Professional Writing Samples

My name is Olivia Pacini, and this Tumblr is being used to display some writing samples. Please do not hesitate to contact me. My email address is [email protected].

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LoungeBuddy Editorial

BTSocial had the opportunity to speak with LoungeBuddy’s CEO, Tyler Dikman, about his one-of-a-kind application. LoungeBuddy, an app currently available for the iOS (and soon for the Android), targets the frequent traveler who appreciates the luxury of a well put-together airport lounge. And with over 200 of the world’s busiest airports, LoungeBuddy is thorough enough even for the most well-seasoned business traveler. Dikman travels- a lot; over the past ten years, he has flown north of 1 million miles. To put that into perspective, he has flown to the moon and back twice. He has been to countless airport lounges, and appreciates them for the comfort they provide. “[Lounges] are a different world unto themselves… they provide certain amenities a traveler can’t get anywhere else,” said Dikman. And these amenities can prove extremely useful, especially for someone with a long to-do list before a business trip. Airports offer seating for free, but Wi-Fi? Forget it.

Typically, a person can get 15 minutes of free Wi-Fi in many major airports “Just enough time to check your email, but not enough to answer any,” Dikman remarked about the time limit. In a vast majority of lounges, Wi-Fi is included in the fee for the lounge usage; many have showers, even private rooms. The fact of the matter is this: you can pay hundreds or thousands for an upgrade to First Class in the airplane you’re traveling on, or spend $25-$75 for 90 minutes in a high-class lounge, where you are able to get work done, have a few complimentary drinks, and even shower. The lux-lounges offered in many airports around the world are exciting, but the lengthy list of rules and regulations around lounges are not.

n the past, even Dikman overlooked a few regulations while attempting to access the highly-regarded Lufthansa First Class terminal. He booked a 1st to access the terminal, but after hours of trying to find a way into the terminal, he was told he did not have access after all. This is where LoungeBuddy steps in. Before, there was no single class ticket with United, and he assumed the Star Alliance status would allow him resource available for airport lounge information; the traveler would have to research what he or she could access with his or her ticket information or points program. Current information is difficult to digest. LoungeBuddy cuts out having to browse countless sites and simply provides which lounges are available after filling out some basic information about an upcoming trip.

Over 100 changes/additions a day are input by the over 150,000 people using LoungeBuddy. It provides lounge information for over 200 airports around the world; this application is especially beneficial for international travelers, as 2/3 of all airports listed are outside of the United States. This hardly means it cannot help travelers within the US; LoungeBuddy has extensive information on every major airport in the US. LoungeBuddy’s functionality is easy to understand and very user-friendly. Simply select the airport at which you’d like to find a lounge or other amenity, and a list of different amenities will appear, including kids rooms, premium food, free snacks, and free Wi-Fi. The app will also sort out each lounge or amenity by price, whether it is free or purchasable. Once you find the lounge for you, you can even take a brief photo tour, checking out the lounge before committing to pay for it.

The future of LoungeBuddy is luminous; Dikman and his team, Brent Griffith and Zac Altman, plan on adding 100 more global airports, if not more, to the already extensive list. An Android version is on its way, and exceedingly desired by the travel community: “We don’t get much hate mail, but a regular piece is how unbelievable it is that we don’t have an Android version yet!” said Dikman. The reason behind this is that they simply want to provide an excellent application; instead of simply copying and pasting the iOS version over to Android, a native application is being created to achieve top quality for the users. So wait patiently, Android users. LoungeBuddy is definitely worth the wait.

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Level Skies Editorial

The act of purchasing airline tickets can cause any business traveler, weathered or new, to start to sweat. People always seem to believe they’ve got the best grasp on when to buy tickets to get the best prices, but airlines continue to shock and depress their ticket buyers with rises in prices just days before a planned trip. Ryan, Brandon, and Christopher, creators of the fresh new fare flexibility website Level Skies, have all been victims of this disruptive and costly fare change. Ryan had a particularly entertaining, albeit upsetting, airfare horror story. He and his buddies had planned a bachelor party, but they weren’t positive on the dates. Once settled, he found the tickets he desired, originally around $300, had shot up to over $600. After a few too many strikes, the airline game was finally out, and Level Skies was brought into existence to aid all grieving travelers.

