In the book Uniforms: Why We Are What We Wear, Paul Fussell says “…everyone must wear a uniform, but everyone must deny wearing one.” His comment addresses people’s need to express individuality therefore denying the uniform or uniformity, however they so often yearn to be like everyone else. There are many that wear their uniform with pride. The members of Kairos are known to wear the waffle to symbolize an unforgettable weekend. People come together for the most part as strangers but leave feeling forever connected by the weekend they spent together.
Kairos is a spiritual retreat where participants contemplate God’s role in their lives. Although it is a Christian retreat they don’t discriminate or deny people participation. The meaning of the retreat has evolved into more of a statement. People who go on the retreat are on “the inside.” They keep it secret as to not ruin the surprise for future attendees. The evolution of what the trip means has ultimately changed how people, at least at New Trier, react to the Kairos symbol. To people who have not attended Kairos, the waffle may be seen as an inspiration to go. Other people may view the waffle as a symbol of something that will remain a secret forever. People who have attended Kairos won’t deny that they ultimately changed because of the retreat. People who wear the Kairos waffle don’t deny wearing it. Instead they wear it as a reminder to themselves of how important their trip was.
However, in another part of Fussell’s quote about uniforms he says, “if you refuse to dress like others, you will be ridiculed, and no one wants to appear in public dressed like a fool or an odd-ball.” This is what the Kairos waffle is really about. Kairos members have created their own “norm” by making the odd-balls the people who are not wearing the waffle. The Kairos kids don’t ridicule others, but the secrecy of the retreat makes everyone who hasn’t had the Kairos experience are the outsider or “odd-ball.”
