Sustainability in Fashion

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Senior Rachel Claire Henry sews her own clothing to promote sustainability.

BY ALLY PEA

The world we live in is rapidly changing to be more sustainable and one of the unique ways people are looking to be more sustainable is through clothing. From donating old clothes to shopping second hand, there are numerous ways environmentalists recommend to help create less waste. Senior Rachel Claire Henry is making her own clothing to cut down on her own personal waste.

Henry began sewing in first grade in a class at school. “(That class) really inspired me to start sewing and so did my grandma,” Henry said. She continued learning how to sew clothes by going to sewing camp and taking classes with a private teacher. However, it wasn’t until the pandemic that she got into sewing on her own. “I just kinda wanted to see where it would go.”

“(Since the pandemic), I have been trying to make one to two projects a year which take a varying amount of time depending on what I have going on and what I am making,” she said. She has made seven projects since 2020, including her prom dress and senior picture dress.

For Henry, the sewing process varies from piece to piece. “(Sewing) allows me to get creative. Sometimes I sketch what I am going to do when I have a little more inspiration, sometimes I create a mock up out of scrap fabric before I make the piece, and sometimes I just look for patterns based on what I have in my head,” Henry said.

She said that sustainability is really important to her when it comes to clothing. “I try to shop second hand at stores like Goodwill or ThreadUp because it's cheaper and better for the environment. When it comes to sewing, I’m still figuring out how to create less waste. I try to reuse stuff and save scraps to practice stitching on. Sewing takes a lot of extra fabric and while I would like to have a lot of clothing that I have made in my closet, there are already pieces out there that I like and I don’t want to create unnecessary waste,” she said. “I want my next sewing project to be a dress made out of scrap fabric that I already have so I don’t create any more waste.”

Sewing has taught Henry valuable lessons about how to problem solve. “Basically every project I have had has had something go wrong. I’m still learning, so I try to manage my expectations going into projects. (Sewing) feels like an outlet and a safe space for me to go through the trial and error process. Also, patience is so important because it takes a lot longer than people think. Whenever I get too frustrated, I walk away and come back to it later, ” she said. “(Sewing) is definitely a place where I have been able to practice patience. I’ve seen progress happen with being able to cope when things aren’t going how I want them to.”

One of the pieces that encapsulated the lessons Henry has learned during her time sewing was her senior picture dress. “That dress was really difficult because I had to redo the entire project at one point, which was really hard because not only did I have to waste fabric, but I had to totally start from scratch, but thankfully the dress turned out alright in the end,” she said.

The biggest advice Henry has for new sewers is to trust the process when it comes to the challenges that come along with sewing. She said, “There are going to be problems and you can’t just give up. You have to be patient and you have to be able to push through because it’s so worth it.”

Senior Rachel Claire Henry wearing a prom dress that she made (right) and taking her senior pictures wearing a dress created by her (left) Photo Submitted

Turkey vs Ham

With Thanskgiving appoaching fast, two students debate on a controversial foodie topic.

Turkey >

BY AVERY STUCKEY

When the seasons change from summer to fall I begin to think of the many things that come with this season. The leaves change colors and the weather gets colder and before you know it, it is November.

This month immediately reminds me of Thanksgiving, and the stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, casseroles, rolls, pumpkin pies and best of all turkey. Many families enjoy changing it up, however I think keeping the tradition of turkey is the way to go. It has been around for many years which shows that it is a dependable option.

Every year, my entire family gets together and helps make the turkey and without that, Thanksgiving would not feel complete. We also break the wishbone every year and whoever wins, gets a prize. These traditions are what make this holiday feel so important even though it can be easily overlooked by Halloween and Christmas. Some traditions are ok to grow away from but some just make the holiday mean more.

I will look back, years from now and remember all the traditions my family did on Thanksgiving, and hopefully pass them along for years. This is why we should stick with making turkey on Thanksgiving opposed to straying away to alternative options because they hold less value than how the holiday began many years ago.

< Ham

BY LUKE SPENCER

Thanksgiving is often referred to as “turkey day”. Turkey has been a staple of Thanksgiving for a very long time, and it is portrayed in almost every commercial, advertisement, magazine article, movie or T.V. show even remotely associated with the holiday. But has anyone ever stopped to think: Is turkey really even that good?

It’s not. Unpopular opinion I know, but turkey has to be one of the most overrated foods to ever exist. I think because of its reputation as THE food to eat on Thanksgiving, turkey is put on a pedestal as this great tasting food that everyone has to eat. But what goes unnoticed is that turkey is simply tasteless. In fact, it may be the most bland food I have ever tasted.

Now you may be wondering: If turkey is so bad and overrated, then what should I eat instead? My answer is ham. It may not have the reputation or history that turkey has as a Thanksgiving staple, but ham flies under the radar as what I believe to be a great alternative to add to a plate. It simply tastes better, there’s nothing else to it. Thanksgiving is all about getting together with family, giving thanks, and eating, so why not eat the food that tastes the best? And though some will hate to hear it, ham simply tastes better than turkey. Skeptical? Try it this year. It’ll change your life.

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