By: Amanda Valentine | Editor-in-Chief
A student-hosted thrift clothing pop-up will take place on the first floor of Gerety Hall this Tuesday, April 19, from 10-4 p.m. Salve Regina students, faculty, and staff will have the opportunity to get involved in Earth Week by engaging in a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to fast fashion clothing purchases.
“I myself was guilty of ordering clothes from unsustainable businesses,” said Samantha Parsons, ’23, the lead organizer behind the event. “It can be really hard to avoid when you’re a student operating on a budget and want to buy trendy clothes at a cheap price . . . In an attempt to change my behavior, for the past year I have been buying solely from small businesses or second-hand, but I recognize my privilege in doing so . . . With my event, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to learn about textile waste and also get to shop guilt-free.”
The event will be pay-what-you-can, whether that is $1 or $50. All of the proceeds from the event will be used to sponsor local children to go to the YMCA summer camp, which gives children an opportunity to connect with the nature on the island. Any clothes leftover from the event will be donated to Rogers High School, so that their students also have access to free and sustainable clothing.
“One thing that was very important to me was that this event was zero waste,” said Parsons, who is a biology major with a concentration in environmental science and minor in chemistry. “The last thing I wanted to do was to sponsor an Earth week event and end up producing a ton of trash.”
Clothes were collected from members of the Salve community over the past few weeks. Attendees can expect a range of quality finds, especially those well-suited for the upcoming warm weather as well as business casual pieces that can be otherwise very expensive.
A lover of thrift-shopping herself, Parsons admitted that “it has taken a lot of strength not to claim some of the items that were donated.”
In addition to the clothing, Seahawk Radio will be present to host a vinyl exchange. Slim Possible has donated free tea that will be available from 10-12 p.m. for anyone who brings their own cup, and all students who check in at the event will be entered into a raffle for a gift card to Sprout and Lentil, a vegan restaurant in Middletown.
Parsons thanked Dyanna Moreira, director, and Santiago Durango, assistant director for programming, both of the Office of Student Engagement for their time, support, and advice in organizing the event. She also thanked the Office of Mission Integration, Mary Beth Pelletier and Cassidy Curry, ’23, for their help.
“I want to thank everyone who donated!” she added. “I can’t wait for Tuesday, and I hope to see you there!”
