A Holiday Tie Drive resulted in more than 100 dress ties finding a temporary home in the Academic Career and Success Center’s (ASCC) Cougar Closet since December. Their addition to the no-cost, professional clothing bank came just in time to help students assemble professional attire to wear to February’s WSU Career Expo.
In all colors of vintage, new, silk, polyester, striped, herringbone, floral, paisley, plaid, plain, wide, and narrow versions, the ties arrived throughout December and into January — often delivered in person with a story, said McKenzie Godfrey, ASCC student employment coordinator. Alas, she said, no bow or bolo ties or ascots were donated, but there was one clip-on and a few partnering pocket squares.
“What we received were many very-well-loved ties as well as brand new ones,” said Julian Schepers, ASCC career assistant and Godfrey’s drive partner. Some of the donated neckwear is embellished with math and chemical equations while others have tennis or golf motifs. One tie prominently features Captain America.
The duo chose ties as the focus for the drive because they are always needed by Cougar Closet shoppers looking for the right one to wear for both virtual and in-person career fairs, interviews, industry presentations, and special events.
…when someone wears a tie, I believe their demeanor changes and they’re more confident.
Julian Schepers, ASCC career assistant
Washington State University
Even though clothing styles are more casual than ever, “ties are an easy way to dress things up and even express yourself,” said Godfrey.
“And, when someone wears a tie, I believe their demeanor changes and they’re more confident,” said Schepers.
With WSU’s spring in-person Career Expo set for Feb. 11 and two virtual fairs on Feb. 10 and 18, “more than a thousand students could attend to meet their prospective employers,” said Godfrey. She said they estimated about 10% want or need a tie, so “we just threw out a goal of 110 ties for the holiday drive.”
On the morning of deadline day, Jan. 10, they had collected 108. Then through the door came Judy Hopkins, former ASCC colleague and current student services coordinator and advisor in the College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. She brought the final two cravates, taken from her recently-retired-pastor husband’s closet. The pair were used for weddings, one being an attention-grabbing pink one and the other more dress-up in gray.
“It was great fun to know I got to be that person who helped the drive reach its goal,” said Hopkins.
In fact, generous follow-up donations since that day have brought the total number of ties donated to 189, said Amanda Morgan, ASCC associate director.
“Definitely an example of Cougs helping Cougs,” she said.
Godfrey and Schepers are expecting the Cougar Closet in Lighty 160 to soon get slammed as students prepare to attend Expo. The two-room clothing collection is filled with a variety of pieces designed for adults, and all are available free of charge. There is even a QR code on the wall that takes shoppers to a web page on how to tie tie knots.
Deciding what to wear is just one of many things students can do to prepare for the Expo. They are encouraged to attend any of several ASCC prep events on topics like using AI to excel at Expo and resume writing, said Godfrey.
“ASCC is always here to help,” she said.