Flexfare is the name of their game. If a business traveler, or leisure traveler for that matter, wants to take a trip, Level Skies allows them to lock in prices over as many as three days on both departure and return flights. This means a traveler does not need to know any specific dates when locking in their airfare. In order to make all of this work, a diligent eye had to be kept on airfare, learning how it worked, and statistical models had to be created to figure out what prices could be locked, allowing Level Skies to offer this flexibility.

Flex Fares are offered at most major US cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, and New York, and many of the main airports. The Level Skies team is working diligently to add more to the list, but keeping it slow is their goal: “We’re all about rolling out at a steady pace, and not trying to offer flex fares to every single airport, immediately,” said Christopher. Doing it right is better than doing it fast, and encountering a list of errors and disappointments from end-users is not a desirable effect. The Level Skies website is a prize due to the time spent working on it by the team. “We want a site that allows people to recognize us!” And recognize their users do. The site is laid out in such a way that guides the traveler step by step. Simplification of websites is a trend that is still going strong; even sites such as Expedia revamped their interface. It made sense to follow the simplistic suit, and it is definitely paying off.

Now that Level Skies exists, it will be that much easier to book a trip to and from nearly any major city in the US. You can put down the antiperspirant- just go to www.LevelSkies.com and let them take a little bit of pressure off your shoulders.

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Turkish Airlines writeup

Turkish Airlines proves the third times the charm.

And second… and first. Turkish Airlines has been named the best airline in Europe for the third year in a row by Skytrax.  The airline has also won the Best Business Class Catering award, also chosen by Skytrax.  This prestigious award is highly sought after, and is a banner of top-of-the-line care for any airline that it is bestowed upon.

The results of the 2013 World Airline Awards were announced on June 18th, 2013, at the Paris Air Show.  The results were determined after a 10-month global survey of customers from more than 160 countries, representing over 100 nationalities. “This is a major accomplishment for our airline and one that we are very proud of,” said Turkish Airlines’ CEO Temel Kotil, Ph.D. “The results propel us to continue to deliver unparalleled service year after year to our global travelers.”

Turkish Airlines was formally created in 1956, after a major reconstruction of the original national flag carrier.  Originally, the airline owned 5 planes, a number that pales in comparison to its current count of 200 planes.  In 2003, the company began to expand, and despite the difficulties of recent global economic distress, Turkish Airlines shows no signs of slowing down.

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SwingingCup review

There are a multitude of quirky, creative products that prove extremely useful to the frequent business traveler.  One such product is the SwingingCup, created by Tim Neumann.  The purpose of this product is to allow a traveler to weave comfortably through an airport crowd, with a container of piping hot coffee in tow.  The SwingingCup apparatus hangs from the handle of a rolling suitcase (or walker, wheelchair, bike, etc), holding snugly a cylindrical cup, allowing it to swing to and fro without spillage. The actual strap that went around the luggage handle is adjustable by height with straps similar to a backpack’s, making it easy to adjust for any size suitcase. 

BTSocial received and tested this cool design during a business trip; the trip began at MDW on a cool November morning.  Coffee was necessary, so Tim Hines, founder of BTSocial, purchased a venti at Starbucks and placed the cup into the holder. The insulated cup fit well, and did not spill while the suitcase was pulled throughout the airport. On the way home from a business meeting in Pittsburgh, Hines stopped to grab a soda, and the medium soft drink cup fit similarly to the coffee cup. 

The only issue encountered was when the coffee cup was removed; the holder was a bit too tight, and some of the coffee splashed out.  This didn’t occur with the soda cup.  Certain cans or bottles that lack a cylindrical shape or lid/ ridge similar to a coffee cup’s may slide through, so practice with caution. All in all, the product did its job and will free up a hand to text, email, or to show off a boarding pass.

