VOICE The Georgetown
October 14, 2016
OCTOBER 14, 2016
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE Volume 49 • Issue 4
staff editor-in-chief Kevin Huggard Managing editor Graham piro news
executive editor Ryan miller Features editor Caitlyn cobb news editor lilah burke assistant news editors margaret gach, cassidy jensen, isaiah seibert
culture
executive editor Brian Mcmahon Leisure editor michael bergin assistant leisure editors Amy guay, caitlin mannering, Devon O’Dwyer Sports editor robert ponce Assistant sports editors Tyler pearre, phillip steuber
opinion
“tree style” by elizabeth pankova
contents
Editorials
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Carrying On: A Seat for Fashion in Politics Emma Francois
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Not a Hair out of Place: Making Space for Natural Hair in Public Life Danielle Hewitt
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Dress to the Nine to Five Lauren Stricker
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Pajama Pushers Voice Staff
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Wearing Your Wallet: The Style and Cost of Georgetown Fashion Claire Goldberg
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Community, Identiy, and Faith: Perspectives on Wearing Hijab at Georgetown Kevin Huggard
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editor@georgetownvoice.com Leavey 424 Box 571066 Georgetown University Washington, DC 20057
The opinions expressed in The Georgetown Voice do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of Georgetown University, unless specifically stated. Columns, advertisements, cartoons and opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or the General Board of The Georgetown Voice. The university subscribes to the principle of responsible freedom of expression of its student editors. All materials copyright The Georgeton Voice, unless otherwise indicated.
Executive editor kenneth lee voices editor Lara Fishbane Editorial Board Chair Daniel Varghese Editorial Board Jon Block, Kevin Huggard, kenneth lee, graham piro, ryan miller
halftime
Leisure editor Danielle hewitt assistant leisure editors Dan sheehan, claire smith Sports editors Jonny Amon, Chris Dunn
design
Executive editor Emma Francois Spread editor Alli Kaufman Photo editor sarah jane kim cover editor patricia lin assistant design editors Megan Howell, Lindsay Reilly, Abbey Roberts Staff Designers Jake Glass, Sam Lee, Aicha Nzie, cate o’Leary, Elizabeth Pankova, Adam semprevivo, Jack Townsend
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copy chief Anna Gloor editors Jack cashmere, Clara Cecil, Claire Goldberg, Isabel Lord, jack townsend, Gabriella Wan
online
podcast editor Jon block
business
general manager Naiara parker senior associate, finance and alumni outreach Jessica ho
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
READ MORE ON GEORGETOWNVOICE.COM EDITORIAL Do Not Ignore “Caesar’s Photos” In light of the recent exhibit in the ICC Galleria displaying victims of torture in Syria, the editorial board urges students to inform themselves on humanitarian disasters throughout the world.
Warning sign in front of ICC Galleria
LEISURE
phillip steuber
Critical Voices: Bon Iver, 22: A Million Caitlin Mannering reviews the latest album from Bon Iver, praising the album’s balance of past and present styles. Bon Iver
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HALFTIME Bob Bradley to Swansea: Another Reminder of US Soccer’s Double Standard Nick Gavio analyzes Swansea City’s recent hiring of Bob Bradley and how his move to the Premier League is an indication of U.S. Soccer’s double standard toward coaches.
Bob Bradley
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The 250: The Dark Knight Rises Michael Bergin, Danielle Hewitt, and Graham Piro discuss the conclusion of the Dark Knight trilogy in the latest episode of The 250.
The Dark Knight Rises
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EDITORIALS
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OCTOBER 14, 2016
Georgetown Should Be Prepared to Cut Ties With Nike A year has passed since student athletes protested Nike’s labor practices by taping over the Nike swoosh on their sneakers. Still, Nike remains the only licensee whose contract does not mandate compliance with the university code of conduct. This April, President John J. DeGioia sent a letter to Nike emphasizing the importance of the code of conduct and cooperation with the Worker Rights Consortium’s (WRC), an independent monitoring agency, after Georgetown’s Licensing Oversight Committee (LOC) recommended action in March. Nike’s contract is set to expire in December, according to John Kline, a professor of government in the SFS and LOC member. Neither changes in the contract nor progress with discussions have been announced by the administration since April. Cal Watson, Georgetown’s Director of Business Policy and Planning, wrote in a recent email to the Voice that currently discussions between the University and Nike about the status of the Nike license are “ongoing,” and that the university has “communicated to Nike our commitment to the Code of Conduct.” However, according to Kline, the university does not appear to be considering other vendors despite Nike’s continued refusal to sign the code of conduct and the Nike license’s impending expiration. This editorial board believes that the contract should not be renewed in its current form. The changes advocated in the spring by the LOC and DeGioia himself are not complicated, and continuing negotiations almost half a year later are hard to explain. If the changes cannot be made, Nike should be replaced by an alternate vendor. Georgetown has a long history with Nike, stretching back to the days of Patrick Ewing and the height of the Big East Conference in the early `80s. But if its relationship cannot be made to fit the university’s own values, then it is time for that relationship to end.
A Note From the Editor Dear Readers, We’ve taken a break from our regular publishing schedule to bring you an issue devoted to the topic of fashion at Georgetown. We have examined the style choices Georgetown students make, and how these reflect the identity of both individuals as well as the wider university community. Some of the pieces and illustrations contained in this issue are deeply personal and reflective. They touch on issues such as race and religion, and hopefully can shed some light on an array of experiences that many of us do not encounter on a regular basis. Some of the pieces and illustrations you will find in these pages are more whimsical. This stems from our belief that, along with reflecting what we hold the closest to ourselves, choices of clothing and of style can communicate the humorous and lighthearted. We’ve asked a lot of questions in these pages: How can our clothing reflect our moral values? Do our expectations for women’s professional clothing display sexism? How do these expectations also limit African-American women’s choices for their hair? How does the practice of hijab impact the experiences of Muslim women on campus? And why do Georgetown students seem to only wear expensive clothing? In seeking answers to these questions, we hope we’ve provided a little something of interest for everyone, from the avid fashion fan who spends hours scrolling through online style publications, to the casual observer whose interactions with fashion are limited to rolling their eyes whenever Kanye West releases a $100 t-shirt. We’ve had some fun with this one, so we hope you enjoy it too.
