STITCH September 2016 - The Back to Campus Issue

no. 31

september 2016 the back to campus issue

table of contents

03 masthead

16 costume institute A BTS look into production of some of NU's most elegant theatre trappings

04 contributors 05 editor’s note 06 campus creators STITCH meets the minds behind Northwestern's newest and most notable innovations

18 contents One writer sounds off on the growing gap between affordable style and sustainability

20 paint the rock Taking a twist on a Northwestern tradition, we're using paint to create new textiles and accessories 25 last word A reflection on fitting in—and standing out—during Wildcat Welcome Week and beyond

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CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Lizzey Johnson and Sarah Spellings MANAGING EDITOR Amber Cline

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR Beatrice Hagney SENIOR EDITOR Rachel Lefferts TREASURER Susan Chen DESIGN EDITOR Emily Ash DESIGN TEAM Manon Blackman, Elizabeth O'Conor, Harry Forbes, Natalie Griffin, Estelle Lee, Cindy Luan, Rachel Wolfe ONLINE EDITOR Christian Welch ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITOR Rachel Burns STAFF WRITERS Maddy Kaufman, Monty Nelson, Madison Blanchard, Haley Glazer, Chris Coleman, Isabel Seidel

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DIRECTOR OF PHOTOSHOOTS Christian Maness

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ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOSHOOTS Madison Blanchard DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Renee Jacoby ONLINE PHOTO EDITOR Mari Uchida PRINT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Sam Schumacher

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STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Meghan Harshaw, Katherine Sprengel, Allie Hagan, Zack Laurence, Malissa Cagan, Charli Hu, Jesskia Huang, Alix Kramer STYLING TEAM Caroline Bell, Madison Blanchard, Amber Cline, Dani Cohen, Megan Cahillane, Rachel Gradone, Helena Kalman, Dani Lewittes, Maddy Kaufman, Hannah Curcio, Olivia Krevoy, Jessica Onyi, Kathleen Carroll, Evelyn Ma, Tori Latham, Lilly Scheerer MULTIMEDIA TEAM Clare Fisher, Daniela Grava, Zoe Juanitas, Kimberly Hill, Renée Jacoby, Brii Williams DIRECTORS OF MARKETING Casey Doherty and Luke Zhang MARKETING TEAM Casey Doherty, Elisa Finol, Lanie Shalek, Jing Wang, Amelia Cornin, Ariel Matluck, Alexandra Mennell SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Carolina Diaz SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM Catherine Kang, Wren Hagge DIRECTOR OF EVENTS Hannah Curcio

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RECRUITMENT CHAIR Dani Cohen

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contributors Madison Blanchard Co-Director of Photoshoots Hometown: St. Louis, MO Major: Journalism Year: Sophomore The best thing I did this summer: Going to Harry Potter world—it was amazing!

My favorite thing about fall quarter: Pumpkin pie custard at Andy's.

The one piece you're most looking forward to wearing this fall: Flannels; I’ve been building my collection all summer!

Caro Diaz Director of Social Media Hometown: Miami, FL Major: Communications, Art History Year: Senior Best thing I did this summer: Camped in Yosemite—so beautiful!

Favorite thing about fall quarter: Football season!

The one piece you're most looking forward to wearing this fall: Over-the-knee boots.

Harry Forbes Designer Hometown: Denver, CO Major: Journalism and International Studies Year: Sophomore Best thing I did this summer: Walking a mile through torrential downpour after this protest outside the DNC was pretty memorable, and I had an absurdly good dinner in D.C. at Le Diplomate. Probably one of those two.

Favorite thing about fall quarter: Rugby season! Also leaves.

Hannah Curcio Hometown: Kildeer, IL Director of Events + Styling Team Major: Journalism Year: Sophomore Best thing I did this summer: I went on an Alaskan cruise with my family. Alaska was beyond beautiful, but my favorite part was the roadtrip we took to get to the cruise from Chicago to Seattle. Say what you want about the country, but America does have some gorgeous land.