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LYNKtec Stylus review

LYNKtec is a company that focuses on building products for the handheld smart device world, from styluses to creative cloth wipes.  The TruGlide Pro microfiber tip stylus by LYNKtec is one of their top selling stylus pens.  For someone who is constantly using my fingers to work on both smartphones and tablets, I felt the need to try out a stylus to prevent smudging and to increase precision.  Already highly reviewed, I went for the TruGlide Pro stylus.

I decided to open up the new stylus on the plane ride from Chicago to San Diego.  The microfiber tip was surprisingly accurate and smooth on my Samsung Galaxy S3’s screen.  The tip itself is only 5mm in size, and the entire pen is petite at 4.7” long. Despite the pen feeling light as air, it was balanced. Its 6 oz. weight was dispensed in such a way that worked with the user rather than against.  It worked beautifully on my Asus tablet; I was able to fly from application to application with ease and did not leave any ugly smudges on either of my smart devices.  From texting to drafting emails to playing Bubble Blaster, the stylus did not disappoint. The added pocket clip was also convenient, as I clip the pen to my pocket or shirt for quick storage. Upon arriving back to Chicago, I let BTsocial’s founder, Tim Hines, borrow it for a business trip: “[The stylus] made for easy writing on my tablet”.  The functionality and style of the LYNKtec TruGlide Pro stylus was much appreciated by this business traveler, and will be recommended as the top stylus from here on out!

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Genius Pack editorial

Shopping for luggage is generally an unpleasant experience.  Trying to choose one large, black suitcase amidst a sea of other large, black suitcases is difficult, trying, and time consuming.  That is where Genius Pack steps in; Genius Pack, founded by Alfred Chehebar and his wife, Alexandra, is a new and highly customizable line of luggage.  The company sells an array of luggage, including carry-ons.

The idea of starting a new, technologically advanced luggage line sprouted on Chehebar and his wife’s honeymoon.  Their suitcases were packed to the gills.  As much as they tried, organization was nearly impossible to achieve, especially with dirty laundry mucking up a large portion of their suitcases as the honeymoon progressed.  “We like to be organized in everything we do, and the interior compartments weren’t cutting it.”  The duo went to a Macy’s when they returned home, checked out the luggage market, and proceeded to make a list of everything they wanted to improve upon luggage as it was.

“By 2010, we figured a [luggage] brand would have figured it out by now!”  As they both discovered, no brand capitalized on customization and workability.  There was little functionality, and innovation appeared to be at a standstill.  Chehebar and Alexandra created Genius Pack in order to make their own luggage, luggage that would bring ease of mind and superior organization to the traveler.  They wanted to instill excitement into travelers when they shopped for luggage.  “People buy a new sweater not because the first sweater ripped, but because they simply want to buy a new sweater.”  Their goal was to make luggage shopping more like clothing shopping, and not only done once every three years on average.

Most of the many features that are a part of Genius Pack luggage were imagined by Chehebar, stemming from luggage issues he and Alexandra wished to be rid of.  The removable and vacuum sealable dirty laundry compartment featured in their suitcases was a feature conceived after they realized how much they disliked dirty laundry touching their clean clothes.  A removable umbrella featured in some of their luggage was thought up after he and his wife were trapped in the rain, directly before a wedding in Mexico.  Feedback from customers is also welcomed.

The next big step for Genius Pack is the introduction of a new luxury line, featuring leathers and integrated battery chargers.  Also, luggage will soon be available in different colors instead of black.  Genius Pack is constantly on the hunt for new and improved innovations to add on to their already impressive luggage line, and it is well-worth the investment.

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Chicago's Bauhaus Legacy write-up

On August 9th, 2013, UIMA’s latest exhibit, Chicago’s Bauhaus Legacy, was a smashing success.  The opening began at 6 o’clock p.m., and within the first hour of the gallery opening, over 200 people had visited; over 40 people were alumni of the New Bauhaus school of Design and Institute of Design, from years 1937-1955.  The preparation of the event took months, and it was not difficult to see the amount of effort poured into it; separators were erected in different sections of the white-walled open space, allowing more pieces of art to be hung and displayed to the hundreds of guests.