Fashionably Yours, Kevin Huggard Editor-in-Chief
ELIzabeth pankova
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
Emma Francois She is a sophomore in the College. by
Lee Sam and cois
being powerful in a way that is attainable and relatable for them. They need to feel like they can grab the nearest blouse or skirt in their closet and be confident and authoritative. They shouldn’t have to believe that the only way they could stand where Clinton is standing is if they wear an outfit divorced from their wardrobe’s aesthetic. And they certainly shouldn’t have to think they need to dress like their male peers in order to work with them. I came across an article from The Washington Post written in 2007 about the time “there was cleavage on display” underneath one of Clinton’s pantsuits. America was reminded that despite the pantsuit, Clinton is still a woman. And women weren’t even allowed to wear trousers on the Senate floor until 1993. That means that in 2016, we’re all still learning how to understand clothing and power, especially when it comes to the female dress code. As a first step, we need to see women fill the roles of president, prime minister, or congresswoman and not notice a difference in their clothing. But as we get more comfortable with seeing female faces on the hilltops worldwide, fashion needs to kick in. The wardrobe of a first lady doesn’t have to be on a different galaxy from the wardrobe of a presidential candidate. I have come to terms with my power outfit. The angular, or as I described it, “masculine” structure draws upon this preexisting idea of power dressing, but then I manipulated that social construction with a more feminine neckline. It pulls from the best in power fashion from fundamentally differing viewpoints and tries to master this dichotomy. With as many fashion perspectives it brings into dialogue with one another, my power outfit is a conscious act of diplomacy and compromise. Clinton’s pantsuit sends the message, “Let’s stop talking about my clothing.” And part of that message is correct. But a part of that message is also harmful. Clinton is longtime friends with Donna Karan, one of the most iconic American designers of our time. The two ladies have worked together to create many important outfits in the past decades of American culture. Clinton clearly enjoys fashion, so the fact that she feels the need to put that aside in order to be taken seriously tells us a lot about what we still have to learn when it comes to women and power. By taking any conversation about clothing off the table, we’re holding ourselves back. There’s a constructive way to approach fashion and politics. It’s not done by placing blame or criticizing outfits. It’s done by encouraging discussion about why politicians wear what they wear, rather than what they wear. Dress can be seen as a visual metaphor for a larger problem of gender politics. There are many styles of dress that are equally underrepresented in our powerhouses. Androgynous clothing and ethnic wear cover a small portion of this void. To my peers at Georgetown, I ask that when you, one day, are sitting on the Senate floor or giving a speech at a convention, that you don’t change your style to fit a job description. Be bold. Don’t conform to what the majority wears. Be the inspiration the next generation of power dressers needs. Little girls are watching you and trying to see themselves as confident, as strong, and as fearless. Let’s make it easier for them to follow their hearts and make a difference. Let’s show them that you don’t have to change a crucial part of your identity, your style, to achieve a dream.
aF ran
We all have our toolkits. For a young girl, it’s some cheap dollar store glitter haphazardly strewn across her eyelids (when Mom wasn’t looking) that makes her feel fearless and invincible. For Hillary Clinton, it’s a pantsuit that makes her feel capable and authoritative. For me, clothing has never just been pragmatic. Instead, clothing has been about asserting my independence, channeling my favorite aspects about myself, and amplifying those characteristics. When I feel strong, I wear a jet-black blazer with a cotton white tank top. When I feel confident, I wear navy culottes with a floral top. When I need inspiration or motivation because life becomes a little more than I can handle, I lift myself up with some studded heels and a long sleeve shirt with a stabilizing lavender stripe along the front. Getting dressed is more than part of my morning routine. It’s a reflection of where I am in life. All people should be entitled to this relationship with their clothing. My roommates and I asked each other to describe the outfit in which we would feel strongest. Without thinking, I said an angular, structured, masculine black suit with a deep-V neckline (although I would never admit to this, my dream power outfit might be a glorified pantsuit). A few moments of silence ensued. My friends looked taken-aback. Then it hit me: my power outfit was described as masculine. By me. This worried me a lot. If I couldn’t see myself feeling powerful in, say, a shift dress and blazer, how could I ever hope for the public to take female leaders seriously in anything other than a pantsuit? Over the summer, The New York Times ran an article decoding the new rules of power dressing for women worldwide. The “Hillary Clinton pantsuit” is a misnomer. Female leaders across the globe, from Angela Merkel to Theresa May, all don similar uniforms of suits and pants in varying shades of jewel or pastel tones. Even on television, the landscape of female power dressing doesn’t look like it came from the creativity of a costume designer. Fictional women in power subscribe to the exact same dress code. May has a reputation for loving shoes (a certain pair of leopard print kitten heels in particular). How great is it that little girls across the globe can raid their mothers’ closets now that funky printed heels are no longer just fun and fancy, but powerful? Now women in power can wear whatever kaleidoscopic shoe they want with a pantsuit in whatever shade of psychedelic they can find. I was meditating on how satisfying it is to experience this new wave of understanding regarding the canary yellow pantsuit when my mom yelled over my shoulder, “Why can’t Hillary look as good as those other women? She looks frumpy. Who wears a shamrock pantsuit?” And just like that, I realized we have so much work still to do. Clinton, for example, has the opportunity to define what it means to dress like a female American presidential candidate. There is no precedent for her to abide by. What we’re learning as we dive with Clinton into this new territory is that it’s probably best not to focus too much on clothing, and rather to dress just like the guys, especially now that wearing anything other than pants would be front-page news. This is disappointing, because most young women will never own a pantsuit until they’re in their mid-twenties. They will own a dress and a cardigan, or maybe a skirt and a blazer. If we want to fix the gender gap in politics, today’s little girls need to look at Clinton and see themselves. But they can’t right now, because she dresses in a way that is very other. It’s unique to women in power. Aspiring young women need to see a female role model
Emm
A Seat for Fashion in Politics
Carrying On: Voice Staffers Speak
VOICES
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OCTOBER 14, 2016
Not a Hair out of Place
Making Space for Natural Hair in Public Life “I fear entering the working world, where there is a very real possibility that wearing my hair just as it grows out of my head will be detrimental to my career.”
