Ever since freshman year, I have been a devoted member of FSU’s Collegiate Merchandising Association (CMA). It only made sense that I ran for office in the fall of my sophomore year. This organization is open to ALL majors so whether you are a fashion major or just obsessed with fashion, you will find people who share your same passion. Need more convincing?

1. Make New Friends & Network- At any CMA meeting, you will find a great group of diverse people who all share a similar interest – fashion! The group is rather large but don’t ever be overwhelmed – ask any officer, at one point or another we all went to the meetings alone & were intimidated. Don’t be afraid to talk to the officers & other members & put yourself out there. At each meeting, we try to do a fun ice-breaker game in smaller groups which is how I met a lot of people in the beginning. And of course, you can say hi to me when you sign in! I will always be sitting behind the desk so don’t be shy!

2. Gain Hands-On Fashion Experience – Where else in Tallahassee can you gain hands-on fashion experience? CMA gives you the opportunity to work behind the scenes at a fashion show, magazine & other major events. College is all about building your resume & making yourself look marketable for an employer – being active in CMA can do just that!

3. Get Involved with CLUTCH Magazine – I already stated that you can gain hands-on fashion experience but more specifically, being a member of CMA allows you with the opportunity to get involved with CLUTCH Magazine including voting on colors & covers, writing articles, editing & interviewing for a director position. You can join different committees ranging from PR (my team) to graphic design to advertising.

4. Scholarships – CMA gives out two scholarships to outstanding seniors at Intern Brunch. If you are a Retail Merchandising major, I am sure you are aware that you have to complete an intern block your last semester of college. CMA hosts an intern brunch for all graduating interns during their last week of exams, right before they head off to their internships.

5. Run for Office – A great resume builder is showing that you have leadership skills. In order to do this, you need to run for office. The Collegiate Merchandising Association is composed of 9 officers while CLUTCH Magazine is composed of 18 directors – plenty of positions available for you to join in on.

Other Fun Facts:

Convinced yet? Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, September 8th at 7pm in Oglesby 314-315. I included our entire fall 2010 meeting schedule on the events page so that if you can’t make this meeting, hopefully you can make the next one. I hope to meet some of you there!

FSU’s CLUTCH Magazine just announced that they have published their very first online version of the spring 2010 issue. For those of you who don’t know, CLUTCH Magazine is Florida State’s first successful student run fashion publication. I am currently the Public Relations Director for the Fall 2010 issue and intend to do everything in my power to introduce people to such an amazing college fashion magazine. Publishing an online version of the magazine was just one of the many goals that I set for myself this semester. I am absolutely ecstatic to have achieved my goal this summer & look forward to publishing future issues online as well as possibly some past issues. Please check it out & let me know your thoughts! If you are interested in becoming involved with CLUTCH Magazine in any way, feel free to shoot me an email me & I will send you everything you need to know!

Click here to read the spring 2010 issue of CLUTCH Magazine.
Become friends with CLUTCH Magazine on Facebook.
Follow @fsuCLUTCHmag on Twitter.
Check out the CLUTCH Magazine blog to find out what’s going on with the magazine.

Every year, I love watching the Country Music Awards to see all of the beautiful gowns. Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift always look fabulous. This year, my favorites included Carrie Underwood, Hilary Scott, Julianne Hough, Kristen Bell, Laura Bell Bundy and Taylor Swift. (Photos by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, April 21st at 7pm in Union 311E, FSU’s Collegiate Merchandising Association will be hosting its last meeting of the Spring 2010 semester. Come join us for member appreciation where we will be giving away prizes as well as awarding the top two members!

Other reasons you should come:
- Sign up to write articles for Clutch Magazine’s fall 2010 issue
- Vote on the color scheme of the fall 2010 issue
- Sign up to be on one of the various Clutch Magazine committees
- Free food

Also, if you are not yet a member, this is a great way to see what CMA is all about. Although this semester’s activities are over, you can find out what CMA is like and see if you would like to become more involved with this amazing organization next semester.