Favorite thing about fall quarter: I think campus is at its most gorgeous during fall quarter. (And obviously I appreciate the sweater weather.)

we're looking @ you!

Keep up with us at stitchfashion. com/apply and facebook.com/ stitchfashion to find out more about how to join one of the best college fashion magazines in America.

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editor’s note The start of this school year looks a little different than my first year at Northwestern. Ask any upperclassman, and they will give you an impassioned opinion on the trip to Millennium Park we all had to take during Welcome Week. They may also tell you about this glorious thing called Project Cookie, which delivered warm inception cookies to your dorm. And if you regretted your late-night snacks, you could trek to SPAC, which more closely resembled a sweat lodge than an Equinox in West Hollywood. By the time I have my first reunion, The Garage will have invented NUber, which will be shuttling students to the spanking new Norris while they sip cold brew on-demand (p. 6). It is both nostalgic and astonishing to think about how Northwestern has evolved in so little time.

I have also changed immensely over the past three years. As a freshman, I was too anxious about what other people thought of me to wear exactly what I wanted; fitting out was more important than flared jeans. Inevitably, this perspective seeped into the way I acted as well. I distinctly remember sitting in an economics lecture (oh, how things have changed) and being too self-conscious to ask a burning question—then having someone else ask the exact same thing. Nobody thought twice about her question. In fact, her confidence helped the rest of the room.

This back-to-school issue recognizes students who are exploring and expressing themselves in dynamic ways on campus. In her last word (p.

25), sophomore Rachel Burns talks about using the Purple Pride shirt as a launching pad for finding herself at Northwestern. And three other students reveal how they’re confidently working to improve campus life (p.

6).

If I could give one piece of advice to my first-year self, it would be to act with the confidence I now have as a senior. Wear the flared jeans.

Laugh the first time you slip on black ice. Take the initiative to reach out to the groups or classes you want to join. View the chance to speak up as an opportunity, not a challenge. At the risk of sounding trite, dance like nobody’s watching—because to be honest, nobody really is, and what’s the point of “Timber” at a tailgate if you’re standing still?

Here’s to a year full of confidence and creativity. And to the fact that flare is back!

Lizzey

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Throughout the years, Northwestern’s campus has been home to some of the most influential creators and innovators alive today. Everyone from Stephen Colbert and George R. R. Martin to Rahm Emmanuel and Cindy Crawford has spent time enrolled as students here in Evanston.

Although it may be crazy to imagine that future celebrities and world influencers are currently eating C-store sushi or getting shamed for whispering in periodicals, this campus is undeniably filled with talented people. With that in mind, here are a few campus creators to keep your eyes on. You may just see their names on the ever-expanding list of famous Northwestern alumni sometime soon.

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a junior in the School of Communication, is the founder and host of Northwestern’s first late night comedy talk show: The Blackout. Founded just last year, The Blackout is a live show featuring everything from pre-recorded sketches and monologues to interviews and more—a fast-paced comedic event that relies heavily on Chelsea, the host, to tie it all together. Chelsea has taken the show from a simple idea she had with her friends to a legitimate comedic force on campus, and she isn’t done yet. We caught up with Chelsea to talk about who she thinks is doing a good job in the late night world, where she gets her writing inspiration and what this year will look like for the newly official student group.

How did The Blackout get started?

I got the idea last summer when I was interning in Los Angeles.

Being around Jimmy Kimmel Live, it just dawned on me that the late night variety format is perfect for a college campus, and that it was a gap in the Northwestern comedy scene that could be filled. Slowly I asked my friends to join me; eventually it snowballed to include all sorts of people. Now there are 50 members and counting.

What is your role within The Blackout?

As host, I help to tie all of these talented people at Northwestern together. Not just the writers, the producers, the editors and the cinematographers, but also the greater Northwestern community.

