Cougars Annual Pop-up Shop I Published November 27

By: Cam’Ron Johnson

November, the time of year when one’s schedule is filled with many activities . A time
when family and friends begin to plan towards the end of the month, especially for college kids
and professors, as they look forward to getting through midterms and finals to enjoy their
Thanksgiving break. Thanksgiving is all about giving to others, and showing how much you
care. Kean University starts its Thanksgiving early with its yearly Cougar Pop-Up Shop.

The Cougar Pop-Up Shop is an event at Kean University where a large number of clothes
are donated and the students from Kean get to come in, scan and pick from a large variety of
their choosing, and take them home. This is located at the Miron Student Center on the 2nd floor
in room 228. When students enter, the staff will greet them and let them know about the rules.

First rule, students can only pick and take 10 items, students are asked to always try them
on as there are multiple fitting rooms to your disposals. The second and most important rule is
“Everyone’s style is different. Please do not speak negatively about anyone’s personal style.”

This rule stood out because it set the tone strongly telling that this event encourages
respect and creates a safe space. It was amazing to see the lively energy when you step into the
room so many students talking and gravitating towards the clothes.

Furthermore, Ms.Vivian Zambrano one of the leaders of the Pop-Up shop spoke on some
of the details & how this event even gets established. “Well in this room now there are over
10,000 different types of clothes that our students can try.” When asked where they come from
she elaborates, “Majority comes from faculty and staff donations. We are even able to get alumni
to pitch in too. This event has become so popular that some off-campus organizations &
corporations like LAB CORP are one of our partners and they donated a ton as well.”

She continues to discuss how it’s the students who create the atmosphere you see, those
students use their community service hours to endlessly fold clothes, prepping to make sure sizes
are in order, and even much more, students along with VIP ones which means if you are
attended any event before, they get to come in 30 minutes early before the actual open time. The
team was over-prepared for this moment.

“We want our students to look and feel their best because these clothes can help create a
moment in their lives.” The Kean staff even had a stylist there to help create outfits if the
shoppers wanted some extra help. They thought of everything here.

To continue with, Jadiel Racine, a freshman who majors in Exercise Science gave some
kind words on this event. “Living on campus and being a freshman, money isn’t something I
have a lot of. The fact that my school holds this kind of event makes my life so much easier
because it almost feels like I am shopping for free.” He goes into detail discussing some of his
favorite clothes. “My attention has been wrapped in the blazers. I really like suits, so all of the
colors give me so many possibilities to choose from and I can mix and match them. I am just
really grateful to have this.” When watching him search and locate different clothes he looked
like a kid in a candy store, feeling perfectly at home and wanting to take everything with him.
This kind of reaction is why this event was made. To give anyone a chance to change their
wardrobe but also their energy in a blink of an eye.

Furthermore, Jazmine Rivera, a senior business management major also shared her
feelings about the pop-up shop. “It’s the coolest thing ever and a great opportunity.”
She went into detail dissecting those thoughts. She valued the fact that around this time
college students don’t really have a chance to go out, so this event is like if the stores came to
you.

“This is much better than going to any mall around this time of year. ” Jazmine didn’t
have a specific clothing piece that she was looking for but she was very impressed with the
variety of sizes. “I’m taller than most girls and yet I still found a lot of clothes that fit me. That
tells me they really thought about everyone and I appreciate that.”

However, it’s the last thing that Rivera says is the perfect capsule of what the Kean
University pop-up event represents. “The staff was so helpful, and even with the large number of
students shopping at once they made time for everyone, it made me feel like I was at home.”
Your KU pop-up shop isn’t about the clothes or the shoes, it’s about creating an atmosphere in
which students can express themselves through whatever they desire to wear.

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