Trendsetting

Posted by admin on Oct 1, 2008 in Community | 0 comments

Much like any school in today’s day and age, the students at Trinity Western University have gone through a number of trends. Like that coin in your back pocket, there is always a flipside and TWU is no different. There are those trends, which are not necessarily bad, with many having some redeeming elements. But, like any fad some just leave you scratching your head in bewilderment. From popular clothes to slang and music elitism, TWU students have run the gamut of trends, both good and bad.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on several of the trends that have permeated the culture of TWU. Men who grow out their hair are steadily making a comeback. Sometimes it’s alright, but when the Grizzly Adams look sets in, it’s like a car wreck –you don’t want to look but you just can’t stop staring. The same can be said of Lululemon® pants that the majority of girls seem to own. Yes, we can all understand that those are probably comfortable and are great for the gym. However, to say that even the most upstanding Christian guys haven’t noticed the bum would be naïve. Honestly, that is a trend that needs to die soon; much like the incessant quoting of Napoleon Dynamite, which has finally followed the panda into near extinction.

Lanyards are another aspect of TWU that is nearly non-existent elsewhere, but here they are a near ubiquitous item. The practicality that lanyards offer is easy to distinguish; keys, ID cards, lucky charms, pens, all find a safe and comfortable home attached to these multi-coloured lengths of fabric. Another popular trend resurrected from the ashes of the 1970s are skinny jeans. This is not just a trend amongst women, but men, too, are now donning the ultra skinny look. Not since the mid 1990s’ long pocketed baggy pants has a style of jean been so prevalent here at TWU. It goes without saying that the skinny look is back and, from the amount of wearers, it has never been more popular.

The media trends that have gone through the TWU campus have been both entertaining and a bit frightening. From the odd fascination that guys had with The OC to the musical stylings of Ozone, we’ve seen and heard it all. While these are some of the oddities, some good interests have emerged; The Office and Arrested Development are a couple of notable trends that have become popular over the last few years, along with an eclectic musical tastes.

Environmental and social awareness has recently become vogue on this campus. Whether it begins with nearly the entire campus population carrying the new eco-friendly tote bags from the TWU bookstore or the growing movement of TOMS shoes. Multiple clubs have sprouted in the last few years over social and environmental issues, such as clubs like the International Social Justice Club or A Rocha, an environmental conservation society. These are the kinds of fads that are sometimes the hardest to gauge the level of actual interest versus it simply being cool. As a whole, the recent movement towards awareness on a variety of issues at TWU has been towards a more international scale.

At any university there are trends that will always be around; how many students have you noticed wearing crocs, sweatpants, Spartan Faithful t-shirts, listening to an iPod, and/or any combination of the above? Whether through school spirit, the ideal search for comfort, or the passing fancies of society, these trends are a part of the culture at TWU and will be until the next big hit arrives.