Oh, joy. I've just received an email informing me that I am to wear university insignia apparel on a particular day of the week, every week, and that there will be "spirit police" handing out "citations" to those who don't comply. "Don't be a repeat offender!" the message cheerfully (at least I think it's meant to be cheerful, or playful, or something along those lines) warns. I wonder if I could get away with telling the members of this new police force that I show school spirit by giving my students the best education I can (whether they want it or not), despite adverse conditions? Or what they'd say if I started asking questions about the conditions under which our insignia apparel is manufactured?
So, I'm wondering:
Q Do you own any apparel or similar items with your present institution's insignia? What about your undergrad and/or grad institution(s)? Why or why not? Does your institution expect you to wear insignia apparel? If so, how serious is the expectation (for the record, I don't think the initiative on our campus really has any teeth)? Do you comply? resist? ignore?
To answer my own question, unless you count my i.d., parking sticker, a couple of service pins, and a few paper portfolios abandoned by students, I don't presently own anything with the insignia of the university for which I work, nor do I plan to buy anything of the sort. It isn't that I don't like and admire my current institution; in many ways, I do. But at my undergraduate institution, it was considered seriously uncool to wear insignia apparel. The only students who did so on any regular basis were male members of the Black Students Association, and that was mostly a way of forestalling racist cops' questions about what said students were doing hanging around campus, entering dorms, etc. I graduated in a major anniversary year, and have a commemorative mug, bought by my father (and a diploma) to prove it. The swag from my recent reunion more than doubled my store of undergrad insignia stuff (and I feel a bit funny about using it, though I have made use of a well-designed softsided lunchbox, and the insignia-embroidered fleece blanket we received turns out to make a pretty good under-tablecloth pad).
ReplyDeleteAt my graduate institution, the undergrads were issued, and wore, insignia apparel, and graduate students made fun of them for it (and I own a semi-spoof sweatshirt that was part of the fun-poking process. Also a hatband from the one grad reunion I attended. A now-deceased cat disassembled the associated straw hat). If I ever get a TT job, I might even buy a doctoral robe and hood with grad institution's quite distinctive colors. And I experience occasional temptations to frame and hang my Ph.D. diploma, mostly to remind myself that I actually finished.
I do own a couple of outfits that more or less approximate my current school's colors, and occasionally wear them on campus. But it's a complete accident -- no statement of spirit intended. And I'm now inclined to wear them on any day *but* the designated one.
I'm probably an outlier in this population, but I've long suffered from a genetically defective tendency toward loyalty.
ReplyDeleteThat said, most insignia swag I own was bought on sale, but I did buy it.
I had one pullover with my UG name that the bookstore was selling off.
I have served as a Q&A volunteer for my doctoral alma mater and in the early years their thanks were shown via materials sent directly (pretty high quality leather note pad and a similar quality portfolio) or via gift cards to the university bookstore (which provided a good quality sweatshirt and long-sleeved T-shirt).
As local climate all but dictates T-shirts of the long sleeved variety, I do have logo apparel from both my current employers but, again, only because they were on sale.
I have not, however, ever been a student or employee of an institution which required (in jest or seriousness) wearing of such apparel.
I have quite a lot of university apparel from both universities I attended at different levels, and ones I did research at, though mostly it's stuff i wear on my days off. When I'm there to be professional I'd rather, you know, look professional. I'm a heavy set woman who looks long for my age, no way in hell i'm going to compound the effect just for some school spirit day.
ReplyDeleteIn fact I think I'd deliberately be a repeat offender if I was ordered to wear university clothing on particular days.
young not long... have no idea where that came from....
ReplyDeleteI like hoodies.
ReplyDeleteI like the school colors where I teach.
I actually have arguments with myself inside my head to keep from buying a school hoodie every time I pass the book store.
I would look silly, right?
If anyone even accidentally hints that I might, under even extremely unlikely and convoluted circumstances, not look 100% ridiculous, the me who argues in favor of the hoodie is going to win the next time I pass the book store.
I get free t-shirts from my university a couple of times a year when I interview prospective students. I get them in a small and give them to my daughter for nightshirts.
