Fashioning the Body: Versions of the Citizen, the Self, and the Subject

The Evergreen bookstore seemed to be the standard college emporium. A place that one finds reading material for their program/class and other educational materials i.e. pens/pencils/markers, binders, notebooks, art supplies, planners, etc. All of which you can find in various forms. So may pens which one is bound to fit your needs appropriately! Through out the pen/pencil section there were test booklets that you could decide which pen/pencil was right. Scribbled on the pads of paper were "pen" "pencil" "name" "this pencil isn't that great", and so on.

Like any other student store there was an abundance of "The Evergreen State College", "Greener", and "Geoduck" gear, instruments (shot glasses, mugs, traveler mugs, sweatshirts, shorts, socks, t-shirts, underwear, hats, gloves). Actually, if one came to school without their clothes they would be set because the bookstore is also a store of apparel.

What I really want to discuss are wall pops! "Totally sweet wall art!" First off, these were the first thing I saw in the bookstore, front and center on an entire display right as you walk in! I was excited to see some totally sweet wall art but was quickly disappointed to find that this sweet and innovative wall art was merely a large solid dot sticker or a stripe. What amazed me were the prices. You could one stripe, or you could spring for the 5 dot package (all the same color) for $11.99. For a colorful room you would have to at least buy three (my personal choice would be Purple Perk, Stylin' Green, and Shh!) for $36.00.

I work at a bookstore off campus and I see the same trends of cross-merchandising, so this is apparently culturally accepted/understood. I am not against or for wall pops! But I am curious what the volume of sales are.