The Associated Student Body is helping its constituents dress for the jobs they want. The Closet of Champions is a new ASB-led initiative to loan professional clothes to students for interviews and business meetings.
“The Closet of Champions is an initiative established to provide students, faculty and staff of the University of Mississippi who may not have access or resources to attain business attire for a job,” Pearce Crosland, a senior business marketing major and ASB’s director of fundraising, said.
The idea for the program came about after ASB traveled to the SEC Student Government Association Exchange this past summer, where student body governments from around the Southeast share ideas and perspectives. Katie Harrison, a sophomore elementary education major and ASB’s Director of Philanthropy, had the opportunity to attend the SEC Exchange.
“Mizzou started their version of the Closet of Champions called ‘Truman’s Closet’ several years ago,” Harrison said. “After the SEC Exchange, our ASB President, Rod Bridges, approached Pearce and me about starting a closet at Ole Miss.”
The program is still in its early stages but has gained support from various campus organizations. Harrison said the initiative has gained support from various campus organizations, including the career center, the athletics department, the business school and the writing center.
The closet will accept donations and seek to provide business attire free of charge to those who need it, but ASB wants to make sure everyone can benefit from the program.
“We’re looking to reach a large variety of students, so having a wide range of sizes is very important to us,” Harrison said. “We would love gently used suits for both males and females. We are also looking for nice male and female dress tops.”
In addition to providing professional business attire, Harrison said the closet also serves as an educational tool for those who may not know what proper business attire may be. Both Harrison and Crosland said they hope the closet’s potential benefits to students are an essential part of ASB’s mission.
“One of the main goals of ASB is to provide students with opportunities and resources to reach their full potential to succeed in all aspects of life,” Crosland said. “The mission of the ASB Closet of Champions is to help alleviate some of the stress and burdens students, faculty and staff might face during the tedious employment process.”
