Free Carly Jean Los Angeles merchandise causes student frenzy

By Sabrina Ranada

On Thursday night, Feb. 8, Carly Jean Los Angeles (CJLA) set up a stand inside The MacArthur Center, where they distributed TMU merchandise, snacks, drinks, and coupons for free. The online boutique, which sponsored TMU men’s and women’s basketball games against Arizona Christian University, designed and manufactured the merchandise specifically for TMU students. 

Students flocked to The MacArthur Center, hoping they would be one of the first 200 students to receive a free TMU hoodie or sweatshirt. The event began at 7 p.m., after the women’s game and before the men’s game. Despite this, students started gathering as early as 6 p.m. By 7 p.m., the disorganized line was out the door, even past the fountain. People were prepared to rush in, get their freebies and try not to get trampled. 

First year student Caitlyn Mack described the event as “crazy” and “chaotic.” She recounted, “There were people that almost got hurt. No one could even move. People were pushing in from the back, going in front of people that had been there since six — some were even grabbing multiple things.”  

Mack was concerned that the behavior could have been a bad testimony to the university. 

“There was no line, people kept pushing and shoving others, I almost got elbowed in the face. Then we heard a bunch of shouting and within what felt like seconds, all the free merch was gone, but people kept shoving and pushing. It was pure insanity,” said Faith Santiago, a sophomore.

It took only one minute and 30 seconds for all the free clothes to be snatched up. While many students did not receive any freebies, there was still hope that they could be one of the five lucky winners of a CJLA gift card, valued at $100. 

Carly Jean Los Angeles is an online clothing shop based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 2015 by Carly Jean Brannon. CJLA’s website says that their purpose is to create clothes that make women “feel beautiful in every season of life.”

You can learn more about them and their products at CarlyJeanLosAngeles.com.