Beyond the Basics

Looking for something to spice up boring Crocs? Freshman Jariyah McCalister takes her Croc fashion seriously. She has collected hundreds of Croc pins — also known as Jibbitz — so far of varying colors, shapes and sizes. “They make your shoe[s] look more vibrant. I probably have 500 to 700 [pins]. I don't put them [all] on my Crocs. I usually put them up — I have a tree full of Croc pins. I change my C...

The fascination all started when senior Cass Isele’s older brother gave them a sip of classic-flavored Ramune. Ramune is a Japanese carbonated drink that comes in various flavors, including banana, strawberry and lychee. “The first feeling I had was almost confusion at first because it was not a taste that I've ever tasted before. It was really interesting because [I felt] confusion, then [I h...

Sophomore sports enthusiast and avid Ohio State Buckeyes fan Will Gonsior has collected around 1000 sports cards that he keeps in sleeves for safety. His hobby began when his grandparents gifted him some baseball cards in elementary school. “Most of them are not good cards, but I do have a lot of St. Louis Cardinals cards that have been signed. As much as I like the players and cheering for [them...

What started as a family on the search for antiques blossomed into sophomore Anshu Chappidi’s fondness for coins. With over 30 different types of currencies, Chappidi enjoys doing coin rubbings, a way to see the markings on the coin by putting a piece of paper over a coin and shading over it.  Some of the coins are hundreds of years old, such as pesos. Others span about three inches in diameter...

Crystal aficionado and senior Bibi St. Clair has been collecting crystals since her freshman year. She has various types, colors and textures. St. Clair believes each crystal has a different healing property when appropriately charged. Some crystals can be charged by putting them in the sunlight, but she has to be careful because some are known to explode. Charging crystals helps to enhance their properties and make them more effective. “I was very skeptical at first. I'm the type of person [...

Sophomore Neeka Naghibi Harat started collecting decks of cards about three years ago. Her collection began with four she received as gifts; she now has 26 decks from around the world in many different colors and sizes. “Dragon Back by Bicycle Cards is one of the first cards I got. It's blue and black instead of blue and red. Then I have this other [deck] from Las Vegas, which is all gold. They're plast...