IU Memorabilia

You might have been one of those people who own enough IU memorabilia to fill a U-Haul truck. Outfits made up of T-shirts with that familiar "Indiana" across the front (in that classic, collegiate block-style font), IU baseball caps, complete with "Indiana University" folders stuffed with IU stationary in hand.\nWhen you first came to college your parents and grandparents might have bought those "IU Mom" buttons, or some other article of clothing to proudly display the fact that they were so proud of you, that they had to go out and get an "IU Grandpa" hoodie.\nSome of you might have even hopped on the bandwagon before you came to college. Maybe your parents decked you out in a cream-and-crimson windbreaker, or maybe you thought you were the hippest kid in your middle school language arts class in middle school because you had the "emergency key" to your house dangling on the end of an IU lanyard.\nWell seniors, believe it or not, not only are your middle school days long behind you, but your college days are about to be as well. \nBut will that stop you from displaying your IU pride? Hopefully not.\nA lot of graduating seniors are probably at least a little sad to leave behind the place they've spent the past few years of their lives. Many hope to continue the tradition of keeping ties to IU by taking a piece of the school with them after they graduate.\n"We get a lot of people graduating come in and buy souvenirs to remind them of IU," says Emily Roberts, an employee at T.I.S. Bookstore. "We tend to sell a lot of anything with the word 'alumni' on it. Bumper stickers, picture frames and T-shirts in general are popular too."\nPlaces like T.I.S. and the IU Bookstore at the Indiana Memorial Union provide families, visitors and especially graduating students plenty of selection from which to choose: endless possibilities of IU apparel, coffee mugs, shot glasses, posters, pennants and keychains -- and that makes up just one aisle. Just like buying classic souvenirs such as snow globes and postcards, graduating students can definitely find something that can serve as a memento of IU for years to come.\nAnd the students themselves are not the only ones who can be on the look out for tokens and trinkets from their alma mater. Parents also make a habit of getting gifts for their kids who might be graduating, as well.\n"Diploma frames are really popular," Roberts says. "A lot of business students' parents will come in and buy gifts for their kids to put in their office. They buy a lot of nice pens, business card holders, things like that."\nNot only is post-graduation an important time to have gifts in mind, but the actual graduation process could produce keepsakes in itself. Caps, gowns and diplomas can all serve as reminders to college days. \nT.I.S. also reports that they sell a lot of graduation-themed products. Aside from the clothing aspect, staples like graduation announcements or party invitations go in high demand.\nAnd to a lot of companies, graduation is a lot more than just ushering students into a new chapter of their lives and the ending of another. It's a money-making opportunity.\nWeb sites like www.graduationsource.com specialize in grad apparel and every accoutrement a student could need to bid college adieu. \nThe Web site, headed by the company Gordon International, "has been a leader in providing graduation supplies, team uniforms and imprinted apparel to schools and businesses both here and abroad" since 1960.\nWhile the clothing the Web site offers is more geared toward students still in secondary school, there are still customized diploma covers, party announcements and photo portfolios to be bought.\nThe purchasing prospects continue across the net with sites like www.personalcreations.com. The company offers items for every occasion, but also have a specialty selection for graduates. \nProducts available include: themed pillows, pewter key rings, jewelry boxes, flags, coffee mugs, plaques, pen sets and afghans.\nPretty much anything that can be somehow tailored to a graduation theme you could think of, you can get.\nStuffed animals are also a favorite among customers. The personalized graduation teddy bear, for example, dons a cap and gown that can have the name of the graduate, alma mater and class year stitched on. \nMany of the products offered are just as personal, allowing you to alter anything to fit the person you have in mind. Not only can things like diploma frames and photo albums hold things that remind you of college every time you look at them, but many of these can double as thoughtful gifts. \nAnd with prices ranging from around $13 to $50, there's something in everyone's price range.\nIt is clear that the academic world has spawned a formidable industry. What was once a day to recognize achievement and end another cycle of schooling has evolved into a real cash cow. You (and your parents) might be surprised to see just how much graduation preparation and celebration will cost. \nBut that doesn't mean you necessarily have to spend money to remember college. Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. And when many people help themselves to a five-finger discount to shot glasses at bars and restaurants across Bloomington, maybe having something close by that can remind you of your wilder times in B-town can be more inexpensively done that you may have thought. \nAnyone can buy a lot of that "bar memorabilia" from local taverns such as Nick's English Hut, that even sells the "Sink the Biz" game package including the Bizmark glass, bucket and bucket liner.\nSo, whether you're a student, a relative or friend of someone who's getting ready to graduate, there are lots of ways you can go about making the recipient's college career unforgettable.\nAnd when you see your parents in bright red "#1 IU Parents" tank tops screaming your name wildly at commencement, there's bound to be at least a little something you can forget.