Around the wine and cheese table gathered alumni, smiling and chatting while they sipped on their preferred white or red beverage.  Gene Hedge, who graduated from New Bauhaus in 1953, fondly remarked how he was still passionate about his art; a few pieces of his recent work hung on the wall behind him as he spoke with former schoolmates.  Chuck Reynolds appreciated the exhibit more than he originally thought he would: “I feel like I’m in a time machine!” he exclaimed. “This is absolutely a community that grew out of dreams,” said alumna Mary Ann Lea, who graduated in 1955.

The exhibit will be available to the public until September 29th, 2013.  Stop by and walk through the history of what was New Bauhaus, and prepare to be amazed.

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Jeff Hegelson writeup

On the afternoon of June 23rd, Chicago’s own Jeff Hegelson paid a visit to the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art.  An author, playwright, actor and teacher to name a few, Helgeson was very much in his element while in the gallery.  UIMA hosted a reading and discussion of Helgeson’s novel, Thresholds.

Released in 1999, Hegelson remarked on how the time-frame of Thresholds inception and eventual release resembled a hiatus between the 20th and the 21st century.  The world during the ten years Threshold was being developed was one of revolution; the Berlin Wall came crashing down, the Soviet Union dissolved, Czechoslovakia separates into Czech Republic & Slovakia.  It was a time of new beginnings.  At the same time, there was a swell of tyrannical violence, shown most horrendously through the actions at Tiananmen Square.  The historical backdrop of the book is crucial in order to understand it.  Hegelson’s knowledge and love of history played a huge role in the setting and themes of Thresholds: “I wanted the book to be set in the future, but I don’t have much of a crystal ball,” he remarked.  The recurring themes produces never fail to inspire Hegelson

Former students of Hegelson were at the reading, as well.  Sam Dubois, a recent graduate from Roosevelt University, is finished with a manuscript of an upcoming novel.  Dubois was happy to credit Hegelson for his patience and guidance with both the manuscript and in helping Dubois become a better writer.  He fondly recalled their first meeting; Dubois entered Hegelson’s office and said: “I think I’m a writer, can you help me?” And help Hegelson did.  Lamont Mims is a graduate of Roosevelt as well, and credits Hegelson with his fine-tuned ability to write.  Mims began his journey at Roosevelt through their Upward Bound program for veterans.  “Words have internal complexity, and [Hegelson] helped be to recognize these concepts,” Mims said.  He warmly joked that Hegelson “taught an old dog new tricks.”

Hegelson’s presentation was enchanting.  He read excerpts from Thresholds in a dramatic tone, introducing characters from the novella and invited his wife to read an excerpt with him. The audience was mesmerized and rewarded him with a standing ovation. Many of the guests purchased Thresholds, which he autographed. Jeff Hegelson will no doubt be invited back again to regale an audience with his insightful and captivating writing.

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Turkish Airlines proves the third times the charm

And second… and first. Turkish Airlines has been named the best airline in Europe for the third year in a row by Skytrax.  The airline has also won the Best Business Class Catering award, also chosen by Skytrax.  This prestigious award is highly sought after, and is a banner of top-of-the-line care for any airline that it is bestowed upon.

The results of the 2013 World Airline Awards were announced on June 18th, 2013, at the Paris Air Show.  The results were determined after a 10-month global survey of customers from more than 160 countries, representing over 100 nationalities. “This is a major accomplishment for our airline and one that we are very proud of,” said Turkish Airlines’ CEO Temel Kotil, Ph.D. “The results propel us to continue to deliver unparalleled service year after year to our global travelers.”

Turkish Airlines was formally created in 1956, after a major reconstruction of the original national flag carrier.  Originally, the airline owned 5 planes, a number that pales in comparison to its current count of 200 planes.  In 2003, the company began to expand, and despite the difficulties of recent global economic distress, Turkish Airlines shows no signs of slowing down.

