By Sondra Rodriguez, Student Reporter
ACU’s Fair Trade clothing line, HeartBeat Clothing, will be available to students and faculty in the Campus Store this month, as its founders continue working to spread the campaign’s message and live out its proclamation: “The world is a dying place. Give a beat.” HeartBeat is a clothing line created and designed by ACU students and alumni.
HeartBeat provides students with the opportunity to purchase a T-shirt that sends 50 percent of the profits to a chosen organization, and essentially, raises awareness about product labor conditions throughout the world.
“This is about heading to our call to be good stewards of purchasing, money and resources,” Students’ Association president Matt Worthington, senior English major from San Antonio, said.
Along with Worthington, Ben Hernandez is a part of production, graphic designer in the creative services office.
“I think the students at ACU are more and more concerned about social justice and helping people all over the world,” Hernandez said. “There’s room to grow with this, but we’re starting off with just the T-shirts. By buying one T-shirt you’re making a huge impact in the whole effort.”
Because HeartBeat is new to ACU, obstacles have risen amidst efforts to launch the campaign.
“It’s unknown-no one’s ever heard of HeartBeat,” said Hernandez. “It’s always hard to get people to pay attention to your cause, especially on a college campus because there are always people trying to bring awareness to some new issue. That’s been our biggest struggle-standing out in the crowd.”
After one month of setbacks, the campaign’s future and student response are highly anticipated.
“Eventually, we’d like to expand it to where you see products in other places, and there’s an immediate brand of awareness of what it means and what it stands for,” Hernandez said. As for other places, there are hopes to see HeartBeat products in department stores.
“That’s our eventual goal,” he said.
Those aware of the campaign’s work and progress also anticipate the upcoming launch of sales.
“Social justice is a big theme this year,” said SA vice president Daniel Watkins, junior political science major from Fredricksburg, Va., said. “Hopefully this is an opportunity where college students can make a real difference, not only in our community but [also] in the world.”
Worthington has already received requests for information, as well as the shirts themselves.
“I’ve got people messaging me asking when they’ll be here, when they can get a hold of these,” he said.
He continues to encourage students to “buy clothes that do something. Not just something that looks nice; don’t buy fashion for fashion.”
