Arts - Buffalo State College

48
Business and Fashion & Textile Technology
Not Just For Fabric:
The Many Uses of Cotton
Kerri Britton, FTT 450W: Issues in Apparel and Textile Industry
Faculty Mentor: Professor Lynn Boorady, Technology
Cotton is a vital material not only for the apparel industry, but in
the food industry as well. This research looked into the many uses
of cotton outside of the use of its fiber for textiles. Cotton is good
for more than its fiber, within its seed lays as much if not greater
potential; this potential rests within the oil from the cottonseed.
The byproduct of cotton has a significant use and value to several
industries. As the economy changes and becomes more demanding,
the use of the cottonseed advances. Cottonseed oil is a byproduct of
cotton; it is extracted from the seed after the lint has been removed.
The United States has consistently shown itself to be the top producer
of cotton, primarily in the south. With advances in research and
innovation, cotton could soon become the economic vehicle by which
many of this countries debts and problems are alleviated. Current
research on cotton includes its use to reduce cancer effects among
other uses. If any of these new uses come to fruition, a new day is on
the horizon, not just for the cotton industry, but for the country.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster I
Over the Top: Trends Forecasting For
Women’s Tops In Fall and Winter 2012
Janette Salloum, Melissa Wesner, and Aries Thompson,
FTT 358: Fashion Forecasting and Consumer Issues
Faculty Mentor: Professor Keunyoung Oh, Technology
The purpose of this project was to identify fashion trends in
women’s tops for the spring / summer of 2012. The target consumers
of interest are fashion forward young women in their twenties who
like to keep up with the latest fashion trends and are mostly students
in colleges and universities located in urban areas. Through the
content analysis of various fashion magazines, newspapers, fashion
blogs, fashion online stores, and fashion-related websites such as
WGSN and WWD, a total of five trends in women’s tops that would
appeal to the target consumer group emerged. The trends identified
in this project are sheer tops, crop tops, art deco print, big heart
print, and high-low tops. The results of this project will help local
small apparel business understand what young college consumers
would like to wear for an upcoming season.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster II
Overusing Pesticides On Cotton Can Harm
You, Animals, and the Environment
Emily Kostraba, FTT 450W: Issues in Apparel and Textile Industry
Faculty Mentor: Professor Lynn Boorady, Technology
Through research we can understand that the overuse and/or
incorrect use of pesticides causes agricultural problems and human
illness. Globally there are issues concerning the usage of pesticides
while farming cotton in developing countries. Pest management is
an important factor that needs to be thought about when choosing
and using pesticides. The amount and type of pesticides is harmful
to the workers, as well as the surrounding area. Many farmers use
sprayers that spilt, splashed, dripped, or leaked when used. Pesticide
choice and application issues can produce adverse consequences. In
many developing countries, cotton farms do not have the appropriate
safety precautions in place with regards to pesticides. Workers are
exposed for long periods of time to harmful pesticides. Animals are
also being harmed by the use of pesticides. Pesticide run-off from
the farms is a major contributing factor hurting animals and the
food animals consume. With the urgency to reduce pesticides, new
technologies have been introduced into some developing areas where
cotton is the main source of income.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster VI
Pennies On the Dollar: Transformation
From Ordinary To Extraordinary
Rachel Johnson, HTR 375: Events Management
Faculty Mentor: Professor Kathleen O’Brien, Hospitality and
Tourism
My research examines the impact of the economy on the
planning of events and the scale of events. I will chart the average
cost of weddings over a 15 years period. These data will be charted,
as well as the average cost of hiring a wedding planner. The research
will attempt to establish the benefits of hiring a planner because
professional planners are cost-effective and a good use of resources,
especially during challenging economic times when people still want
to have larger events.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster II
Pima Versus Upland Cotton
Danielle Colvin, FTT 450W: Issues in the Textiles Industry
Faculty Mentor: Professor Lynn Boorady, Technology
This research looks at the classification system of cotton,
specifically Upland cotton versus Pima cotton and analyzes the
strengths and weaknesses of each. The classification system for
Upland Cotton consists of classer leaf grade and extraneous matter.
The classification for Pima Cotton consists of classer color and leaf
grades, instrument measurements for color grade, fiber length,
micronaire, strength, length uniformity index, and color Rd. As for
Upland cotton the instruments currently utilized in the USDA Pima
Cotton classification are from the Uster High Volume Instrument
system. Color refers to the gradations of grayness and yellowness in
cotton. The official Pima color grade that was classified as a human
classer, under certain conditions and codes it will show the difference
between Upland and Pima Cotton. Classification instruments
measure the length in hundredths of an inch. The cotton’s resistance
to air flow per unit mass is measured to determine micronaire, this
is known as cottons fineness. Micronaire and maturity are highly
correlated within a cotton variety. Leaf refers to small particles
of the cotton plant’s leaf that remain in the lint after the ginning