Having attended predominantly white schools my entire life, the majority of my peers had bone-straight hair. At a time when fitting in was paramount, straightening my hair within an inch of its life had seemed like my only plausible option. I would even do this during basketball season when my hair would turn into a big, poofy mess within the first 15 minutes of practice. At the beginning of my freshman year at Georgetown, I stopped straightening my hair and decided to “go natural.” Wearing my hair in its natural state throughout college has been extremely liberating for me, and my curly hair has now become a part of my identity. So, when my sister decided to cut her hair and start fresh at the beginning of her senior year of college, I was all for it. Even though I was excited by the prospect of my sister’s “big chop,” my father and my aunt were not so enthusiastic. They were worried about how her hair would affect her potential career. For them, natural hair in the workplace represented a serious threat to my sister’s job prospects for fear that future employers would think she did not look professional. At the time, the notion that my hair, of all things, could hold back my future seemed ridiculous, but time and time again I have been proven wrong. In 2014, the United States Army released a new set of standards for female hairstyles. Almost immediately after the standards were released, African-American service members petitioned to have the regulations changed, citing the fact that they were especially strict for those who chose to keep their hair natural. Easy and neat hairstyles like temporary twists were forbidden, and styles like cornrows and loose braids were extremely restricted. Essentially, the rules made chemical straighteners or relaxers the easier option for black army members. Aside from this burden placed on natural hair, the wording of the regulation was extremely biased, calling certain styles “matted and unkempt.” Six months after they were released, the rules were changed, but the lasting impression they made on natural hair stayed. More recently, Butler Traditional High School in Louisville, Ky. gained national attention when its dress code came under fire for its bias against natural hair. The guidelines banned dreadlocks, cornrows, and twists because they were considered “extreme, distracting, and attention-getting.” These rules, once again, made it much easier for those with straight hair to be within the guidelines, while leaving those who preferred to keep their hair natural in the lurch. This is not just a problem in American schools. An all-girls school in South Africa drew headlines when its students protested for the ability to wear their hair in afros to school. These rules are especially damaging because they affect young people who are just starting to explore their own hair and identities. Once again, these rules were changed, but once again black hair was deemed unacceptable for a working environment.
Perhaps the most troubling development in this ongoing fight came this September in a court case in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The plaintiff, Chastity Jones, argued that her employer had violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by requesting that she change her hair. Jones was initially hired by Catastrophe Management Solutions but was told that in order to receive her position she must wear her hair “in a manner that projects a professional and businesslike image.” This did not include her dreadlocks. In fact, according to court documents, her would-be employer said, “[Dreadlocks] tend to get messy, although I’m not saying yours are, but you know what I’m talking about.” The court threw out the case, rejecting the argument that the company’s actions could be considered racial discrimination. The plaintiff argued that “dreadlocks are a method of hair styling suitable for the texture of black hair and [are] culturally associated” with black people, but the court decided that culture was not a strong enough component of race for this to qualify as discrimination. At best, the decision leaves future discrimination cases in limbo; at worst, it sets the precedent for other companies to discriminate on these same grounds. Black hair is something passed down from our ancestors, not only genetically but also culturally. Taking care of black hair requires a degree of skill and effort that makes hair an important cultural touchstone for many black people. As I walk around Georgetown’s campus, I am filled with pride when I see box braids, dreads, twist-outs, and a whole host of natural hairstyles. However, I fear entering the working world, where there is a very real possibility that wearing my hair just as it grows out of my head will be detrimental to my career. In all of the above cases, institutions severely restricted or outright banned black hairstyles under the guise of professionalism. We cannot ignore the thinly-veiled racism behind these regulations. These policies are based on the idea that there is something inherently messy, unkempt, and unprofessional about natural black hair, an idea that is not only insulting but also wholly incorrect. There is no reason at all to think a black professional with dreads or an afro would take any less pride in his or her appearance, or in work, than his or her peers. These rules exclude black features from the workplace, and in doing so, exclude black people from the workplace. by
Danielle Hewitt
She is a junior in the College.