ReplyDeleteI think I have a sweatshirt here or there from my various schools.
But if anyone told me I "had" to wear insignia apparel I would completely and totally ignore them, and if the "spirit police" tried to hand me a citation I'd probably just laugh.
oh yeah - in regards to the thirsty.... if I was told I 'had to', I'd probably be beyond immature about not. I pass our rival on my commute. I'd definitely have to hit their bookstore on the way in - I'd go for the complete look, right down to boxers. I'd wear boxers over sweats, with an open hoodie over a t-shirt over a long sleeved t-shirt with a knit cap and scarf - in 90 degrees - to be ridiculous about wearing our rivals colors.
ReplyDelete@Contingent Cassandra
ReplyDeleteYou can get labels ironed on to T-shirts cheap; make one that has your school logo and the word SUCKS under it.
I guess I am not one of the "cool kids". I have many, many items from both institutions from which I matriculated. Wear the clothing all the time. I was involved in several organizations, including various musical ensembles (who REQUIRED the use of "uniforms" of sorts). I have travel mugs, pins, hats, hoodies t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, pull-overs, etc. from both universities and I am not ashamed to wear them or use the items. I obtained many of the non-clothing items from various university events I was required to attend when I worked for one of the instutions while finishing my doctorate.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed both my undergraduate and graduate years. I also have several t-shirts and whatnot from other universities simply because I liked the merchandise.
As far as the place I work now, I only have the things that were given out at meetings, like tote bags, a nice soft lunch bag, various pens, some notebooks, an umbrella, and some notebooks/portfolios. I do own a t-shirt for being an Honor's advisor and broke down and purchased a travel mug from the bookstore when mine met an untimely demise in the parking lot on the way in to class. I wouldn't mind wearing something for the school in general, but like WofC, I would be a complete and utter child about REFUSING to be ORDERED to wear college things, especially since like NEN, I look very young. I tend to dress in skirts and business casual-type clothing to not be mistaken for a student. On my own time it's a different story. One of my favorite hoodies has my undergrad uni's logo on it and I wear it all the time. So, whatever, I guess I can't sit at the popular table. :)
Have some t and sweatshirts from undergrad and grad schools, and from a couple I'm just darned fond of (Go Delta State Fighting Okra!).
ReplyDeleteBut order me to wear it? Bite me. Or at the very least, provide me with a clothing allowance.
Wombat's rival wear solution is the best!
Bleah. I was once the owner of one grey, doomful T-shirt with my college's name on it in black Gothic script (i.e., nothing to do with the college's official colors or "branded" font). The shirt fell to shreds 15 years after I bought it. You could not pay me to wear the logo gear from my graduate institution or current employer. If this is the cool table, so be it.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I happily wear a UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs sweatshirt because I love how the UCSC students mocked the tradition of the mascot by choosing that one -- not because I went there.
I guess it's fair to say that I never had much school spirit. Sorry about that, schools.
Count me in as totally childish. If ordered to wear school apparel, I'd blatantly refuse, but we don't have a rival school, so I might just wear Yaro merch.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do own a couple of items from my undergrad Ivy League school, which I got as gifts from family and from a reunion. The folding umbrella is useful to keep in the car, and I almost wore the hat last week when our transfer staff asked us to wear apparel from our alma maters to get the Little Dears thinking about where they might apply. But I forgot.
I also buy current college apparel when it's on sale and wear it on field trips. Profits from our bookstore benefit student scholarships.
@Bitchy (and F&T): I'm not at all sure it actually *is* uncool to wear logo gear. For one thing, I'm absolutely no good at determining what is and isn't cool, and for another, I'm generally oblivious to the question. Besides, my undergrad U was/is a pretty weird place, and there may have been some reverse snobbery going on. But from my grad school classmates' responses, I had the impression that the don't-wear-your-own-logo-gear rule was not unique to my undergrad U. Maybe it was an '80s thing?