In addition, if you ARE interested in joining CMA in the fall and would like to be on the list to know when the first meeting of the fall semester will be, email me! I am currently compiling a list of incoming freshman, transfers & other fashion lovers so I can email you next semester’s meeting schedule when available.

I hope to see you in the near future at CMA meetings and events!

The Collegiate Merchandising Association presents “A Fashion Fairytale.” This years spring fashion show will be held at Miller hall at 7pm. Doors open at 6pm. This event is free to the public but $5 VIP tickets are available in order to ensure a front row seat. More info on VIP tickets to come!

If you are interested in appearing in the fashion show as a model, we are currently looking for models. We need models of all shapes and sizes so come on out and show us what you are working with!

THE DATES:

March 23rd at 8pm in University Ballroom
March 30th at 7pm in SLC 101D

You MUST be available from noon on April 8th and you do NOT have to be an FSU student or CMA member to model.

Hope to see you there!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/psycho-pics/ / CC BY 2.0

This semester, the Collegiate Merchandising Association has been working hard to raise money for Capitol Ark Animal Shelter here in Tallahassee. We are currently preparing for what will be one of our biggest and most exciting fundraiser ever.

On Wednesday March 31st and Thursday April 1st, CMA will be hosting Rent a Puppy from  10am to 3pm on Landis Green. We will be renting puppies out to anyone who has a valid drivers license or an FSU ID. This event is perfect for anyone who is stuck living in a house, apartment or dorm that doesn’t allow pets. Pay only $3 for 15 minutes or $5 for 30 minutes and you can play with a puppy of your very own. The best part? You don’t have to worry about feeding it or taking care of it. Just give it back to us after the time is up and we will take care of all of that for you.

For more information and to RSVP on Facebook, click here.

Want to get involved with the Collegiate Merchandising Association at Florida State? Join us for the last meeting before SPRING BREAK! The meeting will be held in Oglesby Union 313-315 at 7pm. We will be discussing the release of Clutch Magazine, Rent-A-Puppy, the Spring Fashion Show, our next social and so much more! We will also be collecting cereal boxes during the meeting to be used in the Spring Fashion Show. If you have any, please bring them. You will receive 1 point per box.

If you can’t make it to tomorrow’s meeting, I hope that you will join us in the Union during Market Wednesdays for the release of Clutch magazine’s Spring 2010 issue. Also, the Clutch release party is this Thursday March 4th at Rayn at 8pm. The first 30 guests receive VIP gift bags. There will also be a Clutch reader giveaway for a one-of-a-kind necklace courtesy of Ashaloo. Cocktail attire is preferred.

Hope to see you there!

Clutch Magazine is a student run fashion magazine that was started back in the Fall of 2006 by Alexandra Kolbe. Since then, the publication has continued to grow. The magazine is published semiannually: once during the spring and once during the fall. Clutch Magazine and members of the Collegiate Merchandising Association are currently preparing for the release of the Spring 2010 issue which went to print earlier today.

The next issue will be released in the Oglesby Union on March 3rd during Market Wednesdays. Stop by CMA’s table to pick up a copy. You can also go to the Clutch Release Party at Club Rayn on March 4th at 8pm. The first 30 guests will receive a free goodie bag. There will also be giveaway to one lucky Clutch reader for a one-of-a-kind necklace made by Asha Midalli. This is a great way to meet the girls who made this issue happen as well as find out how you can get involved in future issues!

To keep up with everything that is going on regarding Clutch magazine, friend them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Collegiate Merchandising Association (CMA)’s third meeting of the semester is this Tuesday! Check us out and see how you can get involved with our spring fashion show, intern brunch, relay for life and more!

In a previous entry, I spoke highly of Florida State University’s Collegiate Merchandising Association (CMA). This Wednesday, we will be having our first meeting of the spring semester in Oglesby Union Room 313-315 at 7pm! It is a great way for fashion students, as well as fashion lovers, to get involved with on campus activities, including fashion shows, as well as community service. It is a fabulous organization! If you are interested in joining, you should definitely go to the meeting on Wednesday and check it out for yourself! I will be at the sign in desk if you have any questions or just want to say hi, otherwise you can just email me.

I hope to see you there!