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Thomas H. Kalsalis Gallery Writeup

The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art opened a solo exhibition of noted Chicago abstractionist Thomas H. Kapsalis on the eve of Friday, June 7th.  The vast, white walls of the gallery were adorned with Kapsalis’ bright and geometric paintings.  Scattered delicately by curator Stanislav Grezdo were Kapsalis’ equally colorful sculptures of different mediums.  Art enthusiasts of all ages streamed into the gallery to view the bold lines and abstract, yet balanced, frenzy that is Kapsalis’ work.

  Kapsalis was continuously surrounded by past students and friends, and warmly greeted each and every one with a smile and an embrace. A World War II veteran, Kapsalis has been quoted saying that he wastes no time being angry.  His calm and gentle demeanor reflected this promise.  He spoke modestly of his art, and even strummed the tall iron bars of his sculpture “Lines”, showing those around him its interactivity.

  He attended college at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and taught at the school for over 50 years. During his time at the Institute and abroad in Germany, he reflected on how his educators affected his style.  Willie Baumeister’s works of cubism and impressionism especially made an imprint on Kapsalis’ paintings. “I want to achieve a spiritual equilibrium with my art,” Kapsalis said of his work.  He drew much of his inspiration from cubist painters such as Pablo Picasso, but his works stand completely on their own and are assuredly one of a kind.  Kapsalis’ paintings and sculptures will be on display until August 4th, 2013.

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MAVErick Ensemble Press Release

Chicago, IL- The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art is hosting a show titled “Stephen Albert: To Wake the Dead”, by the MAVerick Ensemble on Thursday, May 23rd, and Saturday, May 25th.  Both shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are sold on the MAVerick Ensemble’s website or at the door; the suggested donation prices are $15 for regular tickets and $10 for student and senior tickets.  If a student has a valid college ID, they will be allowed in free of charge.  All proceeds will go towards contemporary music programming at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art.

Known for their engaging and exceptional performances, the MAVerick Ensemble is sure to impress audiences of all ages.  Currently consisting of seven talented musicians and composers, the ensemble possesses a varied range of musical instruments, both contributing to a beautiful and well-rounded sound.  The MAVerick Ensemble plays a wide variety of music, including classical pieces from Ludwig van Beethoven, as well a more modern piece from Seth Boustead.  This mixture of modern and classical continues to garner audiences for the ensemble.

On May 23rd and 25th, the ensemble will be playing five different pieces of music: “To Wake the Dead,” by Stephen Albert, “the bus driver didn’t change his mind,” by Eve Beglarian, “Vier Stucke, Op. 5,”  by Alban Berg, “Crunch Time,” by Don Freund, and “Mountain Songs,” by Robert Beaser.

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Press Release

NEWS FROM UIC

  Contact: Olivia Pacini

River Forest Animal Hospital                        

River Forest                                                                                                                                       IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Phone [phone]                                                                                                                    February 26, 2013

  NATIONAL SPAY AND NEUTER MONTH A TREAT FOR PET OWNERS

  River Forest, Illinois- February 26, 2013 – Thanks to River Forest Animal Hospital, dog and cat lovers alike have a reason to rejoice during February, which is National Spay and Neuter month.  A spay or neuter at River Forest Animal Hospital normally costs $150-300 for new puppies or kittens, but can be more expensive depending on the age of the animal.  During February, National Spay and Neuter month, a discount of $40 will be given to anyone who schedules a neuter or spay.  On top of the $40 dollar discount that the animal hospital is offering, they are also giving customers the opportunity to have a free exam for their pets by presenting a coupon that is available on their website, www.riverforestvet.com.

  In 1995, “Spay Day” was created by the Doris Day Animal League.  Spay Day is the last Tuesday of February, but the entire month of February is treated as a discount month for spay and neuter procedures by hundreds of animal hospitals around the world. River Forest Animal Hospital has been in business for over 50 years, and is actively participating in this month-long spay and neuter bonanza.

  Spaying or neutering pets is crucial to their health; unspayed female dogs or cats may suffer from breast cancer or even pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus. Both breast cancer and pyometra can easily be prevented by having a female dog or cat spayed.   Male dog’s and cat’s testosterone levels will be lowered after they are neutered, lowering any risk for an aggressive or territorial pet considerably.

  For more information, please contact the River Forest Animal Hospital by phone at 708-366-8370.

