Oaklandish rewards good grades

Louis LaVenture,
Editor-in-Chief

Since they opened over five years ago, the fashion like and retail clothing store brand Oaklandish has been a huge staple in Oakland. Its T-shirts, hoodies and accessories aim to promote civic pride by showcasing common symbols of Oakland.

More than 100 students from the Oakland Unified School District showed up Aug. 21 for the store’s fifth annual T-shirt giveaway. Students were asked to fill out a card with some basic questions about their education when they present their report card and claim their T-shirt. The store gives a free specially-designed T-shirt to any OUSD student with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

The store gave away nearly 200 shirts at each of the past two giveaway events, according to event organizers. Two years ago, 158 students from nine different schools claimed tees branded “Oakland-Educated.”

Signe Wurtz, an Oakland Tech High School graduate said she learned, “Not to judge people based on their outward appearance, but to understand them based on their actions,” during her time as a student and resident of Oakland.

Every year the shop adds new features to the giveaway, which last year featured ambassadors throughout the school year who were able to collect gear and clothes for their efforts to help get the word out about “Oakland-Educated.”