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
VOICES
Dress to the Nine to Five
Alexand
When it comes to workplace sexism, popular discourse tends to focus on unequal pay, the glass ceiling, and overt gender-based disrespect. Rarely does fashion find a place in the discussion about the remaining obstacles to professional gender equality. Perhaps this is because caring about fashion is often (albeit unfairly) posited as an attribute of stereotypically vain women from whom rising professional women may want to disance themselves in the eyes of their male co-workers. Perhaps this is because other, more structural and tangible issues like unequal pay appear more important and pressing. Yet what women wear, and what their co-workers, superiors, subordinates, and clients expect them to wear, can have a strong influence on the climate in which women work and on the perceptions of professional women vis-à-vis professional men. This often plays out through comments laced with subtle sexism, such as “You’re really good at your job for a woman,” or so-called “mansplaining,” condescendingly explaining something to a woman that that woman would be far more knowledgeable and authorized to discuss, or criticizing women for being too emotional and sensitive, or too cold and aggressive. All these expectations undermine women’s professional success. Dress codes, formal or informal, perpetuate workplace sexism. Earlier this year, a British woman named Nicola Thorp made international headlines when she reported that the finance company she worked for, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), fired her, without pay, for not wearing high heels to work. According to PwC, Thorp agreed to a dress code, which included wearing heels, when she accepted the job. Thorp told the BBC that the men enforcing this rule laughed off her claim that such a code was inherently sexist, though she explained, “I said, ‘If you can give me a reason as to why wearing flats would impair me to do my job today, then fair enough,’ but they couldn’t.” While asking employees to wear professionally appropriate clothing to work is reasonable, women inevitably face more restrictions and expectations than men, and these restrictions end up taking precedence over actual discussions of a woman’s work and career. As Ally Boguhn of Everyday Feminism Magazine explains, “Much like schoolroom dress codes, what is considered workplace ‘appropriate’ is often structured around cultural norms where the ideal is based around the white male gaze.” Women wearing tops, skirts, or dresses that show off any curves or skin become “slutty” and “unprofessional,” yet women who wear the same, gray, not-toofitted pantsuits are “dull,” “austere,” and “unfeminine.” Moreover, black women’s natural hair and queer or trans people’s style choices can be dismissed as “unprofessional” and “political,” adding to a workplace centered on the comfort and expectations of white men. Another female fashion issue that garnered media attention was a study published by Nature Climate Change, which found that most office buildings base their heating or air conditioning settings off of a formula based on the metabolic rate of a 40-year-old man. Though the subsequent headlines, such as “Air-Conditioning Really Is a Sexist Conspiracy,” were in many ways funny click-bait, this study does get at the heart of problems with professional women’s relationship with fashion. Men, and by extension entire companies, organizations, and
ra Falk ner
Using Fashion to Displace Workplace Sexism
institutions, structure their expectations and standards for women based off the experiences of men. These dress codes then distract from the qualifications and contributions that women make. With the rise of initiatives like Emma Watson’s UN HeForShe Campaign, the terms “sexism” and “double standard” have taken on glamorous, global, and far-reaching connotations, yet most women have to fight fashion-based subtle sexism in ordinary ways. When Georgetown University Women in Leadership partnered with LOFT, an apparel retail chain, for a “Dress Without Stress” event last year, LOFT’s store manager offered some tips on how to tangibly fight against unfairly-high expectations in an incredibly simple but meaningful way. Finding clothing that makes you feel comfortable will translate into confidence, and that confidence will empower you to own your look, your body, your rights, and your work. She explained that “versatility is key,” and that “It’s not about what you wear, but how you wear it,” because sexist dress codes are not really about the clothes themselves, but rather about the societal roles women are expected to fill. As such, women need not fret over finding the (inevitably expensive) perfect wardrobe, because it does not exist. Our power ultimately lies in our personal presentation of our own selves, and that presentation can involve fashion to whatever degree we individually choose. Whether this means devoting time and energy to clothing and style of which we feel proud or making the decision to wear the same outfit everyday. After all, men are never called out for owning one suit and tie. Women can find a valuable outlet for selfempowerment and self-expression through fashion. Rebelling against workplace sexism can simply mean taking care of ourselves and our appearances on our own terms, a task that gradually builds a positive sense of self. This in turn allows us to join other women (and men) in calling out sexist expectations, demanding more equal dress codes and office practices, and wholeheartedly supporting each other’s style choices. After all, we women have no reason to doubt our bodies, our appearances, and our abilities for the benefit of men when there is far more important work to be done. by
Lauren Stricker
She is a junior in the SFS.
“Rebelling against workplace sexism can simply mean taking care of ourselves and our appearances on our own terms.”
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Pajama Pushers
OCTOBER 14, 2016
The Fall Fashion Edit
This fall fashion season, designers from DKNY to Etro redefined pajama-inspired clothing by featuring styles with plunging necklines, lingerie-esque detailing, and loungy, shapeless pants. This trend blurs the dichotomy of nightwear and daywear, of loose and structured silhouettes. It’s an invitation to mix silky button-downs with torn denim, deconstructing our understanding of what can be worn where. Here, we amplify the pajama trend by playing with androgyny and textures. It’s idealistic, innovative, and punchy.