What are your plans for The Blackout this year?

The idea is permanence. Because this is my brainchild, my role as host has meant much more than host—it has been writing, editing, producing and marketing, really defining what the format should be. It has been a really awesome learning experience.

I want to move towards having a permanent production that is really everyone’s production; as much of a group effort as possible.

What has been your proudest accomplishment of favorite memory with the Blackout?

One of my favorite memories was one of the very first sketches we did.

I had never been in a taped sketch before. It was crazy because The Blackout was this thing that all of us just decided was going to exist and it existed.

It was so cool. I loved it so much. I was going to go abroad winter and spring quarter of my junior year, and in that moment, I changed my mind.

I was going to go abroad just in the fall, because I really liked this and cared about it. I loved the people on campus and loved being creative with them. I wanted more time here.

Who do you think is doing a good job in the late night world?

I think Jimmy Fallon just has this light that shines from within. He could talk to anyone and make them look amazing. That’s such a rare talent. He has this genuine fun spirit.

Conan is really genuine in his voice, and unforgiving in that respect. Such a huge part of being an entertainer is being genuine. You can’t fake that.

Where do you get inspiration?

What is the writing process like for you?

Especially when it comes to writing,

sometimes you just have to make yourself put something down. That’s what I think is so hard. Inspiration doesn’t always come. You just have to start writing stuff down on paper and generating a ton of ideas and eventually something will click.

I’m kind of manic in that I keep notebooks on me and I write down ideas that pass by.

Why do you think The Blackout is important to Northwestern? Why is it special?

I think the reason that The Blackout is able to exist is because there is so much talent at this school and the people on this campus are so genuinely interesting and diverse and committed to what they do. It’s really showcasing this campus, and that’s not possible everywhere. To count the number of people that have influenced the show would be literally impossible, which is one of the coolest aspects of it, I think. This is an opportunity where there are no barriers to entry. If you have an idea, you can always pitch it. There’s a network of people who will help you make it. It’s a really level playing field for anyone who’s interested in comedy to put on Stephen Colbert’s shoes or Seth Meyers’ shoes and do what we see these people who we love doing.

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is the co-founder of BrewBike, the newly constructed coffee shop on wheels that has been generating more buzz than a triple shot of espresso. Almost immediately after arriving at Northwestern as freshman, Geduld and her cofounder, Lucas Philips, identified a key issue plaguing this campus: the lack of a student-run coffee shop. They immediately began working to bring bold, delicious java to the people who need it most—college students. After several setbacks and countless batches of cold brew, Geduld and Philips, both sophomores in the School of Education and Social Policy, debuted the custom-made bike during Wildcat Welcome. To learn more about Geduld’s morning routine woes and caffeinated beverage of choice, read on.

What is BrewBike?

BrewBike is Northwestern’s first cold brew coffee bike. We sell cold brew coffee from the back of a bicycle and position ourselves in the most populated areas on campus. We believe in bringing convenience to every student’s life and tailoring the coffee experience to the needs of our peers. Our main goal is to improve their daily routine. They no longer have to wake up early, scramble out of bed and rush to get their morning caffeine fix because it now comes to them. With a BrewBike on every street corner, we will make their days more enjoyable and caffeinated.

Where did the idea come from?

How did it get started?

I’m a coffee addict and can’t imagine going to class without coffee. Unfortunately, all the coffee places are out of the way; I found myself having to wake up 20 minutes early to get a quality cup of coffee.

For a college student, those 20 extra minutes of sleep are valuable.My co-founder, Lucas Philips, and I are both foodies from New York, and were eager to get experience in the hospitality industry as well as create a space on campus that took students’ desires and opinions into serious consideration.

We started working together this past November. We worked alongside the University for a few months and began training with Sodexo to run one of their cafés.

After a few weeks of training, we realized we weren’t able to have the flexibility we wanted. We then

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transitioned into the idea of a coffee bus, then a coffee tent and finally we decided on BrewBike.

