Hinsdale South students have and continue to collect objects that evoke an emotion, display their interests, or elicit a fond memory.
Historically and across cultures, objects have been associated with functions that extend past the physical world. In ancient Egypt, Egyptians buried amulets alongside the deceased because they believed they would guide them in the afterlife. In Greek myths, certain materials were associated with supernatural powers, such as the Golden Fleece, which could cure any living thing.
We see items through a similar lens in modern-day society.
Leah Simpson, a sophomore, collects pennies. It’s linked to her fascination with American history and superstitions.
“I went to see the place where Lincoln got shot and I guess I just really liked Abraham Lincoln, so pennies have always had a big significance to me,” Simpson said. “They are also just said to be lucky. I also always put a penny in my waistband or pocket whenever I perform for good luck.”
Good fortune isn’t the only thing to arise from collectibles; senior Kaitlyn Wong and sophomore Victoria Wysocki both collect souvenirs during their travels.
For Wong, keychains are a way to remember stories she has heard on her ventures.
“I love my keychain that I got from the Bahamas, it’s made from wood and was hand-painted by the vendor. She told me her story of her craft when she gave me the keychain, so it carries not only my own memories but memories from this woman as she recounted her trials and failures to be able to reach her level of skill, “ Wong said.
Though some of Wysocki’s turtle figurines like her Swarovski crystal turtle may be high in commercial value, she sees their true value in being vessels for memories.
Wysocki said, “I collect them from all my trips, and I remember said trips when I look at them or dust them. Turtles are also my favorite animal.”
Records, the beginnings of DJ turntables, are a fragment of the past that has resurfaced to become a popular collectible of the present among Hinsdale South students. Sophomore Anna Frankel is one of these students who finds comfort in the tangible feeling of music, especially “Strange Trails” by Lord Huron which she describes as a “no-skip album”.
Sophomore Roman Dmytrenko enjoys the crackles and pops of when he plays his favorite record, a limited edition Flenser Records blue transparent pressing of “Deathconsciousness” by Have a Nice Life.
Junior Maya Chrzanowska sports one of the most expansive collections at Hinsdale South: 200 conch shells washed ashore by a hurricane in Florida.
For Chrzanowska and others, it’s a continuous hunt to find their next treasure to add to their personal museum.