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
PJ PLAYGROUND The pajama trend can be upscaled with a pair of sparkly heels or some charcoal slacks. Between pajama-suit button-ups and joggers, this trend is versatile enough for class, your next coffee date, and everything in between. This sailboat motif top combines the playfulness of daywear with the minimalism of evening wear via a lined Peter Pan collar and elongating ivory buttons. Facing page (from left); On Somto: silk Araks top, JOe’s jeans, rust Pull & Bear wedges (dsw, 3222 M St.); On Casey: Calvin Klein for Urban Outfitters bra (urban outfitters, 3111 m st.), Kling suspenders, J. crew heels (J. Crew, 3222 M St.), American eagle shirt; On Mohammad: H&M button-down, boxercraft pants, G.H. Bass & co. shoes; On Serena: Trix shirt (Buffalo Exchange, 3279 M St.), levi’s jeans, Chicken-foot Charles by Charles David heels; On Vance: Field & Stream jacket (Buffalo Exchange), J. Crew joggers, Dr. Martens; On kwong: DKNY denim shirt, Anokhi harem pants, white Nikes. This page (from left); On Mohammad: Express sweater, no relation vintage pants; On Somto: J. Crew top, Zara joggers, glint heels; On Vance: Brandy Melville shirt, Tilly’s joggers, gray Vans. photos by jack townsend
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OCTOBER 14, 2016
A LITTLE DRAMA NEVER KILLED NOBODY In its essence, the pajama-inspired trend lends itself to reinterpretation and reimagination for daywear or nightwear. Some pajama bottoms can be dramatized with a sleek blazer and an exaggerated neckline for a night on the town. A velvet sleeping bra combined with vibrant palazzo pants packs a punch. The understated top brings some falltime texture, while the outrageous bottoms bring some youthfulness, some character, and some spirit. For the bold at heart, this trend allows, begs even, for you to wear your favorite animal slippers out of the house. on casey: Black lgb blazer, Barbara velvet bra, calypso Floral pants (calypso, 3307 M St.), merona slippers. photos by isabel lord
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
THE FUTURE OF FLANNEL With fall upon us, don’t shy away from flannel. Embrace the fuzzy plaids in steely mineral tones and warm cobalts. Transform a pair of collegiate flannel pants into fashion-forward trousers by pairing it with a dress shirt or silk top and some flats or loafers. Grab a cozy hoodie from your closet (a bathrobe works too!), and wear it as a makeshift dress. Loosen that flannel shirt from the waistband of your leggings and drape it over your shoulders like a rad overcoat for something a little different. On Casey: navy Gap top (gap, 1258 wisconsin ave.), Boxercraft bottoms, Zara heels (Zara, 1238 Wisconsin ave.); On Serena: Field & Stream jacket (Buffalo Exchange), Zara heels. PHotos by rachel zeide
PRODUCER Emma Francois DIRECTORS Alli Kaufman Isabel Lord MODELS Somto Egbuonu Mohammad Khanzada Kwong Lui Casey Samson Vance Vaughn Serena Vilasi ASSISTANTS Anna Gloor Claire Goldberg Danielle Hewitt Megan Howell Aicha Nzie Adam Semprevivo Elizabeth Pankova PHOTOGRAPHERS Isabel Lord Jack Townsend Rachel Zeide
PLUS! For more pajama trend outfits and ideas, check online for our very first Lookbook assembled by Alexandra Falkner at georgetownvoice.com.
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OCTOBER 14, 2016
Wearing Your Wallet: The Style and Cost of Georgetown Fashion By Claire Goldberg
isabel lord
The idea of college fashion as casual and cheap is practically universal in this country. However, most students on this campus would agree that Georgetown is different. Here, style and sweatpants are fundamentally incompatible. “The two big criticisms that I think can be leveled against Georgetown shops are: there’s not enough diversity and it’s too expensive,” said Gabriel Katsuya (SFS ’19), an international student who says his style is a reflection of the European culture he grew up in. “I would say that the fashion culture and style at Georgetown … falls in line mostly with what you could find in a Vineyard Vines or Polo Ralph Lauren catalogue.” Buffalo Exchange, a national resale chain, is one of only a few affordable clothing stores in the Georgetown area, but by catering to the quintessential collegiate prep style, it doesn’t provide as much as it could in terms of price range and availability of choices. The cheapest fleece offered, a used brown North Face, costs $20. While that price is considerably less than a new one, the exact same fleece is available for half that price on Poshmark, an online resale shop. And even with more inexpensive brands, such as Columbia, the used fleece in the store costs only one dollar less than a new one on Amazon. “Georgetown has a very high-end designer look,” said Indira Shingler, an acting store manager at Buffalo. “We try to get similar styles to what’s in this area and make it a reasonable price.” The Buffalo location by Logan Circle offers clothing at cheaper prices and with a less-preppy look than those at the Georgetown location. Examples range from a striped t-shirt with funky patches on it for $10, a pair of black mid-calf, worn leather boots for $13, and even a Cynthia Rowley blouse for $15, which usually retails for over $200. Although the staff members declined to comment on the differences between their shop and the one in Georgetown, the contrasts in pricing and style were apparent. Aanchal Sahay (COL ’18), a transfer from Rutgers, said that she has found good quality clothing at the Buffalo in Logan Circle, but that it’s not necessarily easy to find clothes that fit and that are worth the price. According to Sahay, the style at Rutgers involved more sweatpants, whereas people at Georgetown put more effort into their appearances. “I certainly felt more comfortable rolling out of bed and going to class there,” Sahay said. She described her style as casual, and even though she didn’t necessarily see affordability as a problem in the Georgetown area, she did sees the standard of style as an issue. “It does sometimes feel like it’s harder [to find affordable clothing] because there are a lot more ‘upscale’ or more expensive places,” Sahay said. “But I’d say that most of the clothes I’ve bought in Georgetown are from Forever 21 and H&M. It’s definitely nice to have those more affordable stores so close to campus.” In keeping with the motto “men and women for others,” students themselves have provided ways to navigate the issue of affordability. The GUSA Sustainability Office’s Clothing Swap allows people to swap bags of unwanted clothes and in turn for other students’ items. While the swap does provide an option other than shopping on M Street, this only happens during the once-annual move-out drive, lacking the frequency and availability that busy Georgetown students need. Another student-driven option at Georgetown is Dressmate, a new program that allows students to rent other students’ clothing for formal or business events. For a minimum of $5 (and a maximum of $15), a person can rent items like a dress or a pantsuit for a three-day period. According to co-founder Christine Yang (SFS ’18), the program may expand into more casual wear in the future. “There’s not really a good way to borrow clothes,” Yang said. “I think the problem is, ‘I have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.”