After many iterations, we were able to launch a company that reflects our vision: to create an environment where students’ lives are positively impacted.

How would you summarize BrewBike in three words?

Innovative, delicious, trendy.

What are you planning to do with Brewbike this year or in the future?

We plan on officially launching BrewBike for Welcome Week.

We plan on operating for all of fall quarter, and will consider expanding in the winter. Hopefully there will be many BrewBikes all around campus very soon!

What sets Brewbike apart?

The idea of getting your coffee from the front of a bike, out of a tap is a very new, cool and collegespecific idea. We’re the first people to ever customize a bike like this.

Most college students get coffee every day, but it’s not every day you can get coffee served from a bike out of a keg from your friend.

In addition, we’re serving products that are rare on a college campus.

Cold brew is only served on two locations at Northwestern, both of which sell out by midday. Our cold brew is the best on campus because it was hand picked by the students after many iterative tastings. We’re unique because we’re all about improving your daily routine by saving you time, but also adding personalization to that shortened coffee experience.

It’s the best of both worlds.

BrewBike is for the students, by the

is the Managing Director of DesignWorks, a student-run design firm that creates logos, flyers, apparel and more for clients within the Northwestern community and beyond. A senior studying computer science, Sonia combines her technical skills with her creative energy to produce a product that epitomizes both form and function. Seamlessly blending education, creation and commerce, DesignWorks is looking to expand beyond Evanston, making the world a little more beautiful with each project completed. Read our interview with Sonia below to learn more.

What is DesignWorks? How and why did you first become involved with the project?

DesignWorks is a Northwestern Student Holdings company that provides quality web development and graphic design services.

We have a team of some of Northwestern’s best developers and designers that tackle a range of projects for on-campus organizations, as well as companies across the nation. I first became involved with DesignWorks the winter of 2016, prior to the company’s official launch. I was interested in the cutting-edge market space DesignWorks was in, and was also excited to join at such a pivotal time.

What is your role at DesignWorks?

I am currently the Managing Director of DesignWorks. I organize the team at a macro level, and keep track of ongoing commissions to ensure we meet

timelines and and maintain quality.

That being said, we have a great operational team that does an amazing job, making my role a lot easier!

What is your proudest accomplishment as part of DesignWorks?

As a part of DesignWorks, I am incredibly proud of the design and development opportunities we have brought to Northwestern students that are outside of the campus’ typical scope. Our company meets the design needs of a diverse set of organizations, and by doing so, we generate unique project opportunities for our team. I think it’s amazing that we can provide real commissions for Northwestern students and increase their design and development experience.

What is your favorite DesignWorks memory?

My favorite DesignWorks memory is the barbecue we had on the Friday

of our official launch. The team held a barbecue on Ford Lawn to publicize DesignWorks, as well as celebrate the long-awaited launch with food, music, and games.

Everyone was incredibly excited to see how all of our hard work would soon pan out.

How would you summarize DesignWorks in three words?

Design, develop, innovate.

What sets DesignWorks apart?

Why is it important to you and to the Northwestern community as a whole?

DesignWorks is cool because it taps into the amazing skills we have on Northwestern’s campus. It showcases our talented designers and developers by enabling them to make a tangible impact on a variety of companies and organizations.

We bring a new angle to design on campus, raising awareness and providing students with unique real-world experience. S

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room view

WITH A

Take a tour of Evanston's historic lakeside mansions paired with coordinating classic formalwear.

Photographer: Zack Laurence Makeup: Madison Blanchard Hair: Helena Kalman and Christian Maness Models: Isabella Soto and Ashwin Kulkarni Set Assistant: Hannah Curcio

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On Isabella: white tunic dress, American Eagle Outfitters; blue tunic dress, Charlotte Russe; tan heels, Cathy Jean.

On Ashwin: Suit custom-made in India.

