Internship

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"Bold, beautiful, Barnard." These words remind us of the ideals that we seek to uphold for ourselves, the college, and feminism in the twenty-first century. But what do they prescribe? The 1960s Women's Liberation Movement presents an ideology of female autonomy which promotes the image of a woman who not only can have it all, but is expected to. But this vision of a successful woman ultimately overwhelms rather than supports women in their pursuit of equality. Today, such an expectation persists on our own campus.

You've heard 'em talking: "Yeah, I've got something lined up with this amazing art gallery in Winnipeg. That's in Canada!" "My professor invited me to Antarctica to study neutrinos and penguin dialects." "I'm writing a novel. It started out as Twilight Hunger Games fan-fic, but then I added some BDSM---it's bound to be a hit among the desperate housewives of the world." As Sandya would tell you, let them talk. Don't have any summer plans yet? Here's a checklist of things you can, and should, do this summer: Experience: the pleasure of reading at least one book that isn't required for a class. Research: the possibilities of getting a part-time job in an ice-cream shop/bakery/amusement park.more Work: off those calories from the constant barrage of free food by hitting the gym. Give a presentation: of your newly fit bod at the local pool, and get your tan on. No one, unless they have ESP, will be able to tell that you weren't cruising around Cancún. Learn: how to fold a paper crane or knit. Life skills, you know. Travel: to the mall. I don't know about you, but the nearest mall back home is about 45 minutes to an hour away. Trips like that take days of strategic planning. Explore: the world of roller derby or Quidditch. Volunteer: to be a taste-tester in your grandma's kitchen. Make a Change: in your wardrobe. Put on a polo and brush your hair if you're sick of people telling you that you look like you just stepped out of an Urban Outfitter's window display. Journey: with Frodo and Sam and the gang as you re-watch the all three LOTR movies. In a row. Discover: the wonders of getting a full-night's sleep. Do something out of the ordinary: and relax. We're Columbia students--we've practically earned honorary degrees in Stressing Out by graduation. But it's summer. We are young. Just enjoy it.

At her internship, Alexa Mouta, BC '13, delves into an aspect of the fashion world that few think about when dreaming of magazines and clothing design. She works with the practical and business sides of fashion as a Barneys web marketing intern. Don't let this fool you -- suits aren't mandatory in this part of the industry. Alexa proves that all parts of the business require an eye for style with her classy and comfortable wardrobe, composed of pieces any fellow fashion intern would love to call their own. Katie Best-Richmond: How would you describe your personal style? Alexa Mouta: I would say I'm generally pretty casual. Even working at Barneys, I don't really wear heels that often. I like casual, but I definitely like adding in some fun pieces. I love wearing comfy materials and anything that is generally comfortable. KBR: What is your favorite piece to wear? AM: A sweater by Alexander Wang. I wear it literally everywhere. It's a black, oversized sweater and I'm obsessed with it. I wear it out. I wear it to the gym. I wear it everywhere. KBR: Where is your favorite place to shop?more AM: I love to shop at Barneys, but everything I was wearing in the striped outfit [see picture below] was J.Crew. I would be lying if I said I didn't wear a lot of J.Crew. My sister works there, so I buy a lot of clothes from their store, too. KBR: How did you become interested in the fashion industry? AM: I was first interested in print publishing, so I worked at a lot of magazines. However, I had never worked at a fashion magazine before, and I was a little intimidated at first. I feel like everyone is super scared of the fashion world, because it is such an insecure place for a lot of people. I got an internship at Harper's Bazaar and that opened my eyes to the opportunities in the fashion world, especially the corporate fashion world and working for specific brands.

Let me introduce you to my friend Pierre. We all know the Pierre type: vain (and, unfortunately, handsome), political science major, and an international student. If you don't guess from his exaggerated accent that he's foreign, he will straight up tell you by revealing some eccentric anecdote of his personal life that only a student with more money than sense could have experienced.

Every Friday morning, I like to pick up a copy of the New York Times and read it while I eat breakfast. It's one of those things that helps me decompress and provides some civility and calmness to my week. One morning, in the beginning of the semester, I decided to forgo my weekly ritual and instead have a late breakfast with a friend of mine whom I hadn't seen since last spring. "Is it OK if we meet down by 72nd Street?" she asked me. "I have something to do that morning." That morning, she showed up, to my surprise, in full business attire with a professional bag at her side. "Just had an interview," she said. "I think it went well."