Yang described an issue of overconsumption, citing brands like Forever 21 that produce poorly made clothing that falls apart after only a few wears. She says that she tries to go to a variety of stores when she shops, but said her favorite is Brandy Melville, which isn’t exactly known for well-made clothes. She feels that Dressmate can help change the generational throw-away culture that causes consumers to constantly buy new things. Her co-founder, Jennifer Simons (COL ’18), sees closet minimalism as beneficial in that it both consolidates space and attacks the problem of affordability. “We pride ourselves on being an affordable service for everyone,” Simons said. “Because everyone should be able to explore their fashion interests, regardless of their budget.” The Georgetown Scholarship Program (GSP) also provides solutions with opportunities for its graduating seniors, according to GSP Assistant Director Mariana Gonzalez (MSB ’15). The GSP started a program eight years ago to buy Ann Taylor LOFT gift cards for the students looking to buy women’s wear for the professional world. Two years later, word got out to LOFT’s CEO Gary Muto, and he decided to have LOFT itself donate the clothing to the GSP students. He even flies down the company’s stylists to help the women pick out their clothes. For the men of the GSP, Jos. A. Bank gift cards are provided to seniors for the same purpose. According to Gonzalez, some students are surprised to find out that professional clothing is a necessity at Georgetown. “You definitely don’t go into the college experience knowing right away,” Gonzalez said. “There are some students who try to make one item work as best as they can.” Many GSP students are first generation college students, and according to Gonzalez, they don’t expect to need suits and formal wear. She has heard students say that they can’t go to their Senior Ball due to the high prices of clothing, and she even skipped out on her own Senior Ball for similar reasons. In a GSP survey of the class of 2015, 36 percent of students said that the most common stressor for graduation was figuring out what they would wear. Gonzalez suggests that students go to the Marshalls in Friendship Heights, for example, which she says has a wider selection than the Georgetown T.J. Maxx. While the LOFT partnership and the Jos. A. Bank gift cards solve the problem for GSP seniors, and the options of Dressmate, the clothing swap, and shopping outside of the neighborhood help all other students, options are limited for low-income students who are not in the GSP. “Students can join the GSP, and that is available for those who feel they identify with the community,” Gonzalez said, “But the prices do add up.” Some students do see a silver lining, though. Hannah Rancap (MSB ’19) has a self-described “preppy” style, but sees a changing fashion culture at Georgetown that is more inclusive of various styles and choices. “I think that’s what makes the culture so special and refreshing, that people can express themselves through the way that they dress and reveal their attitudes towards fashion,” Rancap said. “Some people take fashion as a genuine interest into which they put a lot of effort, others may just see clothes as a requirement. However in either case, the culture that surrounds fashion at Georgetown allows room for everyone to present themselves as they please without a typical ‘standard’ that students feel obliged to follow.” Rancap’s optimism definitely has truth to it, but the people that don’t fit the mold still dress in a way that is not affordable or available to everyone. Adidas sneakers and a leather jacket may not be preppy, but they aren’t cheap either. Katsuya said there is one tried and true solution, though. “This is America,” he said. “So whatever I can’t find in the store I can order online.”
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
Community, Identity and Faith Perspectives on Wearing Hijab at Georgetown By Kevin Huggard
T
asneem Shaikh (COL ’17) wants to become a doctor. To that end, she is pre-med, and is planning for the future with a mixture of excitement and uncertainty that most seniors would recognize. If you met her, you would also notice that she wears hijab, recently favoring a turban-style headscarf with which she can wear earrings. In this time of rising anti-Muslim sentiment, the Voice spoke with a few of the women who wear hijab at Georgetown to get an idea of how this practice factors into their experiences here. Each of them stressed that the practice of hijab can hold a different meaning for every hijabi. Shaikh considers hijab a crucial component of her life and faith. “For me, it’s an essential part of my identity. For me, the hijab, it’s my way of worshipping God and it’s also my way of representing Islam and it’s a very evident reminder of what’s important to me in my life and my spirituality. And so by that I kind of mean, it’s every single moment of my life, this is what I’m wearing, this is what I’m choosing to do,” she said. She is happy to talk about hijab, provided those asking are respectful, which she finds to be the case most of the time.
“It was one of the
reasons I chose [Georgetown]. It’s been one of the most welcoming and encouraging universities and communities.”
“It’s something that I’m proud of, and I can be proud of for myself for wearing this. And so, sharing that with others who are seeking knowledge or are seeking more about it is something that I’m always willing to do and am proud to do,” she said. Khadija Mohamud (SFS ’17) is the current president of the Georgetown Muslim Students Association. Hijab plays an important role in her life, although she finds it difficult to define its meaning in concrete terms. “My definition of what hijab means changes every day, because it depends on the context and my intention,” she said. “So, part of hijab is, it's not necessarily just wearing the headscarf itself, it's the idea that I'm going to conduct myself publicly as a Muslim, so that means that I have to be cognitively aware of what I'm saying, how I'm interacting with people ... it's publicly saying that I'm Muslim. So before I even interact with you, you are relatively aware that I'm Muslim unless you've never seen a Muslim before.” While she is wary of trying to speak for either hijabis or Muslims as a whole, she finds this is a role into which she is often cast. “That's a burden that I think that hijabis will always have to deal with, and especially now more than ever, it's immense, how huge that burden is, because you walk into a classroom, you walk into an interview, you walk into anywhere on campus, people already assume that you are carrying Islam everywhere that you go, and that you can speak for the entire religious community, which is not in any case correct,” she said. “When we wear hijab, it's the most easily identifiable marker of your faith as a Muslim,” said Kristin Sekerci, a program coordinator at Georgetown’s Bridge Initiative, a research project sponsored by the Center for MuslimChristian Understanding aimed at pushing back against Islamophobia. Sekerci is one of the dozens of hijabis who work and study on Georgetown’s campus, covering her hair with the headscarf worn by many, but not all, Muslim women. For Shaikh, the university has proven itself hospitable, and its openness to spirituality factored into her decision on where to go to college. “It was one of the reasons I chose [Georgetown]. It's been one of the most welcoming and encouraging
“You feel like you