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costume costume costume costume costume institute

by Monty Nelson

B

eyond the obvious opportunities for exploration and socialization during Wildcat Welcome Week, there is one vibrant aspect of Northwestern that should not go overlooked: the arts. Northwestern’s dedication to the arts is shown through the amazing Arts Circle, located in the center of campus.

It’s home to establishments such as the Block Museum and the Bienen School of Music. Though there may not be a space dedicated solely to fashion, the relationship between the arts and fashion is inextricable, with the lines often blurring between the two.

One amazing way to get your fashion fix at Northwestern is through STITCH (...some could say we’re biased), but if you love designing for bigger scale projects, costume design is the world to 16

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explore. Because of Northwestern’s outstanding theater department, a weekend never goes by when there isn’t a new show to see, whether it be smaller, improv productions like Mee-Ow or grand-scale musicals like the Dolphin Show. The actors on stage may get the most applause, but without those who are dedicated to creating the best wardrobes for each character, the productions would never be as spectacular as they are.

Luckily, over the summer I had the opportunity to talk with sophomore theatre major Diana Dimiri. While taking a short break from her summer film classes, I quickly learned her favorite designers are Simone Roche, Maki Oh and Johanna Ortiz and she can’t wait to rock her new white Nike Hurraches all over campus which she describes as “hipster nurse’s shoes."

Beyond her amazing fashion sense, Diana offered an intimate glimpse into the world of costume design and

styling at Northwestern.

STITCH: What shows/productions have you been in during your time at NU? Diana Dimiri: Last year, I was lucky enough to be in For Coloured Girls in the fall, and Project NU in the spring.

STITCH: How would you describe the way NU deals with costume design in the productions? What are the steps to creating a wardrobe for a particular character?

DD: I haven't done a lot of costuming for theatre, but for film it's a pretty hefty process. For me, I like to read the script before I meet with the director so that I have my own costume ideas to put forward, which maybe the director wasn't thinking of. Of course the director has final say, but it's good for me to start imagining what the characters would

We talk about each character, their likes and dislikes. If I can get a clear idea about who a person is, then I can picture what they would or wouldn't wear. wear in my head before that meeting.

Meeting with the director for the first time involves lots of talk about what they're going for in terms of art direction, color scheme and the works. We talk about each character, their likes and dislikes. If I can get a clear idea about who a person is, then I can picture what they would or wouldn't wear. Then I create a Pinterest board for each character and show it to the director at our next meeting. If they like it, we go forward with the buying process and if not, I do a little more pinning.

STITCH: Are there usually other people doing costume design and others acting or is it all in one?

DD: I'd say at the university level it's definitely a collaborative process. You only have so much in your budget, so you're working mostly based off of what the actor already has in their closet. I usually give a general description of what I want, and the actors will bring in options, and we'll go from there.

STITCH: If I am not an actor, but love fashion and creating wardrobes, what is the best way to get involved in costume design at NU? DD: Sign up for the StuCo Listserv!

I know listservs can be annoying, but emails go out every week from productions looking for help with costumes.

STITCH: What has been your favorite wardrobe for a show/production and why?

DD: I'd say Inside The Woods was definitely my favorite wardrobe. A couple of RTVF students filmed this TV pilot for a show about these a boy whose parents are ex-porn stars, and their family moves out to the suburbs to start a new life. The script

was hilarious, and it called for a lot of extremely inappropriate outfits which I had a blast looking for.

STITCH: Who is your favorite designer?

DD: I love Simone Roche (I got my graduation shoes from there), Maki Oh, and Johanna Ortiz.

STITCH: If you could steal anyone's wardrobe whose would it be?

DD: The Haya Twins. I would literally never wear any of my own clothes again. And Cailin Russo.

STITCH: What is your favorite back to school staple in your wardrobe for fall quarter?

DD: My white Nike Huaraches! They look like hipster nurse shoes, which you can interpret any way you want.

