Students sew for their inner selves in CSIB contest

“What does belonging look like to you?” asked a flyer in the Damen Student Center atrium, hoping to inspire students passing by to test their sewing skills with a challenge.

The Center for Student Inclusion and Belonging (CSIB) is running its first-ever contest through November, encouraging students to use creativity to express their personal perspective of belonging.

The monthlong event, named “Made to Belong: Woven Perspectives,” was stitched together by James Thomas, about to finish their ninth year as director of inclusive excellence and community for the CSIB. 

“We want to focus on belonging, but allow for students to share what that looks like for them in different mediums,” Thomas said. “We decided in this first one to do more of a competition, we were thinking ‘Project Runway,’ ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ type of vibe.”

To help get started, the CSIB provides entrants with a doll-sized dressmaker’s atelier: a small bustier mannequin, pack of random fabrics and miniature sewing kit. The kit can be found in their office at Suite 116 of the Damen Student Center. Since sewing isn’t for everyone, a collage on a paper doll is also accepted.

“We think of clothing, how someone presents themselves, as a unique reflection on who they are,” said social work master’s student and competition organizer Rebecca Dumain. “Everyone has their own sense of how they will share who they are. I have no idea what that’s going to look like. I think that’s what’s really exciting about it.”

One competitor, fourth-year math and computer science student Jane Dunbar, explained how she’s approaching the question.

“I want to make it more traditionally gothic, because I am goth and it’s definitely a huge way of how I express myself, and those alternative communities do help me feel like I belong,” Dunbar said. “But being accepted by a similar community is not as impactful as being accepted by people who are nothing like you. When you can really forge bonds with people who aren’t in your subculture, it feels more meaningful.” 

In addition to a $75 prize to the winning artist, Thomas said the winning design may be incorporated into the CSIB’s yearly shirt, which is handed out to students by the office.

“$75 isn’t a ton of money, but I think it’s enough to get people really into it,” Dunbar said. “That’s a super nice dinner right there.” 

The winning tailor will be chosen Dec. 4, at the CSIB’s annual “Desserts in December” event. Any Loyola student can enter and play games, decorate gingerbread, view the projects, talk with the artists and vote on a winner.

Although the deadline to enter Made to Belong has passed, and the submission deadline will come quickly on Nov. 20, the CSIB welcomes late participation, as stitching and paper collage supplies are readily available for anyone who wants to compete.

“We’re thinking about this as this larger series, where we’re doing a second contest in the spring,” Dumain said, detailing how they want to encourage as many people as possible to engage creatively. “I’m excited to get folks who aren’t necessarily always involved in CSIB’s program to see what we’re about and see how they can engage with others.”

The CSIB team expressed their pride how the event is coming together and eagerly await showcasing the finished works in December.

“This is a great way to outreach to folks that might not normally connect with us,” Thomas said. “Even though folks are doing individual projects, they make up the fabric that is Loyola.”