constantly have to defend your faith, but you feel like you have to defend your faith in the most random places.” universities and communities … I think by having that kind of standard for itself, its community is automatically selected for people who are very welcoming, so individually as a person who wears hijab, and I'm very represented by my religion in my choice of hijab, I've never had an issue. Everyone treats me, basically, how I want to be treated,” she said. Sekerci also described the Georgetown community’s treatment of its hijabi members in positive terms. “I've had no bad experiences on campus,” she said. “And the fact that it's a Catholic, Jesuit community just makes it even more special. Because there's the interfaith element, and there's such a welcoming ethos. And where I work, the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, the fact that it even exists ... I think is case in point, on how welcoming and receptive the community's been.” Mohamud echoed these sentiments. “I haven't faced any hostilities. There are times when you get stares every now and then,” she said. “For the most part, it's a very friendly and accepting environment.” For Shaikh, who had attended an Islamic school in Virginia prior to coming to Georgetown, and therefore was uncertain how her peers in school would act around her, the reactions of her fellow students were especially encouraging. “Especially when it comes to kids, I'm always kind of scared that people won't be as chill, or they might have a
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Pictured: Kristin Sekerci
Pictured: Khadija Mohamud
Pictured: Tasneem Shaikh
OCTOBER 14, 2016
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certain kind of formality when it comes to talking to me or anything like that, but seeing people just be normal ... it surprised me even more,” she said. This is not to say that Georgetown has no work left to do to improve its attitudes toward hijabis. Mohamud spoke of feeling that she must sometimes represent Islam in a classroom environment when a professor makes an ignorant comment. “You feel like you constantly have to defend your faith, but you feel like you have to defend your faith in the most random places,” she said. “Sometimes you have professors, who are very well-educated scholars and pundits, saying things that are profoundly ignorant in terms of what they understand of Islam. Then you, in a lecture of 200 people, you feel compelled to say something about it. And it can be nerve-wracking, just like anyone else having to speak out in front of a large crowd, but it's more nerve-wracking knowing that when you leave that seminar or that classroom, that lecture, your classmates are going to leave thinking that this is what Islam is.” Shaikh mentioned similar frustrations, and feeling that some professors find it surprising that she can offer intelligent and insightful contributions to a classroom environment. “Sometimes [people] can already have perceived notions about who you are or how smart you are. There are certain professors who if I say something very intelligent, they'll have preconceived notions. Sometimes people think that people who wear hijab are more sheltered, they're very shy, not so outgoing,” she said. “There are these stereotypes that go along with the hijab. I think every hijabi has experienced making someone surprised by saying something smart, or being more outgoing.” Still, she emphasized that, while there are some challenging moments, the experience has been a positive one. “But overall, the Georgetown community has been very welcoming, and I've never really had much of an issue,” she said. If things are largely good for hijabis at Georgetown, the wider picture of religious tolerance in America is more muddled. This presidential election season has seen the rise of some virulent anti-Muslim rhetoric in the national conversation, one of the most striking examples being Republican nominee Donald Trump’s call for a temporary shutdown on Muslims entering the United States. “Anti-Muslim sentiment has been out there for a while now, of course. Ever since 9/11 is really when it spiked, of course. But a lot of that really nasty rhetoric has been part of the far right movement or alt-right, and folks in that camp, and it's the kind of thing that is impolite to say in polite conversation or at dinner tables. But now with our Republican nominee, he says it so openly, and with such gravitas, that it's considered acceptable conversation now in the public,” Sekerci said. Today, fear can occupy the minds of the women interviewed for this piece. Both Mohamud and Shaikh described the terrified reactions of their parents to a 2015 incident in which a Muslim woman was pushed in front of a London subway train. “I remember after that my whole family texting me, or calling me and messaging and being like, ‘Be careful
in the streets. Don't be alone.’ My father was so worried about me,” Shaikh said. “You never know what people may think of you or how they may perceive you. And being so publicly represented, there's always that kind of fear that's behind all of this.” Mohamud described the anxiety her parents felt with her commuting by train to a summer internship following that incident. “Now my parents are like, ‘If you have headphones on, make sure you take them off, or you're not listening to anything, stand far away from the loading area for the train.’ You don't know what's going to happen. There is a degree of fear, to be honest,” Mohamud said. She also remembered the confusion of watching her mother experience harassment for wearing hijab following the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. “I'll never forget people giving my mom stares, I remember people throwing stuff at her sometimes,” she said. “These are things that I can't forget, because they're very distinct memories, and as a child you're confused because you're like, ‘What's wrong, it's my mom, why would anyone want to treat her differently because of the way she looks?” In light of the fear she sometimes feels, Sekerci described taking a self-defense class, put on by a Muslim human rights activist, geared specifically toward teaching hijabis how to protect themselves from attacks. “It taught you how specifically to defend against hijab attacks,” she said. “But when you step back and think about it, it's very disturbing that we're training ourselves to deal with that, if it ever did, God forbid, happen.” Sekerci works to push back against Islamophobic mindsets through her work at the Bridge Initiative, and she pointed out the importance of keeping in mind the positive incidents that take place along with the negative. “It's important to highlight the negative, and to call that out, but it’s also really important to highlight the amazing things that people are doing within the American Muslim community, and allies outside the American Muslim community,” she said. In both D.C. and across the country, there have been many such positive examples, and Sekerci offered several. These included the billboard unveiled last year by the American City Diner, located in North West D.C., which read, “Standing with American Muslims,” and a resolution condemning anti-Muslim sentiments, which was introduced in 2014 to the D.C. City Council. On a national scale, such examples range from something as bureaucratic as Philadelphia’s decision to make two major Islamic feast days, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, into city holidays, to a story as personal as a group of Southern California high school girls encouraging and propelling their hijabi friend’s successful bid for homecoming queen. For hijabis specifically, a supportive community can arise from shared practice. Ironically, although Shaikh had attended an Islamic school while growing up in Virginia, she didn’t find this community element of practicing hijab until she arrived at college, as she was “one of the very few” students who wore hijab at her previous school. “[It’s] surprising that, going from an Islamic school to a big university, this is the first time where
