By Anne Baker
Let them have sweatpants.
The university has reversed an earlier decision to not consider allowing Victoria’s Secret to use Northeastern’s brand in its PINK Collegiate Collection, members of the administration said.
“The university has agreed to reconsider its initial reluctance,” said Senior Vice President for Enrollment and Student Life Philomena Mantella. “There’s no reason to shut down an expression of interest in the line of clothing.”
Northeastern is in an online contest to put the university’s logo on PINK apparel, according to Victoria’s Secret’s website. Members of the university previously said that although the company had not formally approached Northeastern about using its logo, the university was not open to the idea.
“We do not consider this application to be an appropriate use of the Northeastern identity,” interim university spokesperson Jim Chiavelli said in a Nov. 3 issue of The News. “Therefore the university will not grant permission for use of its logo on these items.”
However, Chiavelli told The News yesterday that the large amount of students who expressed interest in seeing Northeastern represented in the line caused the administration to rethink its decision.
“I think a great number of students made an appeal to Student Affairs, and they made an argument that if students are interested in it, it’s something we should be reconsidering,” he said.
A Facebook group, Vote NEU for Victoria’s Secret Pink Clothing!, has reached 2,418 members, and a second group, started by Vice President for Student Affairs Ed Klotzbier, has 51 members.
Klotzbier also encouraged students on his blog to show their “Husky spirit” and vote. He could not be reached for comment.
Amanda Sabia, a middler political science major and founder of the Facebook group, said she was surprised by the university’s initial decision to forbid the brand to use Northeastern’s logo.
“I guess I was shocked because this is a opportunity for the university to expand its proverbial horizons,” she said. “I felt they weren’t taking an opportunity for an easy way to get our name out there.”
Sabia said she witnessed the student interest in the line when nearly 1,500 students joined her Facebook group within 24 hours of starting it in October.
“I figured it would be something that people would like, so that’s when I made the group,” she said, adding that she will likely plan a promotional event to spread the word about the contest since the idea now has university support.
Both Chiavelli and Mantella said it was important for students to remember that there are many steps left in the process; just because Northeastern has opened itself up to the idea does not mean students will necessarily see sweatshirts adorned with huskies at Victoria’s Secret anytime soon. Chiavelli said Northeastern still has to win the contest, be selected by Victoria’s Secret and then begin negotiations about the line with the university.
However, for students like Sabia, the possibility of a line is something to look forward to.
“I think [the contest will] only continue to boost Northeastern and our overall name exposure in a positive way,” she said.