To further immerse yourself in Northwestern’s performing and visual arts scene, check out the Block Museum—which will unveil three new exhibits come midSeptember—and the Dittmar Gallery, a student-operated gallery in the Norris University Center that displays the work of emerging and underrepresented artists from the Chicago area and Midwest. With alums such as Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, the Mainstage is another aspect of the arts scene that should not be missed. Don’t worry if you don’t have the chance to see “The Great Gatsby,” which will appear on the Mainstage from October 14th through the 30th—there will be seven other shows throughout the year. But also, don’t let yourself think football is the only thing fall quarter has to offer—we have an art hub at our fingertips that should not be taken for granted. S SEPTEMBER 2016 •

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contents "Staying fashionable on a budget becomes a difficult path to navigate when you understand the environmental and human costs of producing that poorly-made blouse you bought for cheap at the mall."

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Fast fashion is hardly synonymous with sustainability.

Retailers like Forever 21, Zara, H&M and Topshop are known for capturing current trends and selling them at low prices, often at the cost of durability. In order to sell at low prices, these companies must also outsource labor. This means that the fast fashion industry produces an enormous amount of textile waste in addition to the human cost of cheap labor.

As college students, it’s easy to gravitate toward retailers that offer trendy clothes at affordable prices.

It seems like trends change minute to minute, so staying fashionable often means buying lots of clothes every season. Or at least, rapidly changing trends can make us feel like we have to drop lots of cash to stay in the loop. But when you’re saddled with student loans and tuition bills, buying tons of clothes is unreasonable - unless you shop at a fast fashion retailer, where a pair of jeans can cost less than $20.

The problem is, when you’re browsing the mall you might not be thinking about the impact your consumption of clothing has. You may be ignorant of it altogether and not even realize your clothes have an impact on the environment.

So, what does the impact of the fast fashion industry on the environment actually look like? The EPA estimates that textiles account for nearly 5 percent of waste in U.S. landfills. Additionally, the average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing every year, according to the Council for Textile Recycling.

To put that into perspective, Northwestern undergraduates throw away approximately 595,000 pounds of textiles annually.

ts

navigating the ethical subtext of fast fashion

by Madison Blanchard

The volume of textile waste has grown exponentially since the advent of fast fashion. In 1999, Americans produced 18.2 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste, according to a 2009 EPA Federal Municipal Solid Waste study. In 2009, that number had risen to 25.46 billions pounds, according to the study. That’s a 40% increase in annual textile waste over just ten years.

In addition to the environmental cost of cheap clothing, the human cost is enormous. There are 4 million Bangladeshi laborers working in garment industry factories for just $68 a month, according to a 2015 Huffington Post article. These same factories that don’t provide acceptable wages are also incredibly unsafe.

Take, for example, the 2013 Bangladesh factory collapse that killed more than 1,000 workers. To give context to these figures, the International Labor Organization estimates that there are 246 million exploited children between the ages of 5 and 17 involved in some form of labor trafficking. This figure doesn’t even include the adults, especially women, who are also exploited for cheap labor.

Staying fashionable on a budget becomes a difficult path to navigate when you understand the environmental and human costs of producing that poorly-made blouse you bought for cheap at the mall.

So, how do you strike a balance between cost-effectiveness and ethics?

Switching to locally-made, handcrafted clothes and higher-end labels that promise fine craftsmanship would ostensibly lessen the human and environmental costs of your fashion purchases. But even these facets of the fashion industry contribute to the 25 billions pounds of textiles dumped in U.S. landfills each year, according to the Council for Textile Recycling. In addition, sustainably made clothing is often much more expensive because of its organic materials or locally-made nature.

Even a few dozen dollars can make or break a college student’s budget, so that organic silk blouse just isn’t a feasible purchase.

While textile waste is a huge problem in the fashion industry, some fast-fashion retailers are taking steps to improve their sustainability.

