Students can often be seen wandering campus in pajama pants and oversized hoodies. And eEvery once in a while, you’ll catch a student dressed to the nines.
One of these students is Kalen Tendo, a junior legal studies major here at Elizabethtown College.
Tendo is quite the busy body, having an impressive list of clubs and organizations on his roster.
“I’m in the honors program,” Tendo said. “I’m also in Alpha Lambda Delta as well, I’m in Bonners, and I’m the vice president of the mock trial club. I’m the vice president of NAACP on top of that, I was a part of care when that was active. I was a part of SCARP, I did a research program, but I was also employed at the High Library. I was working doing research for the students of color at Etown, the history of them. I’m also an Ubuntu mentor and a mosaic scholar.”
Tendo is also a part of the law early acceptance program (LEAP) and while the specific type of law he wishes to practice is still up in the air, he has his law school of choice picked out.
“In the LEAP program, you have four automatic acceptances to different schools,” Tendo said. “Drexel has been my top one. I like Philadelphia, it’s close to Chinatown. I think it would be a nice school, very clean aesthetic, and I just think they have a lot to offer me.”
His passion for law came from his father.
“My dad,” Tendo said. “He had always talked to me about it since I was very young ‘cause he wanted to be a lawyer before. He sees a lot of his spirit in me as well. Ever since I was like eight years old, he [dad] was like ‘you always argue with me, I think you would be great in law.’ I love arguing.”
His father also inspired him to go to Etown, as Tendo wanted to follow in his footsteps.
“My dad actually went to Etown,” Tendo said. “They also gave me the most money, so I can’t really turn that down. My dad went here and a lot of his close friends still work here and they helped me come here too.”
Coming to Etown was no easy feat for Tendo. Despite being originally from Reading, PennsylvaniaA, his current journey home is an eight hour drive from Ottawa.
“I used to live in Reading,” Tendo said. “I live in Canada now, I’ve been living there for 10 years. I like being in Canada besides the fact that it’s cold out there. I enjoy being home but I also like Etown, this is my home too.”
Outside of law, Tendo’s passions lie in fashion.
“It’s my life,” Tendo said. “I really love putting different outfits on. I never wear the same outfit everyday. It’s my way of being able to express myself. When I’m not able to explain myself or do X, Y, and Z, I can always show something about myself through my clothes.”
His parents gifting him clothing for Christmas was really what gave Tendo the inspiration he needed. Ever since he started his fashion journey, he has received nothing but encouragement and compliments from his friends and family. He has grown a small community on his Instagram of others with a passion for fashion.
To decompress, Tendo will layout his entire wardrobe and host his own private fashion show in his dorm room.
“I’m going to decompress today,” Tendo said. “I’m going to take like two or three hours, I’m going to just take all the clothes out of my closet, put them on, and start making outfit combos. It’s been something that has been, I don’t know, healing for me. Just like everyday I get to put on something new.”
Fashion, loud music, and cranberry juice areis Tendo’s personal formula for success.
“To decompress it’s that, loud music, and my cranberry juice,” Tendo said. “Like, my juice? We’re locked in. To get my creative juices flowing, I need my cranberry juice.”
Tendo is one of many unique personalities wandering campus. He can often be found supporting community events in style.
