 Media Credit: David Cross Annie McCabe, senior in geography, sporting pink galoshes and a matching umbrella.
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(U-Wire) BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The art of the umbrella takes on many forms within the boundaries of a college campus.
When the storm clouds congregate across the Hoosier horizon - as is predicted several days this week - students use many tactics for sheltering themselves and belongings from spring precipitation. Some students equip themselves with "practical" umbrellas built to last through several storms; other students adore "fashion" umbrellas designed to highlight their rainstorm outfit.
Junior Brent Mergy said the choice of whether or not to use an umbrella for practical or fashionable purposes is up to the individual student, depending on their tolerance of wet and windy weather conditions.
"I actually have (an umbrella). I'm just not using it," Mergy said beneath a maroon Abercrombie sweatshirt acting as his poncho. "I have never actually looked for one; my parents give me one or I grab one from the house ... I use an umbrella when it's bad out - a little harder rain than what we have now."
The difference between practical umbrella use and the umbrella used as a fashion statement is often a matter of color, size and cost. The color black is often named the "traditional" choice of umbrella users. Fashion umbrellas often feature "outrageous" colors - such as yellow or white - and "unconventional" social symbols such as smiley faces, polka dots and unicorns.
Freshman Morgan Reilly said the perception of a good umbrella versus a bad umbrella oftentimes resides in the longevity of its use.
"A good umbrella is one that doesn't break in the wind," Reilly said moments before the wind blew her blue Target-bought umbrella inside out. "This is the first umbrella I have ever bought. If it's raining when I'm about to leave, then I'll grab it. Otherwise, I will just chance (the weather). A bad umbrella is one of the big ones that doesn't fold. It's really obnoxious."
Though the cultural aesthetic of umbrella use has evolved across civilizations and geographic landscapes, the art of the umbrella involves sheltering human beings from extreme weather conditions such as heat and moisture. Although umbrella use was associated with monarchy and kingship before the 17th century, umbrella use became both a practical concern and fashion concept during the 18th century.
