High School Club Goes to Boston

We had great weather--a bit chilly--for our trip to the ivy-covered halls of learning in Boston and Cambridge. Harvard alum and Rosedale volunteer, Angela, gave us a personal tour of her alma mater. Angela was once a tour guide herself and can still talk and walk backwards with the best of them.

That night we ate Cajun-Tex-Mex at Border Cafe and then went on a driving tour of Bean Town. We stopped by Modern Pastry to snag some delicious canoli and watch the lively nighttime crowds in the North End. We stayed overnight at the H.I. Hostel--Boston. It was very nice and clean and cheap.

Sunday, Mary showed us around Boston University, where she had majored in Hospitality. We then drove around Boston College and squeezed in some Green Mountain ice-cream time before heading back to the Bronx, thus completing our mission to visit as many colleges and eat as many sweets as possible.

Service With A Smile

Some members of our High School Club graciously agreed to help serve as waiters at the South Bronx Educational Foundation's Spring Event, a fundraiser for Rosedale and Crotona. Aricelis, Jennifer, Marianna, Sasha, Heidi and Stephanie underwent a grueling training session (just kidding) in preparation for the big night.

They all did a fantastic job serving up rice balls, fried artichokes, and sandwiches to a hungry crowd. Thanks a million, you guys!!! You were essential to the night's success.

Open Mic at Cafe Rosedale

The First Annual 2007 Open Mic at Cafe Rosedale was a success! High School Club members gave some brave and crazy performances: Cynthia performed original poetry, an original song (big hit!) and, with Regina, a duet from "Rent." Jennifer recited a poem by Lorca in both English and Spanish. She also, along with Yzamar and Claudia, performed a highly "dramatic" skit. Cynthia and Jennifer made everyone laugh with their rendition of the classic Abbott and Costello piece, "Who's on First?" Other highlights were poetry from both Yzamar and Amanda.

Afterwards, we all enjoyed delicious treats such as Aricelis' endless batch of brownies, Yzamar's Rosedale cookies, Amanda's popular Confetti Cake, and Ms. Coates' baked ziti. Thanks to everyone for contributing to the event!! We were all inspired by the many artistic and culinary talents of our members.

Budget Fashionista Kathryn Finney Visits Rosedale!

On Saturday, Kathryn Finney and her assistant Tahesha came and talked to the High School Club. Kathryn gave everyone a free copy of her book, "How to Be a Budget Fashionista." After taking the book's fashion quiz to discover their fashion personality, the girls looked through magazines to create a "Look Book," a collection of pictures that captured their personal style. Kathryn then gave some tips on how to achieve those designer looks for less:

1. Shop in thrift stores in wealthier areas like SoHo and Chelsea. Two to try are Housing Works and Angel. These stores also have special deals and sales throughout the year.

2. If you see something you love, but it's too expensive at full price, mark your calendars. It will most likely go on sale in 6-8 weeks.

3. Don't ever spend over $50 on jeans! Go to Wal-Mart and check out their Faded Glory brand. Kathryn swears by it. She wore them to Fashion Week and got many compliments.

4. Torrid is a good place for plus-sized trendy wear. If you are petite, you might want to try the kids' section of your favorite stores, like GapKids or Crew Cuts. Some stores, like Banana Republic, also have petite options online. Tall girls, or those with other fit requests, should call a store when it's not busy and explain your needs. Most salespeople will be happy to help you and make suggestions.

5. When shopping at a discount store such as Century 21, try going during a weekday, if you can, to avoid the massive crowds.

After completing our Look Books, Kathryn answered questions about fashion and shopping. One piece of advice she left us with was not to worry when life takes you in an unexpected direction. Before becoming the Budget Fashionista, Kathryn was studying diseases in Ghana! At the end of the session, Kathryn signed everyone's book. Happy shopping to you, too, Kathryn! And thanks so much for visiting us at Rosedale. You are welcome back anytime!

Pictures from Career Panel

Victoria, Nia, and Anne spoke to Rosedale's High School Club about their careers. It was quite an eye-opening experience!

Fashion journalist Nia showed us some of her clips from American and British publications, print and online. She shared the highs and lows of freelancing (want to work in your pajamas, anyone?), building webpages (you need to be tech-savvy), and hiding your lunch from dieting co-workers at Conde Nast.

Design-Assistant Victoria Mier spoke of her regular 9-5 corporate gig in a creative field. She wowed us with her portfolio and an Anthropologie-esque skirt she made in college. We loved Miss Mier's feminine and chic designs.

The young and talented Anne Ingram gave us the dirt on being a performer. 100 auditions for every job? Really? She explained how Opera singing is different from musical theater and then entertained us with a rendition of "Summertime" from Porgy & Bess.

Thanks and more thanks to our wonderful panel. We look forward to hearing more about your success in the coming years! Good luck!!

The Real Deal on Glamour Jobs

Hey High School Club,

You should all be very excited about this Saturday's Career Panel. I've posted the speakers' bios from the flier for you all to see. We are going to have three wonderful speakers in the fields of opera, fashion, and journalism. Come with your questions.

Also, Saturday the 28th we are going to have a visit from Kathryn Finney, The Budget Fashionista. For that session, everyone should come with
1) a fashion magazine (at least one, but bring more if you have them)
2) a notebook or scrapbook (could be a spiral or loose leaf stapled together--as long as you can paste stuff onto it)

See you Saturday!!!

Saturday's Speakers:

Anne Ingram holds a B.A. in Music from Lawrence University in Wisconsin and a Masters Degree in Music from the New England Conservatory. She has appeared in Verdi’s Macbeth in Milwaukee and Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio with Skylight Opera Theater. With New York’s One World Symphony, she has performed in Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. She currently studies with world-famous opera singer Diana Soviero.

Victoria Mier was born in Danville, Virginia and moved to Savannah, Georgia in 2001 to study fashion design at the Savannah College of Art and Design. After graduation, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in fashion. Victoria was hired as a design assistant for the company Elie Tahari, where she has been working for the past year and a half on a private label line, Gianni Bini, exclusive to Dillard’s Department Stores.

Nia Elizabeth Shepherd is a freelance journalist whose pieces have appeared in Women's Wear Daily, TIME Style & Design, EasyLivingMagazine.co.uk, Vogue.co.uk and GlamourMagazine.co.uk. While studying International Relations at NYU, Nia maintained her passion for fashion and communications. During her sophomore year, she obtained an internship in fashion public relations at Lippe Taylor, a PR firm in New York. After Lippe Taylor, Nia spent her junior year interning in the Public Relations department of Lilly Pulitzer, but soon realized she wanted to write. An internship at Women's Wear Daily (WWD) gave her the opportunity to work in the fashion features and market departments. She went on to freelance for WWD and other publications and is currently a freelance web assistant at MensVogue.com.

Plans for Open Mic

Hello High School Club! Hope you had a Happy Easter.

For those of you who missed it, we had a successful planning session for the May 5th Open Mic. Invitations have been sent out to this year's speakers, volunteers, and tutors.

Here is the line-up so far:

Regina Brown and Jennifer Melchor will read poetry.

Yohanny and Jalissa Perez will show us their best hip-hop moves.

Natalie D'Aloia and Zuly Beltre will perform the classic Abbott & Costello piece, "Who's on First."

Amanda Coates and Vanessa Burrell will wow us with a Modern Dance and Step performance.

If anyone else would like to perform something at the Open Mic, let me know as soon as possible. Also, contact me if you have artwork you would like to display.

See you all on the 21st!!!