ReplyDeleteI have been at 5 academic institutions in the past 10 years through my degrees, post-doc work, and now teaching. I don't own a single item from any of those institutions, nor would I want to.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I try to occasionally wear my varsity band jacket from high school around. It's incredibly warm. It also cost a ton and has a lyre on the back.
Once you're past ten years out of high school, that flips back around to being cool right?
Back on subject, if my current institution expected me to wear insignia - they best be providing it for me, because I don't have any. I'll do school colors if I own them.
I really liked the mascot of my undergrad institution (hell, I still do). I have stuffed animals, t-shirts, the whole schtick. I have a few things that were bought on sale with a faculty discount when I was leaving my last gig because they were the SAME style shirts my undergrad institution sold for a little under half the price not on sale.
ReplyDeleteI own NOTHING from my PhD institution. I never will.
I have a shirt I got for free from the place that hired me. Yay. Today was spirit day. I didn't wear it (I totally forgot) and nobody cared. It wasn't required. *shrug*
What? Is this high school now? That's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI own a school sweatshirt, but I wouldn't wear it on campus (too many students wear them to classes and I wouldn't want them embarrassed to be wearing the same fashion as their professor). My sweatshirt sits in the back of my car waiting for me to forget to take a sweater to the beach.
I might have a pen that I stole from the recruiters when they brought a prospective student to my office, but otherwise, I'd never wear anything to promote "school spirit." No, I take that back; I'd probably do something ridiculous to mock the mandate...
I own one or two shirts that highlight the academic departments (BS, PhD) I was affiliated with (e.g. University of Cool, Department of Awesomeness). I have a few t-shirts of my current school, which I wear because I can get away with wearing those t-shirts to work instead of dressing like an adult.
ReplyDeleteCitation police? As the kids would say - #srsly? Tell them to go fuck themselves.
I wouldn't mind a shirt from my graduate institution (to wear off-campus only, perhaps even out of city), but for two things:
ReplyDelete-Several years ago, my institution changed from its very-dignified traditional crest to a new 'corporate-style' logo. I refuse to carry anything with this embarrassing badge of shame on it.
-They don't carry shirts in my size. Seriously, the student body's bodies do not stop at a size 2x, dumb@sses. As if fat students don't face enough physical, social, and attitudinal barriers in college, this is a nice reminder (intentional or not) that the institution is not interested in having itself associated with the fatties.
I should say that I had a sibling that went to rival schools for grad and undergrad and wore his/her undergrad sweetshirt on her grad's spirit day.
ReplyDeleteHer students were amused (she was a TA at the time).
(1) @ Frog and Toad said...
ReplyDeleteYou and Vince Vega....
(2) I have one t-shirt...rapidly nearing the end of its life cycle from my last graduate institution. It's a big state school in the region (but doesn't have THE state name emblazoned). You know: one of those places we grew up knowing as "smaller state college" that is now "sounds like an diploma mill university".
It gets worn to walk the dog (often) and go to the gym (yeah, like that happens a lot.
If spirit police showed up while I'm shepherding my online students: there;s gonna be some 4th Amendment 'splainin' to do!
At my current place the option is either one of the departmental t-shirts with the logo in back (any colour) or business casual. I switch between the two, depending on what's appropriate for the day. No one particularly minds what day I wear things on.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what I'd do if they asked me to wear the t-shirts on a specific day. I'm ex-military so my reactions to orders vary between "Yes, sir" and "I left so I didn't have to deal with this crap...sir". I love my department so much that I'd probably wear them and just be grateful it's not a suit. The t-shirts are impossibly soft and the logo is tasteful, small and reminds me of just how lucky I am to be in this place.
I have a baseball cap, a t-shirt and a bag. The latter two were given out by the university, the hat I actually bought. I use all three somewhat regularly. I also have stuff from the various places I graduated from. I like this kind of thing. I just can't mobilize my usual cynicism and complain about it.
ReplyDeleteWow...you guys pay me jack sh*t and you're going to ask me to spend some of that hard-earned money on stuff produced in sweatshops? No thanks.
ReplyDeleteI own a fraternity t-shirt from my PhD alma mater. It says "Southern Boys Do It Better." Mainly this makes me laugh.
