Category Archives: Student Life

Meet the Woman Behind the “Girls of ID” Student Organization

Laura Jonason started the Girls of ID student organization about three terms into her studies in the Transportation Design program at Art Center to connect all the women in the department. She wasn’t surprised to be part of a very small minority but she thought, after growing up a tomboy and working for 8 years in a myriad of jobs before coming to Art Center, she wouldn’t find it to be a problem. After a few terms being the only woman in her class, however, she began to feel a little isolated and wanted to reach out to other women in her major. “It is hard for men and women to be friends with each other in the same way they are with their own gender and it can be lonely being the only girl in a class full of guys.” Laura founded the student organization so that women in industrial design majors who are similarly grappling with that kind of isolation have somewhere to go. The Girls of ID offers these women a place to find camaraderie.

The Girls of ID. Courtesy Laura Jonason

It’s not the first time Laura has looked for ways to connect women. Prior to Art Center, while working at Circuit City, Laura founded a similar group for women who wanted to pursue leadership positions. One of the things they would talk about is that as a woman you can’t act the same way a man does and get the same reaction. They used an analogy about how to react in boiling water – you don’t want to be a carrot that gets limp and soft and you don’t want to be an egg that hardens – you want to be coffee because it mixes with the boiling water and becomes something good.

On women in Transportation Design:

“We need female car designers. Everybody has a unique design perspective and adding gender into that mix can only help. Today’s woman really wants something La Femme Nikita – we want to be powerful and sexy.”

About the Girls of ID mentor, Product Design Department Chair Karen Hofmann:

“Karen  is awesome. It is really great to have a teacher and mentor who is a woman. You can go to her with questions about what it is like as a woman to work in a male-dominated industry. Currently there are no female Trans teachers so it is really wonderful to be able to go to her.”

About being a mentor:

“People come to me and tell me about someone who could use the support of our group. Trans faculty will let me know if they see a female student who is struggling and some of the men will also let me know if there is a girl in their class who looks like she could use a friend.”

About automotive interior design:

“Before coming to Art Center I was interested in designing interiors – how long have cars been around and we still don’t have a place to put a purse? After starting at Art Center, however, I fell in love with form and now I’m focusing on exteriors.”

The Girls of ID meet three times each term. At the beginning of the term, they have a picnic or potluck that includes students and alumni from Art Center as well as Cal State Long Beach and Cal Poly. Sometime around midterms they get together in a classroom with snacks and drinks to work on projects and socialize. At the end of each term they go out to dinner.

For more information about the Girls of ID and any other student group, see the Center for the Student Experience.

Feeling Social? Art Center Has You Covered.

"Death is Lonely" by alumna Maya Assad ILLU '10.

When it comes to networking, nothing beats good old-fashioned person-to-person communication.

But it’s nice to know that at Art Center, you’re never more than a click away from several online social networks.

Official College pages include:

Of course there are many additional pages created for specific departments and majors.

How do you use online social networks? Which networks would you like to see us embrace? What would you like to see Art Center do in the social realm?

Let us know in the comments below.

Get Involved! Make Friends! Join a Club or Organization at Art Center

The life of an Art Center student can be stressful. Find a group of people who share your passion and understand your stress by joining a club or organization. The Center for the Student Experience sponsors and supports twenty-five different student clubs and organizations. Students had an opportunity to check out all the clubs and organizations at the Club & Organization Fair last Wednesday in the Cafeteria. It is not too late to join even if you missed the fair. Please visit the Center for the Student Experience to find out how to contact any of the clubs or organizations.

Students getting together on Cafe Lawn. Photo: Juan Posada/Art Center College of Design

Here brief descriptions of this term’s registered clubs and organizations:

  • Art Center Chinese Student Association – the Chinese Student Association (CSA) exists to bring together the Chinese student community at Art Center. CSA holds a series of social and peer mentor related events throughout the term that enhance the student experience.

  • Art Center Christian Fellowship – The purpose of the Art Center Christian Fellowship is twofold: to provide a place on campus for the body of Christians and all interested people to grow in community, share their struggles, pray, worship and discuss biblical ideas; and to engage the greater Art Center community in dialogue about the convergence of art, design and spirituality.
  • Art Center Indie — Art Center Indie’s aim is to explore the world of Indie film making (past, recent, and current) through regular screenings at various locations in homes or in theaters.
  • Assa – Korean students at Art Center join together to build relationships, share information and explore their common culture. ASSA helps students strengthen their self-awareness and individuality, and also assists students in making connections.

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Meet Jennifer Golub of Let There Be Dragons Today

Don’t miss your chance to meet Jennifer Golub, Executive Director of Content at Let There Be Dragons today at 1:00 p.m. in the Boardroom as part of the Office of Career Development’s Career Chats series.

What exactly is Let There Be Dragons? In case you haven’t seen the pink posters scattered across campus, here’s how the creative firm describes itself:

“Let There Be Dragons is a new content dream machine. The name Let There Be Dragons comes from 16th century cartography — unknown areas and uncharted waters were labeled with the phrase, ‘There Be Dragons.’ We say, ‘Bring it.’ LTBD embraces the unknown and uses it to craft new ways to tell brand stories and connect with new audiences. Led by creative thinkers and craftspeople, we bring new content and forms of creativity to the world from new games, apps, films, shows, books, memes and more.”

Organized by the Office of Career Development, Career Chats: Insights into Creative Professions (formerly the Business Dialogue Series) provide Art Center students with an exclusive opportunity to meet industry leaders in a variety of fields. At these informal presentations, students can identify potential job markets, gain insight into specific fields and solicit career advice from visiting guests, all in the intimate setting of Art Center’s Boardroom. Career Chats take place Tuesdays, 1–2 p.m. during Weeks 3–7 of every term.

Upcoming Career Chats this term include:

February 7 — OISHII: Ismael Obregon, Creative Director and Daniel Walkup, Director of Operations.

February 14 — RTT: Parker Fredlund, Director, Professional Solutions

February 21 — Diana Koenigsberg, Photographer

February 28 –EAST WEST LITERARY AGENCY: Deborah Warren, Agent/Managing Partner

For additional information, please visit the Career Chats page on Art Center’s website.