free vs fashion

I'll be the first to admit that I love free stuff, but it just makes me uncomfortable every time I walk into a class and, in eerie horror movie-like unison, three people swivel around in their seats to show that they're wearing the very same bright blue CA t-shirt presently hiding under my jacket. I'll sit through the whole precept zipped up to the chin because it's just so awkward - and a little creepy, in a Brave New World kind of way.

It doesn't help that everyone on campus goes to the same events, so we all have the same free t-shirts and sweatshirts and so on.

Oddly enough, pens don't bother me so much. "Oh, I have that pen too! are you ELE?" "No, I just went to the SEAS open house." "Hey me too!" And then we become facebook friends.