Okay SMU students, be honest. Is this campus fashion show a first week novelty that is understood to fizzle out early in the semester, or are the dress code standards always this high? Is there at least a sweat pants pass during finals week?
Due to my anxiety about leaving home for the first time, my packing process was frighteningly meticulous. I viewed every suggestion online, pushed all my friends into sending me a list of their dorm room items, and spent a small fortune on things that I will probably never use.
Despite my obsessive preparation, I was not briefed on the apparent need to spend just as much cash on my wardrobe as I did on my tuition, car and housing combined. I am no stranger to Dallas or the Highland Park area, but I am definitely experiencing a culture shock.
You know those dreams where you show up to class naked?
It’s the type of dream that makes a person very conscious of the next day’s morning routine. Anyway, my best attempt at describing how I felt in class on Monday is the same feeling that I am counting on my readers to have had in a bare-skinned nightmare. Another comparison could be sporting a denim skirt to prom, but I highly doubt any SMU student has made that mistake.
In all seriousness, I have no huge objections to having the wardrobe of Kim Kardashian. Well, other than the thought of where that money could have been spent instead. Not that it’s any of my business. We are all entitled to spend our money however we choose.
My real beef is with the environment that has been created by these unrealistic trends. It is no secret that SMU is a very wealthy school, in a very wealthy part of the country. That is a huge part of our university’s appeal, because of the business opportunities, vast resources and beautiful campus.
Unfortunately, the wealth, style, and prominence of SMU places a tremendous amount of pressure on students from all different backgrounds to rise to a standard of living that is truly beyond their means. And because we are in a bubble where most are living large, it is easy to fall into the mindset that we should all be dressing to the nines if we are going to stand out.
Or, as it may be, to fit in.
Students should not feel inadequate to the point of “reinventing” themselves, which is honestly just a euphemism for being “fake.”
You know what really looks good? What American universities typically pride themselves on doing? Transforming an ambitious young “nobody” into a successful rich “somebody.” People always root for the underdog.
To sum it up, here is my advice to the SMU student body: take a hint from all the movies and books that capitalize on the American dream, and embrace the idea that our university is full of bright young talents who are working their way to the top. Or, we can all just keep pretending that we were born into this privileged world. That works too.
Trevor is a sophomore majoring in journalism. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].
