Josie Dvorak

Incoming juniors stressing to buy their overall supplies before there is nothing.

The recent closing of JOANN has caused a bit of panic for next year’s seniors. A big tradition at Benilde-St. Margaret’s is for junior girls to decorate overalls during the summer before senior year. JOANN was the go-to store for all things fabric and craft-related supplies. With the store now gone, many junior girls are wondering where they will get the supplies they need.

While Michaels still exists and is also a craft store, it does not offer the same variety or amount of fabric, and the little random things that JOANN had. This means a lot of students will now need to shop online on Amazon, Etsy, or check out places like Hobby Lobby. “It’s going to be hard to find things for my overalls to make them, because that’s where I get all my craft supplies,” junior Nora Potter said.

Ordering online adds time and stress. The stuff you order does not always come on the exact date, and does not always look like what you ordered, creating a little more pressure for students. At JOANN, students could walk in, browse, and get everything they needed in one trip. Now, many students will have to order online, which could take more time and planning. “I think it will take longer because I will probably have to order stuff online, and it will be harder to find things,” junior Greta Steinke said.

Not everyone was surprised by the news, though. Some students noticed JOANN was not doing so well. The store always seemed understaffed, and items were all over the place. Nothing was ever in the same place, and over time, their stock of items was slowly getting lighter. “It was time to put them out of their misery, though, for sure. It was a long time coming,” Potter said.

Other students are already planning what they will do instead, as they rely on fabric for being a key part of the decoration, whether it is for letters, stars, numbers, or any other fun patterns. It is one thing to see the fabric, but it is another thing to touch it and see how it feels, which is going to be harder for some students. “I’m probably going to try Michaels. And then if I don’t find stuff at Michael’s, I’ll probably just order on Amazon and hope for the best,” junior Harper Stevenson-Shimek said.

Even though the loss of JOANN is frustrating, incoming seniors are excited to decorate their overalls, despite all the extra work they will have to do. With a little more creativity and planning, they will keep the tradition going strong no matter what gets in their way.