When Professor Jocelyn Boryczka was approached by two students and asked if she had ever considered modeling, her reaction was both shock and confusion.
“Do I look like I would ever think about modeling?” she asked.
Nevertheless, after being assured she would not be objectified on stage, Boryczka agreed to make her debut on the catwalk, and she is just one of many members of the university community who have been recruited by the Students for Social Justice club to participate in a fashion show devoted to raising awareness about consumer responsibility.
“This is a great chance for the university community to come together for a night of fun and to learn about issues of social justice and practical ways to participate in change,” said Melissa Quan, the club’s advisor. “This is what Jesuit education is all about, right?”
The clothing that will be featured comes from our bookstore and www.nosweatshop.com, both of which support fair-labor and sweat-shop free products.
“All items are made in union shops in the U.S., Canada and the developing world,” said Quan. “Most of the clothing will be casual wear and items that will appeal to students. No Sweat also has a line of business casual clothing.”
In addition to the fashion show, students can expect entertainment from two live bands and a food-tasting segment.
The event comes as a follow up to last year’s event that highlighted the irresponsible business practices of Nike, according to Kevin Donohue ’07, club president.
“I realized that we didn’t give people a positive alternative to use instead of Nike,” said Donohue. “We want to give socially responsible businesses a chance to publicize themselves and explain their procedures.”
The club also hopes the event will reveal another side of students, one that is different from the stereotypical view of a Fairfield student.
“This is intended to give the larger Fairfield community an impression of Fairfield University students [that] is different from the one that is normally shown,” said Donohue.
“I just think that it is important to raise activeness within this community, which is also I think unfairly labeled apathetic to worldly issues,” said Katie Barry ’08, club member. “If this fair is a success, which I think it will be, we’ll be one step closer to proving that idea wrong.”
The Social Justice club’s fashion show is free and open to the public. It will be held on Monday, April 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Oak Room. For more information or to get involved with Students for Social Justice, contact Kevin Donohue at 07_kdonohue@stagweb.fairfield.edu.
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