The rise of the SHAGWORM shirt

Would you put on a SHAGWORM shirt? When ResEd introduced the brand new neighborhood names final month, a number of college students have been fast to level out that the brand new neighborhood acronym – which used to spell “STANFORD” – now spells “SHAGWORM.” College students additionally found that SHAGWORM could be scrambled into an unsavory counterpart: “WHORGASM.” A number of Fizz posts, a Stanford Every day video interview and a whole lot of scholar laughs later, the SHAGWORM/WHORGASM discourse has reached a brand new stage: merchandise. 

Zane St John ’26, a vendor of unofficial SHAGWORM/WHORGASM merch and resident of Sequoia (Neighborhood S), purchased the web site “shagworm.com” simply minutes after discovering the brand new neighborhood acronym.

“I didn’t even know what I needed to do with it but,” St John mentioned. “However I really feel like shagworm.com could possibly be helpful for one thing.”

After a pair hours of web site and e-commerce set up, he created an internet storefront able to taking orders. He then designed a SHAGWORM and WHORGASM emblem utilizing the official Stanford model information, taking inspiration from free neighborhood merchandise given out earlier within the 12 months. Now, virtually a month later, St John says he has acquired dozens of orders in merchandise that includes his logos and made a whole lot of {dollars} in gross sales. 

“That is completely not about turning a revenue,” St John mentioned. “For me, that is about offering this expertise to individuals, turning one thing that individuals discuss into one thing individuals can truly work together with.’”

Whereas shagworm.com started by promoting shirts, enterprise has expanded to new types of merchandise. College students can now put their notebooks in SHAGWORM backpacks, wash their fingers with SHAGWORM hand cleaning soap and even put on WHORGASM boxer briefs. In line with St John, the positioning has acquired two orders for WHORGASM boxer briefs thus far. 

Hyperion (Neighborhood T) resident Isaac Nehring ’26 owns one such boxer briefs. Regardless of his apprehension about whether or not or not he would obtain his merchandise, his package deal got here within the mail only a few weeks later. 

“I imply, I really like SHAGWORM, however I actually love WHORGASM,” Nehring mentioned. “SHAGWORM is nice, that’s the mainstream, however to have WHORGASM symbolize this tremendous establishment is simply so unserious.”

Different college students disagree. 

“WHORGASM I’m just a little bit much less favorable for,” mentioned Marshall Kools ’24, a member of Aspen’s Neighborhood Council. “However I positively like SHAGWORM, I feel it’s good.” 

Kools designed official merch for Aspen (previously Neighborhood A) earlier this month for the neighborhood’s all-campus occasion “HEATWAVE.” His design, a pale yellow shirt with a chest pocket design that includes a daring “A” and the identify “Aspen,” was given out to college students without spending a dime on the occasion. Attendees have been additionally given paint and brushes to customise their shirts.

“I’m fairly closely biased in my determination, however the Aspen stuff is best,” Kools mentioned. “The Aspen stuff has a singular design.” 

The SHAGWORM merch bought on the positioning is predicated on an earlier neighborhood system shirt given to college students originally of the 12 months.

 “I positively assume it’s begin, however I’d wish to see some innovation in there,” Kools mentioned. 

Whereas Kools mentioned he has seen a number of college students sporting his Aspen shirt within the weeks following his occasion, the previous neighborhood system shirts have been much less standard. Many college students mentioned they hardly ever put on their official neighborhood merchandise in public. Nehring lower up his neighborhood shirt to put on to the fitness center. 

A number of college students contacted by The Every day expressed displeasure with the acronym SHAGWORM and its ties to the criticized neighborhood system. Some college students have been sad with the connotations surrounding “shag” and “worm,” noting that “shag” has a sexual connotation in some circumstances and “worms” usually gross individuals out. Others responded that they didn’t actually care concerning the neighborhood system both manner. Aspen resident Mckenna Beck ’23 mentioned she supported the identify SHAGWORM however prefers “WARMHOGS.”

“I’d put on it as usually as I put on the present Stanford neighborhood merch,” mentioned Isaias Martinez ’26 on whether or not or not he would purchase SHAGWORM merch. “By no means.”

Nonetheless, different college students imagine the emergence of SHAGWORM might deliver good tidings for the neighborhood system and campus at massive. 

“Folks like SHAGWORM so much. Additionally they share a whole lot of the enjoyment within the weirdness and the funniness and the appreciation of the coincidence of all of it,” Nehring mentioned. “In that sense, it makes individuals just a little happier concerning the neighborhood system and lightens up the dialog about one thing that’s been fairly controversial thus far.”