Students in the Academy of Art University’s Introduction to Fashion Journalism class (FSH 108) were moved, like the rest of the world, by Steve Jobs‘ death. Here are some reports they filed from the Apple store in San Francisco the day after he died.
A slight drizzle fell upon a small crowd that lined the front of the Apple Store on 1 Stockton Street Thursday morning. People stood in front of the iconic franchise to pay their respects to an iconic man. Steve Jobs, the man behind the Apple, had passed away the day before, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Outside the store, a small memorial was set up. Flowers, candles, and even apples were placed at the foot of the glass windows surrounding the store. On the windows people left post-it notes in memory of Jobs. Many notes simply said “RIP Steve”. Some others left messages, including, “No businessman changed the world the way you did. Thx,” and “We are the same age. See you on the other side.”
Inside the store, it was business as usual. People were still in the buying mood after hearing the news of the death of the CEO. A customer asked a sales associate about the death of Jobs’ and the associate commented, “It’s sad, but I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore.”
A Japanese news crew was following the story of Jobs’ death and was filming outside of the store. The journalist said that Jobs’ was a “unique and inspiring figure in Japan and around the world,” and that when we look back on his life we will remember the stories and legacy that he left behind. The death of a brilliant man has touched the lives of so many people around the world.
Jobs entered our homes and touched our lives with his incredible vision and products. He will truly be missed, but never forgotten.
– Mallory Adams
Flowers, candles, teddy bears, and of course, actual apples flooded the ground outside of the Apple Store on Stockton Street. Post-it notes were neatly placed on the glass windows with commemorative messages in all languages. “Thank you for the Future” and “You will never be forgotten” were just a couple that I read. Bystanders of all shapes and sizes gathered around the front doors, mourning the loss of the legendary Steve Jobs.
Sally, a woman I got the chance to speak to, told me her first reaction to his death was sadness for his children.
“I have a young daughter myself, so I was immediately upset that his children will now grow up without their father.”
She added that, “Tim Cook’s been doing a fine job since Steve resigned.” Cook was named CEO of Apple, Inc. after Jobs’ resignation in August, and he will continue to do the job well.
There were too many iPhones to count, effortlessly being held in the air, getting photo and video evidence of this great memorial. The store attempted to carry on with business, but in fact, was even more crowded than usual.
I overheard a man telling his wife how it was “a very, very sad day…what an amazing entrepreneur we’ve lost,” just before purchasing a brand new iMac.
The world has been overcome with grief. The popular social networking site, Twitter, has been flooded with trending topics such as “Thank you Steve”, “Pixar”, and the clever “iSad”. A TV executive for NHK, a Japanese news station, was heard describing Jobs as “a very unique and very inspiring figure. Apple products are crazy popular all over, especially Japan.”
The legend of Steve Jobs will be carried on for quite a long time. My most prominent personal memory of Jobs will be the famous quote from his 2005 Stanford Commencement speech that I have applied to my life quite a few times; “Stay hungry. Stay Foolish.”
– Sydnei Brumwell
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Ivan, a 25-year-old exchange student from Russia, called Jobs’ death a “terrible loss for the IT community…for the whole world.” He went on to call Jobs the “Leonardo da Vinci of the 21st century” and a “remarkable leader” “before adding: “Yes, I believe Apple will continue to reign.”
Stephen Heraldo, a 24-year-old student at UC Berkeley said: “I was online…browsing and I saw the headline Steve Jobs is dead. I just didn’t think it was gonna happen so soon,” Heraldo added. “He’s been battling cancer for the past 8 or 9 years and I actually just lost my dad to cancer in July. They are two people who influenced me in very different ways.” He praised Jobs for his visionary leadership and said his spirit will continue.
“With everything…he put into the company, his work ethic and drive is trickling down, even though he’s gone now.”
“That drive, that fire is still gonna be within Apple for years to come,” Heraldo added. “”I don’t see a significant drop off in terms of product quality or anything in terms of the public eye and how they view Apple because Steve is gone. I don’t think that the general public as consumers are gonna shy away from the products. We grew up with this technology.”
– Damon Golatt and Alejandra Galan
A palpable silence seems to set over the place even though there is an enormous crowd gathered around the makeshift shrine. Inside the store, everything is just like normal, it even seems like there are a bit more people inside the store than usual.
Post-Its were written in all kinds of different languages showing how respected this man in throughout the world. Some quotes from the Post-Its outside the front window:
“You took a bite out of evolution”
“Design isn’t just how it looks, it’s how it works”
“An inspiration to humanity.”
“Thank you for improving our lives. You are not gone, nor ever forgotten.”
“iSad”
“Steve you’re on your own iCloud”
A lot of people wrote simple messages like “RIP” or “Thank you Steve”. Some wrote more meaningful ones to them, about how Jobs propelled us into a completely new world of technology.
A Japanese television journalist from NHK called him a “a unique and inspiring figure,” adding that “the products he produced were popular all around the world, even in Japan. They probably wont hold a memorial for him, or some form of an event like that, he really deserves it but this is probably all he’s going to get”
Being so close to the birthplace of Steve Jobs and the workplace where all of his great technology came to life is exciting. San Francisco’s store most likely has the most commotion going on than all the other stores out there for that reason.
– Tonislava Docheva
The store has a sad and depressing vibe, even though the business continues. It feels like Alexander McQueen’s tragedy all over again. It is a shocking event to the world, because the man changed the whole world.
The hand-written sticky notes – in Mandarin, Korean and Arabic, as well as English – as well as flowers, candles, apples and even dolls accessorize the storefront. They create an even deeper moment.
Some quotes from the sticky notes:
“A sad loss, Apple will never be the same” – Michael
“Steve your Apple changes the world more than God’s Apple.”
“Thank you for changing the world.”
– Try Sutrisno
Rushing down to Stockton and Market Street in downtown San Francisco, all types of people flooded in front of the Apple Store. It was full of both customers and concerned supporters, offering their remembrances. Outside the store, an impromptu memorial took place, with many concerned customers and supporters taking pictures and videos, and filing past.
Post-Its at the bottom of the store windows read:
“we love you.”
“BYE BYE THE ARTIST.”
“Farewell and thank you for all the apples.”
“What a gift. In awe, rest in peace.”
“I hate cancer.” ”
There were apples (of course), flowers and candles outside the store. Oracle employee Richard Dabbs, who was in town for the software giants convention, said he was very much into Apple products. “I think Apple is a very successful business and will continue its incline on sales, even more now that (Steve) had such an impact. When ‘important’ or influential people die, they become more famous. Amy Winehouse’s record sales went up when she died. She sold 50,000 copies of her record since her July death. I don’t imagine products being affected in any bad way,” he added. “I think that the advertising market will increase in a positive way because he was a well-respected gentlemen. Apple itself will be still very successful, but will change because Steve is gone now.
Will he have a replacement? “He will always be known as the co founder of the company Apple, but someone has to run what he left behind.
Will technology suffer in years to come now? “No, it will only go up from here – there are too many opportunities and doors to be explored for it to suffer.”
– Krista Ybarra and Mackenzie Kruger
Photo Credit: Sydnei Brumwell
