They’re made of silicone and sported by some of the most well-known celebrities of our time to make certain things more, er, recognizable.

Pamela Anderson’s support of PETA.

Gel bracelets, of course, such as the Livestrong wristbands popularized by Lance Armstrong’s foundation in 2004, have been in and out of vogue for the better part of the last decade. The wristbands typically support a cause or nonprofit organization near and dear to the wearer.

On campus, this is no different. Passersby on the Quad may be wearing any number of gel bracelets, and the stories or mantras these colorful accessories tell are almost as unique as those who wear them.

*1. LGBTQA Pride*

Tie-dye colored LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Allies) Pride wristbands are an increasingly common accessory on campus.

Kyle Zak, junior in LAS and president of PRIDE at the University, explained that the wristbands are not a marker of LGBT identification.

“I want to get rid of the old misconception: Wearing a wristband does not mean that you are gay or a member of the LGBT community,” Zak said. “It means that you support the LGBTQA fight. So it doesn’t matter where you fall on the scale of gender or what your orientation or gender identity is, wearing a wristband means you are a friend to the community.”

Zak said that he understands why some people might have misinformed perceptions about those who wear PRIDE wristbands.

“When you’re on a campus that’s as suffocatingly heteronormative as U of I, there are a lot of stereotypes and sort of jumping the gun assumptions made about queer people,” Zak said. “You know, it’s something as simple as if you see a girl wearing more masculine clothes, you automatically assume she’s a lesbian. You see a guy in a v-neck, they assume that he’s gay. If you see someone wearing a rainbow wristband that says ‘PRIDE,’ (you) assume that they’re queer.”

Wearing a wristband shows support for the gay community, Zak said, but he also noted that it means not supporting any sort of homophobia.

Students can get a wristband by stopping in the LGBT Resource Center in the Illini Union.

*2. Memories Last Forever*

On July 27, Jon and Dana Buerkett along with their daughter Morgan, of Champaign, passed away when their private plane crashed on the way to Florida.

As a way of remembering them, some of Morgan’s friends, including Karli Jackson, sophomore in AHS, designed blue wristbands with the family members’ initials and the date of the accident along with the inscription “Memories Last Forever.”

“I feel like a lot of times something like this happens and people will be like ‘Oh yeah that’s really terrible,’ but their whole family was such a great part of the community and so many people came out to the visitation and memorial service we had for them, so we thought it would be a great idea to wear these as a reminder of how much we’re all missing them and how much we appreciate what the always did for us,” Jackson said. “It’s a way to always be remembering them.”

Jackson and her friends made a Facebook group to sell the bands, and ended up ordering over 2,700 bands that they sold for $2 each.

Proceeds went to three different causes in honor of the Buerkett family, including an athletic scholarship in honor of Morgan, who played volleyball at the University of Chicago.

Those who wish to remember the Buerkett’s by wearing a wristband can get them at Morgan’s high school, High School of St. Thomas More, or Jon’s Business, Melody Music in Champaign.

*3. Power Balance*

People-watchers at the ARC are likely to see a number of colorful wristbands. Among the most common are Livestrong bracelets and a new, trendy “Power Balance wristband”:http://news.discovery.com/human/power-balance-maker-admits-bands-are-worthless.html that looks like any other gel bracelet but it features two holographic ovals which claim to offer “performance enhancing technology” to the wearers.

Katie Mijal, senior in LAS, said that there could be something to the product’s claim.

“My brother played college baseball for two years and so he always wore it in high school and college — the necklace version of it — and he swore by it. He thought that it helped him relax,” Mijal said. “It was just kind of a mental thing for him.”

The Australian company that makes the bands fell under scrutiny for false advertising after numerous independent studies disproved the company’s claims of improved athletic performance.

In Jan. 2011, the company issued a statement that read, “We admit that there is no credible scientific evidence that supports our claims. Therefore, we engaged in misleading conduct.”

Still, Power Balance has high-profile athletes endorsing the wristbands, including No. 3 world-ranked tennis player Victoria Azarenka and Los Angeles Dodgers all-star Matt Kemp.

Mijal, an active runner herself, said that while the wristbands may not provide a physical edge, there is something to the mental boost.

“I do put a lot of stock in mentality, especially in running because it is such a mental sport,” Mijal said. “I mean I guess if I believed in it and thought that it helps then I would wear it.”**