H&M’s “Conscious” campaign works to make “more sustainable

fashion choices available, affordable and attractive to as many people as possible.” The company introduced the campaign in 2013 and committed to seven goals: providing fashion for conscious consumers; choosing and rewarding responsible partners; being ethical; being climate smart; reducing, reusing and recycling; using natural resources responsibly; and strengthening communities. Zara also released a “Strategic plan for a stable and sustainable supply chain for 2014-2018.” Developed in 2013, the plan focuses on four points of action: identification, evaluation, optimization and sustainability in every step of production.

These sustainability commitments are great. But despite moves by retailers to produce sustainable collections, the fast fashion industry is inherently unsustainable. Even if producers make clothing from organic materials, consumers either can’t afford them or don’t know that the items can be composted or recycled. A landfill overflowing with organic cotton is still an overflowing landfill. Unless the fashion industry figures out a way to rework its business model, textile waste and unsafe working conditions will remain standard. S

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the

Taking a twist on a Northwestern tradition, we're using paint to create new textiles and accessories.

Photographer: Sam Schumacher Models: Diani Dimiri and Karishma Daftery Set Assistants: Dani Cohen, Beatrice Hagney, Christian Maness

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@stitchfashion

summer camera roll

"Spending Friday night in my favorite neighborhood—the Bishop Arts District!"

- Beatrice Hagney, creative director

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PURPLE PROSE

BY RACHEL BURNS

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went into Wildcat Welcome Week intimidated by one thing in particular—and it wasn’t the new school, the new people or the new surroundings. It was the purple t-shirts each new student was required to wear throughout the week: the generic Northwestern one, the Class of 2019 one, the Medill one and the Purple Pride one.

This was my chance to make my first impression on the people I would be spending the next four years with. Given my petite, 5’2’’ frame, I was not excited to wear t-shirts so oversized that they would go down past my knees. But more importantly, I was anxious to simultaneously fit in and stand out amongst my new peers. These matching purple t-shirts made it easy to fit in: as I waited to “march through the arch” with my Peer Advisor group, I looked around to find myself surrounded by 2,000 clones wearing identical ‘Northwestern Class of ’19’ shirts. I definitely felt like I was apart of something great, but I began to worry that I didn’t want to fit in, that I didn’t want to look like every other student. Is this what college would be like: a constant struggle to stand out and assert myself ?

Standing there with my PA group, I looked down at my own outfit—the required t-shirt paired with my own jean shorts and gold sandals—and I could not help but feel selfconscious. Was my outfit boring? Was I overdressed? Did I look stupid?

I can’t lie, I put as much thought as I could

into my outfit. I’ve always taken great pride in my style and to me, since an outfit is the greatest form of expression, it also has the potential make the greatest impression, good or bad. Growing up in New York City, I was surrounded by a medley of very different and very unique personal styles. Fitting in was never a concern—the NYC community begs you to express yourself and encourages you to wear whatever you want. I rarely questioned my fashion choices and I rarely worried about wearing whatever everyone else was wearing.

It only took me a short time after Wildcat Welcome Week to realize that the role of fashion and personal style at Northwestern was not all that different. As in NYC, the clothes worn by each student reflect the diversity of the wider Northwestern community.

Each person’s style differs based on their hometown, their upbringing, their passions and more unexplainable factors. There’s not one particular style at Northwestern, there’s not one particular way to dress, there’s not one particular item that you need to wear in order to fit in.

While it’s fun finding people who have similar taste as you when it comes to fashion, there are so many people on this campus that you’ll grow close to who have totally different styles than you do.No one picks their friends based on their outfits; in fact, personal expression is celebrated and is what keeps Northwestern interesting. College is not about surrounding yourself with identical, homogenous people— it’s about finding what you like, following your passions and expressing yourself. S

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D

“

I am obsessed with becoming a woman comfortable in her own skin.

- Sandra Cisneros

”

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