Do SKHS Students Dare To Drip?
By Aidan McGonagle
Students at South Kingstown High School find many ways to express themselves and their identity whether it is through the music they listen to or who they hang out with. By far the most apparent way is through their clothing. With a quick walkthrough of passing periods, one can easily tell students here take pride in what they wear every day — some students more than others. While some students call this their style, others refer to it as an art form. One word in particular that floats around when it comes to clothing is “Drip.” Most students and even some teachers have heard the word, but few can give it a consistent definition.
Some teachers, such as social studies teacher Mr. Matteson, have yet to come across how the word is used in regards to clothing. When asked what he thought drip meant, Matteson responded with “Probably something to do with vaping.”
When it comes to SKHS students, however, many agree that drip has to do with one’s personal opinion and individual style.
JJ Fitz (seen to the left), a freshman at SKHS, explained that “drip” is a personal thing to him. When asked if it had anything to do with his identity, Fitz went on to say: “Of course, it makes me, me.”
Other students such as Antonio Shaw, a four-year letterman on both the football and unified basketball team, shared similar views. Shaw shared that he wears clothing with his favorite rappers such as Eminem and 50 Cent on them to “represent them.” He also brought up the popular clothing brand Air Jordan. When asked about his connection to it, the SKHS senior simply said, “I like the brand and the style.”
Whether it’s one’s identity as a whole or just his favorite musician or clothing brand, many students believe that “drip” is who they are and what they like. Still, the definition of “drip” is not consistent throughout the school. To find a more clear definition of the word, many say one must search among the most “drippy” roaming the SKHS halls.
Star small forward on the varsity men’s basketball team Lavell Shepard referred to “drip” as “a lifestyle.” Last Monday, Shepard said it was “a calm day” and “we didn’t have to get too drippy.”
“Drip”, at least at SKHS, seems to correspond to what a person is like, and what kind of day it is.
Seneca Spears, (seen to the left) a junior wide receiver on the school’s football team and local artist, gave a very in-depth description of what he believes “drip” to mean. Spears’ standards on what to wear are exponentially high. He is the type of person who stands out in a crowd with his clothes and his personality. Because of this, the talented athlete gave a strong definition of what “drip” means: “It’s just how you present yourself,” Spears responded. “Clothing is just clothing,” he added, “[drip] is who you are.” As someone who dreams of pursuing hip-hop music, he has a more in-depth understanding of what the term “drip” is defined as.
The urban dictionary defines the word as “lingo started around jersey city early 2014 to describe one’s outfit or overall demeanor”. But from what we can take of this, “drip” is so much more. Students here at South Kingstown High School have shown it can be many things, it can represent who you are, what you are into, or it can simply be just an outfit that you put on. Overall, “drip” is a versatile term that relates one’s clothing to themself.
