Early afternoon sunlight cascades onto the Davis Center atrium. The grand space is celebrating its "sweet 16" birthday after opening officially on October 5, 2007. A common intersection for socializing, the atrium bustles even brighter than your typical afternoon. On the eastern side of the space, two long tables are piled high with a smattering of "swag"—lanyards, stickers, magnets, t-shirts, and more—with students excitedly picking through them. A neighboring conference room is filled with stacks of t-shirts, all a variety of color and design.

You might ask, "Where did it all of this stuff come from?"

Since its grand opening in 2007, the Davis Center has accumulated a variety of swag from various offices and events, explains Maddie White '13, Assistant Director for Marketing in Student Life and the Davis Center. "Last year, we uncovered some swag that had been hiding out in several closets," she explains. "We didn’t want it to end up in a landfill and knew that current students might appreciate some Davis Center history." So, in 2022, White and the Department of Student Life organized a vintage swag pop-up to help offload some of the items from a number of program areas. After the first event—which was hugely successful—White says more apparel was found and more departments across the university asked to get in on the action. Cut to this year's event. After only an hour into the pop-up, the apparel room has been reduced to a few small piles of t-shirts. A steady stream of curious students pause and pick over the leftovers. It's an obvious succcess. Yet despite the response, Student Life's goal is for this to be the last vintage pop-up. Ever.

From left: Caitlin Pollutri '25, Henry Motes '26, and Daniel Gibson '27 enjoying the free swag on Thursday's pop-up giveaway.

In April 2023, the university's Office of Sustainability released the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan, which seeks to transition UVM to carbon neutrality by 2030. The plan also includes goals around improving the university's purchasing practices to increase sustainable purchases across the University. This includes apparel and other promotional items.

"The visual of seeing all of this stuff is very telling of the way institutions, including UVM, consume and contribute to unsustainable practices," White says. "The pop-up is our chance to take a more sustainable approach to clearing our our closets. It’s a good reminder to be more mindful and intentional about our practices in ordering future swag items."