USU celebrates Traditions Week with Sweater Swap
On Feb. 8, Utah State University students gathered at the TSC for the annual Sweater Swap in honor of Traditions Week. Each year, events take place at the beginning of the spring semester to celebrate all the long-lived traditions at USU.
Each year, events take place at the beginning of the spring semester to celebrate the long-lived traditions at USU, including high-stakes bingo and PoBev.
The event was held by the USU Traditions Committee. They worked together to craft a limited edition sweater tailored for Aggies in exchange for donations.
Tickets sold out quickly as students snagged this year’s sweater. The gray crewneck features an all-lowercase ‘in a utah state of mind’ across the front and an all-uppercase ‘The person in front of you is an Aggie’ on the back. It was a callback to last year’s sweater design which listed a hundred different ways for someone to say they are an Aggie.
Ashlynn Smith, the director of the traditions committee, helped come up with an idea for the design.
“The design, I would say, is the hardest part of the entire event,” Smith said. “You want to do something that’s gender neutral that anybody could feel comfortable wearing. We played with the idea of having a sagebrush, a thistle and the rose.”
Coming up with a design is a collaborative process that involves everyone on the committee. They brainstormed graphic ideas and voted on which design works the best. With the help of Bluelight Media and Aggie Print, this year’s design was created.
Trevi Jones is a member of the traditions committee.
“It was a combination of two people’s designs,” Jones said. “I liked designing the sweater. It’s fun to see everyone wearing their sweaters. Not everyone has a sweater: it’s from a certain year, so it’s kind of the mark of our 2023-2024 committee.”
The front of the sweaters given out at the Sweater Swap event on Feb 8.
The goal is to have something that is representative of the time and student body. The sweater is a motif of the year and symbolizes connection. Complimentary goods are enticing to college students, but there is something particularly special about a design that signifies community and belonging.
“I like to match,” senior AJ Evans said. “Last year, I definitely had the feeling of FOMO. People know I’m an Aggie now, and it can be a gateway to conversation.”
“I love the free sweater,” student Madison Kolstad said.
Grayson Crowther is a member of the committee.
“The design was made by the traditions committee, so some contribution from everyone,” Crowther said. “It brings the community together, and we partnered with the sustainability club.”
The USU Sustainability Club offered soup during the event and encouraged students to bring their own utensils.
Smith said sweater donations this year will go to a number of different charities, including CAPSA, a non-profit organization that offers support and advocacy for domestic violence victims in Logan, a women’s shelter in Ogden and a clothing drive for children in Peru. She said donations are relied upon, and Sweater Swap allows students to give back directly to the source.
“A lot of these organizations just don’t have a ton of sponsorships,” Smith said. “They rely on these donations a ton.”