FASHION STATEMENTS

STORY BY VICTORIA GARLAND Variety Staffer

LAYOUT BY MOLLY HARWELL Editor-in-Chief

PHOTOS AND LAYOUT BY LUCAS DONNELLY Visuals Coordinator

PHOTOS BY AZA KHAN Director of Audience Engagement

Walking through the halls of Clarke Central High School, one can see diverse fashion as some students prioritize comfort with sweats and t-shirts while others come in suits.

For CCHS senior Ana Thompson, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she found style as a positive light among all of the chaos.

“I had nothing else to do, so I was like, ‘Let me find something to occupy my mind’ because COVID was depressing,” Thompson said. “I found (that fashion was) something that made me happy and something that could get my mind off of that. I love (fashion). You can dress however you want (and) put anything you want together.”

In addition to acting as a source of happiness, fashion can communicate personality and individuality without words. For CCHS junior Oliver Domingo, it has allowed him to gain confidence and find himself.

“I think (fashion) can create a sense of identity, you can feel comfortable in your own skin in some ways,” Domingo said. “If you’re more (the) ambitious type, you could wear more wild clothes or maybe you want to take an ironic approach to it and you could be totally dull.”

Another benefit of fashion is that it can be a mode of expression and creativity. From a young age, CCHS English department teacher Camille Joiner has found ways to put her own twist on clothing.

“I’ve always been very interested in ways fashion can be a creative medium for people,” Joiner said. “I like to think of myself as an artistic person, but I actually can’t draw or paint or do anything artistic. So, for me, (fashion) was a medium in which I felt I could express myself.”

Along with expression, CCHS science department teacher Valinda Miller bases her fashion on what makes her feel good, and she feels the confidence her clothing brings is reflected in her performance.

“When I was in high school and college, I would dress up to take a test because if I feel good going into the test, I would generally do better,” Miller said. “When you are comfortable, you are going to perform your best academically and socially, so just wear what makes you happy.”

The variety of fashion styles represented at CCHS is a unique aspect of our community. Scarlett Ehlers, a CCHS sophomore who temporarily transferred from Belgium, saw this when she came to CCHS.

“There was so much different people in different outfits and styles (at CCHS). In Belgium people dress more the same,” Ehlers said.

Domingo believes that fashion is beneficial in numerous different ways, and it’s important to make sure that students’ style is bringing them joy and reflecting themselves.

“I think it’s best to just be original and be yourself and do what you want to do. And I think not everybody will understand it. But as long as you are proud of what you have created, that is what matters the most,” Domingo said.

Featured: FUN IN THE SUN: An Oconee County School District volunteer laughs with a Special Olympics participator in Billy Henderson Stadium during the Special Olympics on March 29. As a first-time attendee, Clarke County School District bus driver and parent of Special Olympics participator Sophia Hayes believes the event was a positive experience for Timothy Road Elementary School second-grader Jace Scott. “Before today, I always wanted to attend Special Olympics, so was very excited my son got an opportunity to partake in this event,” Hayes said. “I love (Special Olympics) because (Jace) is excited and he likes to run and play energetically, so I’m happy for him.”

Photo and story by Aza Khan