A student walks into an Effective Speaking class wearing a gray hoodie with a dark green decal stuck to the front that reads “Castleton Spartans” as the brave, capped Spartan is perched above the letters. 

“Reese, where did you get that sweatshirt!” VTSU Castleton student Ines Robres Peireto shouted from across the room. 

A similar exchange happened between two dads at a recent football game, when one asked the other if he could buy his Castleton Spartans hoodie, Castleton resident Rich Byrne recalled in a conversation with a VTSU Castleton professor. 

Castleton Spartan gear is becoming more rare these days and students and parents are perplexed why. 

So, why is Spartan team merchandise not allowed to be sold in the college store?

Who are the people preventing this? 

Are they planning on removing all campus specific mascots and colors? 

Microbiology professor and chair of natural sciences, Preston Garcia, has been asking these questions. 

“I am saddened to see the varying of our history here. It’s not a matter of not embracing what’s new, but not completely forgetting what the past was,” Garcia said. 

There is not a hint of Castleton green in sight when walking into the Castleton Campus bookstore these days. 

Instead, salmon pink, neon teal, and three triangular shaped icons forming what is assumed to be mountains are plastered on the clothing that hangs from the many racks. 

Geology professor Helen Mango also spoke about the impact the lack of Castleton Spartan merchandise has on the community. She explained that VTSU is not a place and after teaching at Castleton for more than 33 years, she knows that students want to belong to a place. 

“The college community wants somewhere they feel comfortable and supported and seen and understood, where there are shared experiences and a sense of identity,” Mango said. 

She also gave examples from previous interactions with students who said they are going to Castleton and would like their apparel to say that because they don’t identify with VTSU. 

But the apparel that is sold in the only in-person bookstore out of all five VTSU campuses, located at the Castleton campus, is not up to store Manager Penny Howard. 

Howard stated that to the best of her knowledge, she believes that the athletic departments are the ones who still sell sports apparel. She shared how she reached out to the athletic department but has not gotten a response back. 

Mango also stated that to her understanding, the only Spartan gear that is available right now is through the varsity athletics. Although, she is very fearful that this too will soon disappear. 

Garcia talked about the change in the bookstore since the merger. 

“The bookstore used to be vibrant,” Garcia said. “I walk by now and it just looks empty and quiet, and being the only campus that has a bookstore, let’s not lose that too.” 

Garcia expressed his concern over the hardship of going through the individual sports teams in order to receive merchandise to support certain sports. He shared how nice it is to be able to wear a hockey shirt to a hockey game, or a football hat to a football game. As an owner of gear supporting many different teams, he feels that it should be normalized for sports apparel to be easily accessible, especially to those who are parents and alumni. 

VTSU Castleton students have these concerns too. 

“It is kind of annoying because family members will want to get stuff to support, and it is hard for them. I know there is stuff on Amazon, but it is not really the best quality,” said Annika Nelson, VTSU Castleton student and member of the women’s hockey team. 

When informed about the apparel being sold on Amazon, Howard’s mouth literally dropped. After laughing with VTSU Castleton bookstore associate Andrew Martell about the many options for the “not so bad price,” Howard took a serious tone when asking how Amazon can sell this brand if the college is not letting her? 

“We went from some organization managing that bookstore to a different organization, and now to completely online books. Is just the turnover of those who oversee that space part of the problem? I don’t know,” Garcia said. 

Previously owned by Follet, and recently turned over to Gear Shop, it is no secret that things have changed in the way merchandise is being represented. 

Gear Shop could not be reached for comment despite an email and voice message seeking information. 

Howard said she sympathizes with both sides of providing and not providing Castleton merchandise. She stated how if it were up to her, she would have a little bit of both as she thinks it would sell. That said, it seems people don’t fully understand that those who work in the bookstore are not the ones who get to decide the Sparty apparel fate. 

When students come into the bookstore and get told that there is no Spartan or Castleton merchandise available, they just turn around and walk out. 

“They are paying me just to sit here,” Martell said. 

Even though the newer look of VTSU merchandise is not what most Castleton community members apparently want to see, Martell said, “it is now our brand, and it is not going to change, so might as well embrace it.” 

Some students say they don’t like the merger, nor do they really acknowledge it. 

“I think most people still think of it as Castleton, and very few students accept that it is now VTSU, so it is a bummer that we can’t get Castleton things, especially when wanting to support our sports teams,” said Helen Culpo, VTSU Castleton student and daughter of the head basketball coach. 

Martell said it’s a tough issue because he understands both the desire to still have Castleton green merchandise and the desire to focus on the togetherness aspect of the VTSU merger. 

“When it comes to the complete switch of the brand, I think they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t,” Martell concluded.