Our beloved campus is filled with all kinds of characters. As I venture to and from classes, I often find myself people watching and observing the masses, mentally categorizing them based on the interactions I’ve had with similarly dressed folks over my four years of undergrad.
Granted, a certain piece of clothing is not necessarily telling of what kind of person whoever donning it is, though in my experience, I’m rarely far off.
The first archetype to unpack is known to all of us. You either hate them or love them—and by them, I mean the North Face puffer wearing gym bros. These men recycle a bland chicken and rice recipe for most of their meals in hopes of getting all the gains. If any of y’all are reading this, please invest in seasonings. “Let’s go” is grossly overused in their vocabulary, but most of them are great friends to have all the same.
For the second, we’re swinging the pendulum to the tote-wielding, often queer, Common Ground regulars. These folks love an oat milk latte to start off their study session at the campus café, though study is a loose term that often results in socializing with their friends who frequent the spot. Indie music flows through their headphones and they prefer The Mansion over the hub. Their fits are thrifted and they own at least one pair of docs. It’s me—I am them.
The political studies archetype wears a pea coat everywhere—yes, even to 8 a.m. lectures. This person speaks for the sake of talking and lengthens words to a point of error to feign intelligence on a subject matter. Some comments toe the line of colonial sympathy and this person loves playing devils advocate. If that doesn’t convince you to steer clear, I’m not sure what else will.
If you see someone wearing their GPAs (Engineering jackets) casually, you can bet their program is a cornerstone of their identity. They spend their Fridays at Ritual and dream of being a Frek. The commitment to the faculty spirit is applaudable, but they’re the reason people think Engineering is a cult.
My Longchamp ladies are either the kindest or least approachable souls at Queen’s and there’s rarely an in-between. Most likely in some sort of STEM or business program, these accessories mark what many consider the typical Queen’s student. Longchamp ladies wake up at 7 a.m. everyday and find time to hit the gym on their hardest days. Let’s be real: we all want their stamina.
Connoisseurs of the gorpcore—an outdoor fashion aesthetic—look like they fiend the outdoors, but in reality, they usually live in big cities and are rarely battling the terrain that Arc’teryx was designed for. These are the fashion bros and hoes gone granola for the vibes and I can’t lie, they pull it off.
To end off the series, it’s necessary to address the elephant in the room: the students you see lined up for the bars in crop tops and t-shirts despite -40-degree weather. There’s little more that signifies a frosh than braving winter Stage Rage with no jacket. Many of us used to be them; perhaps it’s an initiation of the student experience, though I don’t know how frostbite isn’t more of a problem.
These seven are only the tip of the iceberg of what you can find at Queen’s, though most characters are indistinguishable by their physical appearance alone. Next time you find yourself on campus, observe the people around you.
You may find yourself spotting the North Face puffer gym bros from a mile away or standing behind a Longchamp lady in the Tim Hortons line. Or maybe you’ll look in the mirror and realize you yourself are one of these archetypes.
If that’s the case, no shame there: we can all visually fit a trope or another in our lives. All these are in the name of good fun; there’s more to everyone than meets the eye.
Tags
Clothes, jokes, Queen's, Stereotypes
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