The GUC loft was effortlessly converted to a makeshift thrift store on Feb. 22. Fire Findz allowed university students to experience the thrill of thrifting without leaving campus.
University Program Council’s Co-Curricular Planner Krimsyn Jones described the event as being a fun, yet rewarding event.
“It’s a super fun and interactive experience to find clothes and hangout with friends,” said Jones.
With UNA being so diverse, many students have no way of traveling off campus. Fire Findz allowed students to get the shopping experience they might have missed from being home. Whether it be international students or students just not feeling a drive into town, everyone enjoyed having the shopping experience brought here to campus.
In addition to the excitement, the event granted students’ access to budgeting. As guests came in, they were met with handouts that stated how many points they were able to use as cash. What this did was allow students to have a glimpse into their future world of expenses.
All students that came in had a total of 20 points to spend. Any items marked with a red sticker were worth 15 points, yellow stickers were 12 points, green stickers were 10 points and blue stickers were 8 points. All accessories were 5 points each. Shoppers were instructed by the event’s planners to “use their points wisely.”
Members of the UPC hand-picked items from local thrift stores. There was a wide selection of both men’s and women’s apparel. For men, there were polos, jeans and athletic wear, varying in both color and size. For women, there were blouses, shorts, dresses and accessories, ranging from vintage finds to modern steals.
Fire Findz was a widely popular event. There was an exceedingly long line to even get into the loft, proving the exhilaration and anticipation for the event.
“I really love the concept of it and students are always excited for it,” said Gabby Navarro, an event attendee. “I think providing a free thrifting experience on campus is a great way to encourage students to come and have a good time.”
She luckily took home a pair of pants and a beautiful top that she said will “look great for spring.”
In order to manage how many people were in the loft at any given time, shoppers were let in by increments of five to seven. With the waves of shoppers, they were given a time limit of eight minutes to ensure all students had access to make it in the room during the event’s allotted time.