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
I've got to experience having that community of girls who wear hijab just like me,” she said. “And it's amazing, my roommates [wear hijab], and we can share headscarves, and we go through the experience and we can talk about it inways that other people wouldn't understand. So we have that kind of mutual understanding and what it's like to experience life, and being in America and being in a college or university as a hijabi together.” Mohamud also spoke to the community that comes with practicing hijab. “At Georgetown there's a pretty large hijabi community, which is pretty awesome,” she said. “It makes you feel comfortable when you see another woman in a hijab. But it also reminds you that, at least from what I've learned at Georgetown, that for me to assume that all hijabis share my sense of identity, my confidence in my identity, that’s not the case. Everyone has their own perspective.” In addition, she pointed to complexities within this community that may not be apparent to outsiders. “Color is another dimension that isn't mentioned when we talk about hijabis,” she said. “Where the reality is that
“I'll never forget people
giving my mom stares, I remember people throwing stuff at her sometimes. These are things that I can't forget, because they're very distinct memories, and as a child you're confused because you're like, ‘What's wrong, it's my mom, why would anyone want to treat her differently because of the way she looks?“ my experience as a black Muslim woman is different than an Arab-American Muslim woman who wears hijab. It's not the same. And even within the Muslim community it's very different. And these are issues that our community needs to address.” And, although hijab can inspire a tremendous sense of community, each of the women interviewed spoke of the diversity and individuality that exists within the practice of
hijab. Shaikh mentioned that her own preferred style of hijab has changed throughout her life. “Every girl wears the hijab in very different ways. So there was one year of my life where I wore a black scarf every single day. But then after that I sort of started playing with different colors and different styles. So this is the new turban style that I've been trying in the past year. It allows me to wear earrings, and show them off,” she said. “So hijab isn't just a headcovering, that's like—there's one way of doing it, and it hides who you are as an individual.” Mohamud echoed this, saying that practicing hijab is not even limited to those who wear a headscarf. “My concept of hijab is one that includes my sisters who don't wear headscarf, it includes my brothers who don't wear a headscarf. So it's very inclusive,” she said. “There are so many different ways to wear hijab,” Sekerci said. “And in some ways it’s kind of interesting because it's marked by, one country has a unique style, and another country has a unique style. There's different trends that go on.” For Sekerci, a Pennsylvania native who grew up in a Catholic family and then converted to Islam after learning about the faith through college courses and then later in conversations with her Turkish husband, it was natural that she would adopt the Turkish style of hijab. Shaikh spoke of the flexibility hijab offers to a wearer when it comes to style. “Once you open yourself to exploring your own identity while wearing hijab, you can find so many ways to be creative, there's so many different types of styles you can go for, you know, mix and match with your outfits, there's so many different prints,” she said. “You can make it fashionable in its own right. It's not something that hides who you are, but you can make it into something that complements your personality and goes along with your own fashion statement.” And, while there may exist an idea that all hijabis are somehow oppressed, this does not fall in line with what the women interviewed for this piece had to say. In fact, Shaikh and Mohamud expressed almost the exact opposite of this sentiment. “Muslim women being able to take back the veil and reclaim it and redefine it for themselves is a huge part of their self-identification as a member of their community. And it’s a means of them reclaiming their active agency and their faith,” she said. “Because in the Koran we know that Muslim men and women were created as spiritually equal beings.” “It's a means of liberation because, in the end, it's our choice. I was not forced to do this,” Shaikh said. The key, for her, is choice. “If you want to uncover yourself, then you are liberated by having the choice to do so, but if you want to cover yourself, you are liberated by having the choice to cover yourself as well.” In Mohamud’s mind, this is a perspective that Western feminists need to keep in mind as they seek to include Muslim women. “For Muslim women, we're entering the conversation of feminism, but unfortunately we're being introduced as, ‘Oh, as feminists in the West we need to save our Muslim sisters who are forced to wear, you know, these headscarves.’ In some cases, women are forced to wear hijab, which I don't agree with. It's completely something that's up to the individual, in my belief and my faith,” she said. Mohamud, a Silver Spring, Md. native, reflected that hijab has played an important role in her understanding of her identity as an American.
“For me, I guess, hijab is a huge part of my identity,” she said. “In terms of me discovering who I am as an American, when I started wearing hijab, that was a huge [factor], it was a major recognition of its synthesis in my identity.” Yet, in this time of rising hostility to Islam, each of the women interviewed for this article recounted sometimes having to take an extra step to affirm their American identity to others. In sometimes subtle ways, Sekerci has also noticed that others might assign her outsider status since she began wearing hijab.
“Every girl wears the
hijab in very different ways. So there was one year of my life where I wore a black scarf every single day. But then after that I sort of started playing with different colors and different styles.“ “Once you identify yourself with some kind of marker [as a Muslim], people’s perceptions of you change. When I started covering, immediately people started asking, ‘Where are you from?” she said. “And not just, ‘Where are you from?’ but ‘Where are your parents from?’ ‘Where are you really from?’ I’ve even gotten a few, ‘You speak English so well.’ and I’m like, ‘Thanks, I think I should.’ In the greater scheme of things, those aren’t really significant, but they add up.” Mohamud spoke of the need to affirm her status as an American while defending her faith being a defining force in her life as she grew up in the post-9/11 United States. “For me, as an American Muslim, it's a burden that I think is very unique and think it's a burden that I don't know what I would be without it, because I grew up with it,” she said. “So I grew up with this idea that I'm an American Muslim, I feel more obligated, and it's more required of me to really engage the people I can tell have never met a Muslim, and make sure that they leave that interaction knowing that American Muslims are just like anyone else. We're American.” Shaikh told of a time when, while walking on the streets of D.C. with a group of hijab-wearing friends, a man began yelling “ignorant, bigoted things” at them. At one point, the man told them to “go home.” For Shaikh, this was nonsensical. “This is my home,” she said. “I was born and raised here in America in D.C., so if he's telling me to go home, where am I supposed to go?”