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Professional Interview with David Batka

I met with Dave Batka at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s University Hall.  As we walked up the stairs to the second floor seating area, he could not help but remark that it had been “forever since [he’d] been here.”  Although not quite forever, Batka graduated in 2010, but the surroundings took on a more foreign feel than he was used to.  Batka was an English major at UIC, and is now an editor-in-chief for College News and Midwest Health+Wellness, and also the digital content coordinator for One2One Digital.  He serves as an inspiration to aspiring editors, as his success was earned very soon after graduation.

As a young English major, Batka learned quickly that it was necessary to have an internship under his belt to have a complete resume upon graduating college. He landed an internship at WTTW Chicago’s headquarters. Looking back at his experience, he recalled meeting several influential people during his seven-month journey.  He greeted president Obama (pre-presidential election), actors from Second City, and the bass player from The Stones.  “You learn that they’re just people, like you and I,” Batka remarked.  One of the most memorable events at WTTW was when he was asked to write and produce a segment for the news.

Batka left UIC for one semester to take a few courses at MVCC (Moraine Valley Community College).  The previous editor-in-chief of MVCC’s school newspaper left in January, and when Batka started classes, he signed up for the position and got it.  He soon began an arduous, yet fulfilling, job as the editor-in-chief of a college newspaper.  As the editor-in-chief, Batka learned that he not only was only writing articles, but had a wide array of duties.  The importance of deadlines were stressed during his time at MVCC: “You have to live by those deadlines, and you have to be tough on people to meet them,” he said. Relevancy is crucial for both magazines and newspapers, and he had to be sure what he included in the newspaper would be relevant to his audience- an audience consisting mainly of college undergraduates.  The layouts of different sections of the paper were decided by Batka as well, polishing his copy editing skills.

After finishing up his semester at MVCC, he returned to UIC and graduated with a degree in English.  He had been making money as a freelance writer for eHow.com during his undergraduate studies, but needed a full-time job and a more consistent paycheck.  For several months, Batka worked as an assembly technician at Wiretool, a welding company on Chicago’s south side.  He eventually began writing for the company’s newspaper, Interlink Mecalux, working under one of the toughest editors he has ever experienced.  “I’d get stories back from him, just covered in red ink,” he said with a smile.  Despite his former boss’s scrutiny, he learned the most from him, and still is in contact with him.

After working at Wiretool, he landed an interview with College News magazine, and was hired within two days of the initial interview. “I went in on a Wednesday for the first interview, came back on Thursday for the follow-up interview, and as I was walking out of the building, they called me and told me to start working on Friday,” he said. Batka found himself yet again as editor-in-chief of another magazine.  While writing and editing at College News, he also is a co-founder of One2One Digital, a marketing company, and a writer/editor for the Midwest Health+Wellness magazine.  Although his days are long and busy, he does not regret any choices.  He has interns working in his office, and he does “whatever [he] can to help them find a job when they leave.”  He had just been in their position a few years earlier.  Batka’s success is due to his philosophy for handling people who only want to inhibit him: “Kill them with kindness and knowledge.”  Future editors, take note.

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A Retro Reflection at Hollywood Mirror

Located on the corner of Belmont and Ontario in Boystown, Chicago, Hollywood Mirror provides its patrons with a wide variety of vintage goods, as well as new goods purchased from various sellers.  There is no shortage of hole-in-the-wall vintage shops in Boystown.  Each shop offers something quirky: a musty prom dress circa 1988, a latex horse mask, a pair of shoes your grandmother might have worn.  They all have a certain charm to them.  As lovely as any store may look inside, nothing can touch the display, both inside and out, that Hollywood Mirror offers.  The musty, yet inviting, scent of the store is a byproduct of the hundreds of outfits from years past stored on shelves and hung neatly on racks.  The heavy bass of a garage rock song blasts through the speakers and flows throughout the shop.  At every turn, a shopper’s eyes are delighted at a bright and colorful accessory, shirt, mask, or sock, to name a few items.

