In which Kelsey uncovers a sweatshop in Indiana

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Like garment workers everywhere, they are girls in their 20s. They look tired. They walked to work. They live on Ramen noodles.

They look to the future and hope that they’ll find better jobs because this job is the worst paying job a girl can have. They get paid nothing. In fact, they pay to have this job.

IMG_0501Such is life for college students at Ball State’s Fashion and Design manufacturing class. I had the pleasure of speaking with the girls today about the other garment workers I met around the world.

The students are working on a really interesting project. Each year professor Paula Sampson has her manufacturing class design, manufacture, and market a product. Thus, I walked away with one zebra-striped Snac Pac and one pink one. They’re not for me. They’re for Harper. She’s only 14 months, but the girl loves her accessories and her snacks!

To learn more about the students’ project visit their Facebook page. All proceeds go to Second Harvest.

Tid bit: After I got done talking with the class, Paula said that she doubted it takes 85 people to sew together a pair of jeans as I report in “Where Am I Wearing?” I’m just going with what the manager told me. I saw the production line in work and it was a lot of people. Now I’m itching to know. Paula suspected the manager might’ve been talking about the entire production chain: sewers, washers, queens of cool, and the sandblasting guy.

 
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