An array of soft fabrics glided across the hands of KSC students who filtered in and out of the L.P. Young Student Center’s flag room on Friday, Nov. 21, as the KSC Sustainability Office and the Office of Community and Belonging came together to host a clothing swap.
With a colorful set-up of two long tables of organized pants and accessories, as well as a section of sweaters and shirts hung neatly on hangers, students had the opportunity to bring in their unwanted clothes to the flag room and swap them with a wide variety of all donated clothing options they could add to their daily styles for no cost.
The swap was primarily organized on the Office of Sustainability side by KSC Sustainability Coordinator Kate Witte, who spoke highly of the event and the office’s collaboration with the Office of Community and Belonging.
“The event has gone very smoothly,” Witte said. “This is our second collaboration with the Office of Community and Belonging; we very much like to do collaborations with them.”
Witte continued, “We’ve had about 20 people filter in and out so far, some who have donated and taken, some who have just donated and some who have just taken. It’s been great to see people come out and participate.”
Junior Laurel Feindel, an assistant at the Office of Sustainability, helped out at the event. “Watching people come in and out and have a chance to find something, it’s been really awesome,” Feindel said.
The event included clothing from KSC’s thrift store, the Thrifty Owl, located in the Elliot Center. “It’s nice to see the clothes that have been at the Owl find a new home,” Feindel added. “Seeing the thrifted clothes around campus and how they travel, it brings new life to the clothes.”
Nina Zienkiewicz, coordinator for student support at the Office of Community and Belonging, organized the event from the office’s side of the collaboration.
“We try to do events every semester, so students should look out for events in the Spring,” Zienkiewicz said. When asked what her favorite part of the clothing swap was, Zienkiewicz said, “Seeing the community come together for these clothes. That’s special.”
Students who did not have the opportunity to participate in the swap can check out the Thrifty Owl on the first floor of the Elliot Center to browse the selection of clothing that was not taken in the swap. Those interested in learning more about events the Office of Sustainability and Office of Community and Belonging will put on in the spring can check out both organizations’ Instagrams, @sustainablekeenestate and @kscbelonging.
Serena Taylor can be reached at
staylor@kscequinox.com
