Ear to the Ground: OVO x U of T collab spotlights our expensive school spirit
The new merchandise collaboration emphasizes the university’s brand ahead of the new term.
As summer draws to a close, students, like me, begin the exciting yet dreadful process of gearing up for another year of pandemic schooling. From buying your textbooks to making sure your sleep schedule is functional, everyone has a list of what needs to happen before they step into class on September 8. For some students, this means back-to-school clothes shopping, a tradition the University of Toronto is seeking to capitalize on through the introduction of their new collaboration with Drake’s OVO company.
The collaboration features merchandise such as tee-shirts, fleece pants, hats, tote bags, hoodies, and a varsity jacket. The trademark licensing manager for U of T, Kristina Kazandjian, said that she hopes the collaboration will reflect an “affiliation with our wider community,” and hopes that “it will be seen as an extension of the U of T lifestyle.”
The U of T lifestyle indeed, since the varsity jacket has a crisp price tag of C$668 CAD. Which is about $50 more than what I pay for a course at UTM. Nothing embodies the U of T spirit more than offering an overpriced jacket to their student body at the start of the year rather than providing essential services, such as greater mental health resources or better accessibility for both in-person and online classes.
However, if you have pockets deep enough, and a burning desire to show your school spirit, go ahead and enjoy your merch!
Until next time!
Aya Yafaoui