 It is important to point out that Boystown’s Hollywood Mirror is not the store only location.  Hollywood Mirror is owned by a Japanese company.  Okutani Corporation was started in 1991and is owned by president Toshi Okutani.  The corporation is headquartered  9,108 miles away in Osaka, Japan.  There are two other Hollywood Mirror locations in Tokyo and Osaka, which is overseen by both Okutani and vice president Mickey Akida, who splits his time up between Japan and the Chicago suburbs.

Dressed in a red and black plaid flannel shirt and black leggings, 29 year old manager and California native Celeste Maldonado aids her customers with a finesse only a true vintage lover could possess.  Passionate about clothing, both used and new, she has been happily managing the Chicago Hollywood Mirror location since 2007.   Born and raised in Monterey Bay, California, Celeste wanted to move away from home and start life elsewhere in the United States.  San Francisco and Chicago were the main cities she would move to.  Celeste’s friend Morgan had moved from Monterey Bay to Chicago, and when Celeste went to visit, she knew Chicago was the winning city.  This did not make moving away from her home any easier.  Not only was she leaving behind a beautifully temperate California biosphere, but she was also leaving a familiar life behind.  Despite the initial culture shock, Celeste has since become a regular Chicagoan.

Maldonado had not always loved vintage clothing, but has since obtained an affinity for it. “I like having one of a kind items that people won’t see anywhere else,” said Malonado.  Hollywood Mirror has innumerable original articles of clothing; the shop takes in clothing via consignment, but only if the item proves worthy of purchase.  Most of the clothing purchased from brands are chosen at large conventions where different sellers showcase their material, and items are either chosen or rejected for sale at the store.  The decision to purchase any item goes through extensive research.  The likelihood of any item being purchased is taken into account, as well as if a profit will be made off of the item.  A majority of the time, the clientele determines what will be sold.

Many young adults that walk into Hollywood Mirror are astounded at what they find.  The reviews posted on the store’s Yelp page are overwhelmingly positive, remarking on the impressive stash of faux mustaches, the retro prom dresses, and insane looking animal costumes.  Young adults, ages 18-25, are a large portion of the patrons that shop at Hollywood Mirror.  Popular items purchased give the president and vice president an idea of what to buy.  Current fashion trends are taken into consideration as well; this year, patterned leggings were very popular.  Hollywood Mirror jumped onto the trend and lined racks with animal, galaxy, and tribal print leggings.  Another key marketing strategy is to sell clothes according to the  holiday.  Christmas was only a few months ago, and the entire store was covered in ugly Christmas sweaters for the many ugly sweater parties that were to occur.  Halloween is another holiday that provides a great deal of sales.  Because management stays on top of trends, customers continue to pile in.

Staying competitive in a market as common as second hand stores can prove to be a difficult task, so what the team at Hollywood Mirror surveys different popular stores, both secondhand and department, and takes note of competitor’s prices.  Thus, Hollywood Mirror is able to stay competitive by pricing fairly, and in some cases, cheaply.  Prices need to remain friendly because a large number of customers are college students without a lot of money to spend.  Some objects are more expensive; furniture is sold by Hollywood Mirror, but stored at their Elk Grove Village warehouse.  The warehouse also contains the items sold on the online store, which consist of fewer second hand items and more new items.

Out of the 100-odd vintage stores in the Chicago area, Hollywood Mirror has to set itself apart in order to continue getting business.  The two Japanese locations do well because American culture and fashion is popular and sought after, but in America, with many other stores to compete, originality is difficult to achieve.  Frequently remarked on is the flamboyant window display that changes with every holiday or season.  During the month of March, the display was quirky, to say the very least: vivid polka dot backdrops, a sweater wearing pig mask donning bunny ears, and a small- seemingly misplaced- Jesus statue graced the Ontario facing window.  The display is almost always outlandish, but it does its job of drawing curious patrons in.

Amidst the confusion of colors, Hollywood Mirror has created a name for itself over the past decade.  The go-to location for any costume party, be it an 80’s prom-night or ugly sweater, it is a staple in the secondhand world of the Second City.  Without it, Ontario and Belmont would simply be another crowded street corner.