complex as our own. Understanding this by watching choreography on the streets of NYC allow the mind to be more open to each conversation that you have with a stranger and learning something out of it.