Students had the opportunity to donate their T-shirts from other universities to support Eastern pride Wednesday in return for a coupon, despite confusion from the Homecoming website.

In past years, students were encouraged to bring T-shirts from other universities and donate them to charity, and they would receive a free Eastern T-shirt in return.

However, this year students received a 25-percent discount on any Eastern clothing item that had blue on it in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Bookstore.

Judi Konrad, assistant manager of the Bookstore, said the change from a free shirt to a discounted shirt was a result of budget decreases for Homecoming Week.

She also said she was not informed of the change until Tuesday.

Anika Guinto, a junior business major, works at the Bookstore and said she had plenty of students bring T-shirts in to swap.

She said she received shirts from many Illinois colleges, including Lake Land College in Mattoon and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

However, Guinto said many students were confused and frustrated when they came to the Union Bookstore and expected to receive a free T-shirt.

Until Wednesday, the Homecoming website on Eastern’s webpage said students could receive a “complimentary” T-shirt if they donated a shirt from another university. A discount was not mentioned.

The website was updated Wednesday with information about how students could receive a 25-percent discount with their donation.

Guinto said she had several students who decided to keep their shirts because of the confusion.

“After they hear that is only 25 percent off, some of them haven’t given their shirts and just kind of left,” she said.

As students shuffled through the many racks of Eastern clothing, past the sweaters, T-shirts and shorts, they held the items against themselves to see how they fit.

Corey Stewart, a junior biology major, sifted through the rows of basketball shorts and other athletic wear, choosing a Panther T-shirt and sweatband to use his discount on.

At the counter, Stewart handed over his bright orange University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign T-shirt.

“It’s just one of those shirts I got given to me one time, and I just never really wear it,” he said.

Stewart said the T-shirt was his only Illini shirt, but he had no trouble giving it up for charity.

“I was like, ‘I might as well just give it away,’” he said.

Tyler Mink, a senior kinesiology and sports studies major, sifted through the neatly folded rows of Panther T-shirts, flicking through the tags to find one his size.

As he was shopping, Mink held his green Notre Dame shirt, emblazoned with the word “Irish” and featuring a large four-leaf clover.

Mink said he has multiple Notre Dame shirts and had no reservation giving one up.

“I had a couple, and this is the one I didn’t want to wear anymore,” Mink said.

Norte Dame is not Mink’s favorite college team.

“I’m actually a huge Wisconsin Badgers fan, but I wasn’t giving up any of those shirts,” he said.

As Mink brought a Panther T-shirt up to the checkout counter, the clerk threw the Notre Dame T-shirt into a cardboard box filled with the colors of numerous T-shirts from other universities.

Tim Deters can be reached at 581-2812 or tadeters@eiu.edu.