If all goes according to plan, this will be the first of many school-spirited clothing swaps on campus.
Anna Hornell
Special to Mustang News
In the first annual Cal Poly Apparel Exchange, students can trade a t-shirt or sweatshirt from a different college in exchange for a brand new item of Cal Poly apparel. The event will take place during University Union (UU) Hour on Feb. 6.
“We want students to build stronger ties to our school and increase support for our athletic teams,” Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) Executive Cabinet member Daniel Wasta said.
As a sports enthusiast, Wasta, a political science senior, contemplated ways to amp up school spirit. After reading about a clothing swap at Northern Iowa University, he decided to try to bring the concept to Cal Poly.
“Walking around campus, you see a lot of different universities represented,” he said. “Whether it’s UC Santa Barbara, Stanford or some out-of-state school.”
After working with Athletic Director Don Oberhelman for a year, the idea will finally come into life on Feb. 6. The Apparel Exchange is a three-way effort between ASI, the athletics department, and the administration. In addition, local screen-printing business J. Carroll helped produce the 600 clothing items – 500 t-shirts and 100 sweatshirts – that will be handed out.
“This is a good and affordable opportunity to get something that represents the school you’re going to be alumni from,” Wasta said.
The exchange will begin at 11 a.m. and go on for as long as supplies last. Although the final details are still being hammered out, Wasta said the UU Plaza will be filled with players from Cal Poly sports teams as well as representatives from ASI.
If all goes according to plan, this will be the first of many school-spirited clothing swaps on campus.
“When we talked to the administration, they were on board to make it a yearly thing,” Wasta said. “That’s why we’re trying to make it a big event this year.”
As an added perk, the exchanged clothes will be donated to people in need throughout the Central Coast. Wasta, however, said they want to make sure the donated apparel of other schools does not make it back to the Cal Poly community.
“We’ll give them out over the Central Coast, but not here,” Wasta said. “We want to keep San Luis Obispo green and gold.”