Over the summer, two campus resources that were previously located in Allison Hall have moved to the HUB Underground: the Free xChange, a source for second-hand clothes, and the Gearbox, which can be used to rent hiking and camping supplies.
Free xChange, which is run by the Center for Sustainability Education (CSE), facilitates a thrift-like experience on campus by allowing students to donate and take clothes as they need them. They also provide shelves where textbooks can be donated as well.
Situated near the old mailboxes, Free xChange is now in the center of the HUB. Lindsey Lyons, Director of Sustainability Learning, said the venue is a prime spot with “an opportunity for reuse.” She stated that “we don’t need to spend a ton of money to renovate spaces to be able to do creative things,” such as using the mailboxes to hold items and hangers.
Free xChange hopes to have an online store for non-clothing items in the future. Lyons told The Dickinsonian how “there are still a lot of things wasted at Dickinson, particularly at the end of the year… that we haven’t been able to manage at the Free xChange.” Lamps, rugs and school supplies were among the items that Lyons said have been left behind, with no particular place on campus to give them away. She is also open to collaborating with other campus organizations to organize a clothing drive, which would then allow Free xChange to deliver more clothing to individuals on campus who need them.
Across from the Campus Life office is the HUB’s other new occupant, The Gearbox, which allows students to rent free supplies for outdoor recreational events. These include tents, kayaks, climbing gear, cooking materials and more. Students can submit requests for gear under the “Forms” tab on EngageD, and supplies are expected to be returned as soon as possible after students are finished using them.
Britni Greenleaf, Associate Director of Campus Life for the First Year Experience, serves as the staff advisor for The Gearbox. Greenleaf said The Gearbox’s move to the HUB was “to our benefit, because the HUB is closer to everything, closer to students, closer to the Campus Life office, and it’s just more accessible to everybody.”
Greenleaf believes that The Gearbox has been underutilized by the campus community, and hopes that this new location allows it to become more well known to the student body. The gear has previously been used by groups on campus such as Climbing Club and Outing Club.
Free xChange is open for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. CSE is also open to students volunteering with the space by maintaining and organizing inventory, and those who are interested can email the Center at [email protected].
