In the warm lounge room of Drew Residence Hall (DRH), students gathered to listen to Halloween music, enjoy drinks and swap out clothes they do not need anymore to give them a new life. This program was planned and hosted by Bailey Winden, one of the Resident Assistants (RA) for the DRH’s third floor, also known as the LGBTQ+ and Social Justice floor. The event was just one of the many programs that the RA’s plan and hold for those who live in the resident halls.
“RAs are required to put on a certain amount of events, some of which have specific categories that we are randomly assigned,” Winden said.
As the event went on, DRH’s Area Coordinator Stasia Higgins dropped by with clothes and to mingle with everyone.
“RA’s can host as many programs as they want, but are required to host a themed program. Bailey got community service,” Higgins said.
Students shopped around, having conversations and sharing laughs as they found not only new clothes but new friends. Community building was one of Winden’s goals for the event.
“I thought a clothing swap was a perfect way to do [a community service event] while also supporting queer students by possibly giving them the opportunity to experiment with new clothing and getting to meet and mingle with each other,” Winden said.
As more students filled the room and more clothes were brought in and swapped, it was clear that the event had a sense of community even if it was just for a couple of hours.
“My favorite part about planning these events is seeing people start to show up and enjoy what I’ve put together,” Winden said. “It’s cool to see an idea you have turn into a real experience that people will remember,”
Only a few students showed up at the beginning of the event, but the number of attendees slowly grew.
The remaining clothes that were not taken during the event were donated to Hamline’s Free Store in Drew Science Center. The Free Store is one of the many places students can bring old clothes instead of throwing them in the trash.
“I also had sustainability in mind and wanted to have students swap clothes rather than throw away some good stuff they had,” Winden said.
Many of the attendees heard of the event from Presence, the student life platform, the many posters around campus and word of mouth from other students. Some attended the clothing swap with friends, and some attended by themselves to trade clothes and hang out with new people.
“Me and some of my friends had been talking about trading clothes we didn’t want, so when I saw the poster I was like oh, swag,” first-year Quinn Busta said.
As the event ended, those who attended were able to find something new to wear and had the chance to go through their closets and bring all the clothes they no longer wear or that do not reflect their styles. They now have the chance to be given a new life and not be added onto the pounds of fabric waste produced by Americans each year.
“There’s so much clothing that people get rid of when they could instead donate it, and it makes me upset,” Busta said, reaffirming the sustainability theme of the night.
Overall, the clothing swap fostered a calm, identity-affirming social space for the attendees that offered new styles and a way to be sustainable with clothes they have sitting in their closets.