I also have a couple of bags from African unis that I've taught in...they are very plain canvas messenger bags with the school's logos on them. It's nice to remind people that Africa is not an undifferentiated mass of uneducated poor folk.
I've never worn my Uni's "brand-wear". Besides, here at the University of Tuktoyaktuk (Tuk U!) our T-shirts are an old Canuckistani joke.
ReplyDeleteTuk U is currently doing its annual charity drive. You know - get the students/staff/profs to give to a worthy cause, then the administrators can take credit for what a wonderful place Tuk U is.
It's a worthy cause, so I donate privately.
I have shirts, sweatshirts and a nice gaudy tie from the various schools I attended. I used to have a license plate bracket from the place where I teach but it cracked so I tossed it out.
ReplyDeleteIf my school passed such a rule as the one the OP mentions (eye roll) instead I'd wear my nice big green tie with the bobcat on it from the school where I earned my doctorate instead.
I used to wear lots of clothing from my alma mater, I loved the place - I did all my degrees at the same place. Then, the university got a president who embarked on a 5 year campaign to "de-regulate" (privatize) the public institution in such a manner that, had the measures been successful, would have meant that I wouldn't have been able to afford to go to the university as a student, and he didn't get any blowback for his efforts (e.g. he wasn't considered to be "going rogue"). So, goodbye uni-brand clothing, and when alumni fundraising calls me up I tell them to go fuck themselves. I donate my money elsewhere now.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, let's see. From my undergraduate institution, I have a t-shirt that reads "Friends don't let friends go to [name of the larger and much more famous similar institute located to the east of my alma mater]". I often wear it in the lab, and my students love it.
ReplyDeleteFrom the school where I did my MS, I have only my diploma. It's in Latin, which befits an Ivy, I guess, but because I'm a child of the seventies, I can't read it and have never been entirely sure of just what it says. I did have a hoodie when I was there, but it has long since fallen to dust.
I have absolutely no insignia clothing from the school where I did my Ph.D. and I never will. I have also never entered their very large and extremely well-appointed football stadium. These two facts are indeed related.
So far as where I teach, no way. It's a public institution, and I support it very well with my tax dollars, thankyouverymuch. And I'd love to see the administration TRY to make me wear insignia stuff!
Funny...the further back in time I go, the more college-branded stuff I have.
ReplyDeleteThe only swag I own from my current institution is an ID card lanyard. It's a pretty nice lanyard, and I wear it every day I'm on campus, mostly because it's useful.
Stuff that bears my previous employer's logo is limited to a lanyard (not as nice, never used), a coffee mug that I use to store pens in my school office, and a freebie tech gadget or two, like a mini-mouse with a retractable cord.
I actively resisted getting anything with my grad school's logo on it, but I wound up owning a handful of logo-ed t-shirts from my job at the college pool and attendance at various department-sponsored events, and I eventually bought a baseball cap at an off-campus merchant. Oh...and as third prize in a poker tournament, I won a nifty little nylon backpack that I absolutely adore. It looks thoroughly disreputable, and the silk-screened design is flaking off, but it beats the living hell out of a traditional bookbag, and I use it every day.
From my undergrad SLAC, though, I've got (or had) all sorts of branded crap, including at least four sweatshirts, a fleece pullover, a windbreaker, a handful of t-shirts, a mug, a license plate frame, and fridge magnets. Hell, I even put a retro school logo on my fraternity pledge paddle.
Yes, we have spirit days where we're supposed to wear shirts or hats from our current college of employment. We also have graduation days where we're supposed to wear swag from any one of the colleges/unis we attended back in the day, as if to say to students, "Look, I did it and went on to State U in some state you'll probably never even visit, so you should be inspired to graduate." It's just an excuse to dress down as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteI have several university themed shirts/other accessories that I wear on Fridays in the fall. I find it to be a nice way to "dress down" a bit (as the dress code where I work is pretty stringent). I often only wear the particular colors, and nothing with a logo.
ReplyDeleteAll of that said, if someone told me I HAD to wear it, I would also be irritated and refuse.