What makes up a high school? Cliques or friend groups seem to be predominant when one takes a look around campus.

In popular culture, there are labels put on “groups” in high s

chool. Some students are considered as the “popular” group, or even the “smart” kids, while others are considered “the losers” by their peers sometimes.

However if one were to ask a member of one of these groups about these ‘labels’ they may find that the name was put on the group due to a misunderstanding of them.

There is one group of friends in particular on campus that receive a lot of attention due to their unique style. They are often seen around school in long coats, sometimes accompanied by belts and other accessories.

An alternate option to judging a group by their exterior would be for high school students to get to know each other and learn why other students do what they do, as well as what morals and beliefs they hold. This behavior has the potential to help create a sense of community amongst campus. In many cases, students may even find that they agree with another student’s beliefs.

Asked what beliefs his friends and himself uphold through their fashion, junior Gabe Lipcombs replied: “Everything you see around in this life… is controlled. Humanity, in this life, can never live a natural, free, life, because everything we do is controlled. If we break these laws we get, not taught a lesson, but punished.”

Lipcombs said that the quote, ‘Nothing is true; everything is permitted’ originates from the

video game Assassin’s Creed, which is where him and his friends got the inspiration for the outfits they wear.

However, Lipcombs explained that their clothing is not a “dress-up” of any sort, and said that “the beliefs [from the game] really relate to humanity and the world itself.”

Lipcombs said that many students ask him and his friends questions about their attire on a daily basis. He said that in most cases however, students resort to coming up with their own assumptions about why they dress differently than most.

Lipcombs and his friends receive nicknames like the “Trenchcoat Mafia” or “School Shooters,” which they do not appreciate. “It’s just, not cool,” he said.

“These trench coats, they are not to hide anything…they are not to threaten anybody… we are just a group of young men who have a different sense of style that was inspired by something we all like to do,” added Lipcombs.