Corey Kindberg

Halloween has become my new favorite holiday! I never realized how amusing and fun it is. Going into work all weekend seemed a lot more enjoyable. Everywhere I turned there was someone in a costume. And the subway was packed with adults looking ever so funny in their costumes as they headed who knows where.

 Saturday was probably the best night of Halloween weekend. I went to a great costume party in Queens. The best part of the whole experience was the subway ride there. Sitting in a cramped car with strangers who are all dressed up is probably one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed. Then a group of us took the subway back to Manhattan at six in the morning. We, along with the rest of New York, were all extremely tired.

On Halloween I went downtown to the infamous parade in The Village. One word: interesting. People here never cease to amaze me. The outfits, the makeup, the overall atmosphere - was just a sight to see. Everyone just seemed so happy! It's rare when more the one New Yorker is happy and doesn't have an attitude.

Halloween has easily turned out to be one of my new favorite holidays. It's like Christmas, but everyone gets to dress up!

When I started thinking about college in my junior year of high school, I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted a school that offered interesting classes, intriguing professors who care, and, most of all, acceptance. I didn’t want to be in a place where I would feel uncomfortable. I knew that by slimming down my choices to mainly fashion schools that my being gay wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Little did I know how accepting the college I chose actually is.

LIM College has few boys, and because many of them are homosexual, acceptance is a big part of our student life. During LGBT Month the student body has really shown that to me.

First by starting an anti-prejudice campaign known as LoveIsMore! The campaign promotes acceptance in and out of school by letting students take photos with the LoveIsMore Logo and then we can make them the profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter and other social networking sites.

Acceptance is not only shown through campaigns. It's also done by having guest speakers and recognizing days devoted to the LGBT community. One of them is National Coming Out Day, which promotes greater acceptance and awareness of the LGBT community and recognizes just how big we are.

The Student Life Office also knows about the high risk of HIV in our community and offers students HIV testing services that are free and confidential. After this month, I knew that LIM College was the right choice for me.

The best part of freshman year at LIM College is the Work Project program. I will have the experience of working at a retail job in the greatest shopping district known to man -- New York City. And the best part about it is I get paid! And the best part about getting paid is payday! Ask any LIM College student, the day after payday or even right after, that day turns into a shopping spree.

The City obviously has some of the best shopping. My first stop is SoHo. South of Houston St. has some of the greatest stuff. Take the 6 train to Spring St. Make a left and there's TopShop/TopMan. Or make a right and there's Bloomingdales and UniQlo. SoHo is also filled with really great boutiques with some of the season's hottest trends.

Next stop, Midtown Manhattan. Fifth Avenue of course. It has the biggest H&Ms, the biggest Zara, and of course Bendel's, Bergdorf's, and Saks! Next stop, one street over to Madison Avenue. This is where the real damage happens. High-end designer boutiques.

Next thing I know, I'm broke again and hauling all of my bags back uptown to the dorms. I struggle to fit everything new into a tiny little closet!

This past week has ranked as the second-busiest week I have ever had - Fashion Week being first, of course.

My days were spent either in class or working at Tommy Hilfiger on Fifth Avenue. I work five days a week and doing that and also being a full-time student is probably the most difficult thing to manage.

Also on my plate, a huge project due for my Introduction to Visual Merchandising class. Of course I’ve had weeks to do it. Unfortunately, I left it for last minute and rushed to get something done in two nights that I had weeks to do.

I have yet to figure out the whole time management thing that goes along with college, but I think that’s what freshman year is for. If I don’t ever figure it out, well then at least I know I’ll always have my Starbucks.

Living in New York has given a whole new meaning to the word "nightlife" for me.

The best part about New York City is that the nightlife doesn’t start until 11 pm. Even though I work five days a week at Tommy Hilfiger on Fifth Avenue, have an internship, and have a full course schedule, I still have time to get everything done and go out.

Friday nights usually consist of going out in Chelsea with some friends from FIT. The best part about Chelsea is that everything is in walking distance. Cafeteria has got to be my favorite place to eat. Good food and better conversations with friends.

Saturday night is where things really get fun. This past Saturday night started off with me and all of my friends getting ready and taking the subway to midtown. We went to this place called Johnny Utah's that has bull riding and after we had enough of that we went elsewhere. Next thing I know were in a cab on our way to a great place called 49grove. After a night filled with dancing and mingling with some of New York City's best people, it was time for me to drag myself in a cab and get to bed.

Every single student takes Sunday night off so we can recover from the weekend. It’s also when I get most of my work done.

In high school I was able to wake up at 7:30 and roll out of bed and drive to school. Now, going to school in New York City, it is a completely different situation. Especially going to a fashion school, where every day is an opportunity to show your creativity. "Dress to impress" is the hidden slogan of LIM College. You never know who you’re going to meet at school, or even on the street or when you’re out on your lunch hour.

I get up at 6 on the days I have 8 a.m. classes. I always want to look my best, especially during rush hour. Instead of driving to school or taking the bus, I run to catch the subway and try to squish myself and my bag in a subway car filled with people in suits. Next, I wait in line for my Iced Venti Vanilla Latte, this way I can get through my day, (and this will probably be the first of many lattes).

All of my classes are fun and interesting, and they are in subjects that I want to learn about, so I don’t mind taking notes and reading the textbooks. Then the best part of my day comes, and it’s lunch hour. I get to chat with friends and finally eat a real meal!

The rest of the day is filled with classes, a quick nap, and then, most likely, an hour or so of homework. 

The greatest thing about LIM College is our location. New York City is the powerhouse of fashion in America. Even better than that is the fact that New York City is also the site of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. For the past week I have been sneaking in and out of Lincoln Center and witnessing some of the best S/S 2011 Collections known to man. I’ve seen designers like Ports 1961, Betsey Johnson, Parabal Gurung, Davidelfin, Toni Fransenc and many others.

I now live in the center of where fashion takes place. I know that if I want to get ahead in the fashion industry that I can’t live anywhere but here. Throughout Fashion Week I’ve made so many valuable connections. I’ve met the Creative Director of Vogue, Grace Coddington, an editor from WWD, and people from many PR firms.

The even better part of Fashion Week is the free stuff. I’ve gotten swag bags from Betsey Johnson, Gurung, and Fransenc. Who doesn’t love free stuff? This whole week has probably been the most hectic week I’ve ever had to deal with, but I loved every single second of it. I wouldn’t change a thing about my life. This week only assured me I made the right choice in deciding where to go to college.

It was 9am on September 10th, the first day of Fashion Week in New York City, and I was dressed in all black and clutching my Starbucks latte. I sat in the showroom of Ports 1961 with other volunteers and interns, putting together press kits and helping the design team with inspiration boards. After cutting out pictures for about two hours, I never wanted to see another pair of scissors.

The people at Ports 1961 then invited me and another student to attend the show, not to work, but to actually watch the fashion show. The next thing I know I’m in a cab going to Lincoln Center with the head merchandiser of Ports 1961. I walked up the steps of Lincoln Center, got in line for registration, and surprisingly enough, I was on the list for a Fashion Week show!

I stood in the back of the show and then decided to weasel my way up and nab myself a seat. A few minutes later and I’m talking to a fashion forecaster about a possible internship, while staring at Grace Coddington across the runway, and snapping pictures on my Blackberry of the Ports 1961 S/S Collection (which was amazing)!

After the show I stayed inside the tents and mingled and grabbed as much free stuff as I could. I then reluctantly walked out and down the steps of Lincoln Center with paparazzi snapping pictures left and right. It was probably the greatest day of my life.

photo credit: model Sigrid Agren in Ports 1961 S/S 2011 collection, New York Model Management