hen your clothes start spilling out over the top of your laundry basket, you know what time it is: laundry time. I procrastinate on doing my laundry so often that I’m regularly forced to examine the shirts that I wouldn’t typically wear. I dig through my dresser to find some articles of clothing suitable for covering my glorious body. All bunched together in my dresser, as if quarantined from the rest, are my Elizabethtown College-themed shirts.
What shirts do I have to choose from? The first is a lovely Etown shirt in the typical navy blue color with white text across the front, as generic as store-brand soda. The next one is black, and it has the name of my dear friend on the back, in recognition of his athletic prowess. An imposing blue jay appears on the front, with a face that says, “You had better wear me, or else.” To break the monotony, my next option is — surprise, surprise — an Etown hoodie. Between the gray color and the blue writing on the front, this decked-out sweatshirt rocks the Etown colors with style. Shielding me from the cold several times with its comfortable fabric, the hoodie will look fine if I want to “bum it out” for the day.
My next Etown shirt shimmers with a blue hue, bearing text across the front that says, “Mr. Etown.” Although this one does not explicitly say “Etown College” on the front, the overall feel is the same. The words “I’m Too Sexy” on the shirt remind me of the once-popular song that we all tried to learn the words to. After sliding my next garb to the side, I find the Holy Grail: another Etown-themed tee. This one is navy blue — my Jaywalker T-shirt — and is emblazoned with an “E” across the front. A hand-drawn blue jay in white on the back reminds of how prolific the darned bird is with its shirt appearances.
If you’re like me, you have enough Etown-themed shirts to fill at least three washing machines. Often subconsciously, we accumulate more and more Etown shirts each school year, making us appear unhealthily obsessed with the school we call home. These shirts that constitute such a large portion of your wardrobe may seem tacky; they’re not necessarily the greatest fashion statement. But stop and think for a moment. What does each one of those shirts mean to you? What memories do they conjure? When you rock the “Etown shirt swag” years from now, will you do so with pride and fond memories?
My navy blue Etown shirt that I passed off as “generic”—that was the first Etown shirt I ever received. My cousin, an Etown alumnus, got it for me as a gift well before I even planned to attend college here. Lost among the sea of Etown shirts sitting in the metaphorical treasure trove that is my dresser drawer, I had forgot the shred of sentimental value that the shirt held. This shirt reminds me of beginnings.
The black jersey I bought in honor of my friend has its own flavor. I wore it to my friend’s soccer games all last year. His speed, dexterity and shooting skills impressed me beyond belief. I cheered for him so hard I almost fell off the bleachers. I even tried playing some soccer with him once, wearing his own jersey, which may have been awkward for him in retrospect. But those are memories that I want to keep. This shirt reminds me of friendship.
I remember wearing that gray Etown hoodie while I was a first-year, sitting out in the Dell, gazing up at the stars. Powdery snow fell from the sky, sticking to the ground and getting me excited for the prospect of my first college snow day. Moonlight illuminated the Dell just enough for me to see my chilled breath, and the rapscallions in the background having a snowball fight for the ages. So much for my Zen moment. This shirt reminds me of hopefulness.
My blue Mr. Etown shirt reminds me of a great show. I recall a sound and atmosphere I can only witness once a year. As I watched the show two years ago, I knew I wanted to shake my “groove thang,” or lack thereof, onstage someday. Even if I had to make my friends dress up as fruit. I could never have predicted that would happen the following year — if you had told me, I would have pooped my pants on the spot. This shirt reminds me of inspiration.
My Jaywalker T-shirt makes me reflect on the campus tours I have given to prospective students. While I lament having to wake up so early for open houses, I truly enjoy showing families around the place I have come to call home. Telling the story of how President Carl Strikwerda tied my tie for me never gets old. When my time at Etown is over, I will reflect fondly upon the tours I have given and the families that have chosen Etown because I made them feel at home. This shirt reminds me of passion.
Obviously, I don’t go through my closet every morning thinking about the sentimental value behind every item in my wardrobe. I promise I’m not as foppish as I seem. But I also realize how precious my time at Etown is. The excessive number of Etown shirts I own will one day mean something to me. Heck, they mean something to me now. I can joke about the tackiness of my Etown-themed garb as much as I want, but my love for this school outweighs my desire to be ultra-fashionable.
So, rock those Etown shirts, people. You know you’ve got a ton of them. Go ahead and wear them. Wear them with pride.
