Editorial: Citadel should deny uniform exemption request
The Citadel is considering a change that would mark the school’s second major progressive shift in more than 20 years. Most of the time, we’re all-in when it comes to progressiveness in every sector, from education, to business, religion and sports.
This time is different.
In response to a request from a would-be cadet who has been accepted to the school, The Citadel is considering granting her permission to wear a hijab – a scarf that covers the hair and neck – in accordance with her Muslim faith. The school’s uniform code does not allow for head coverings other than what’s standard issue and if it allows the student to wear the hijab, it would be a historic deviation from tradition.
We hope The Citadel sticks with tradition and that has nothing to do with Muslims or Islam. If the request came from a devout Jewish student who wants to wear a yarmulke, a Sikh whose faith requires wearing a turban or a Rastafarian regarding his or her dreadlocks, we would feel the same way.
Although commonly referred to by the shortened version of its name, the school is called The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. An excerpt from its website says, “The Citadel is best known nationally for its Corps of Cadets, which draws students from about 45 states and a dozen countries. The men and women in the Corps live and study under a classical military system that makes leadership and character development an essential part of the educational experience.”
Consider the phrase, “a classical military system.” Just like in the branches of the U.S. military, that system seeks to break down the individuals of each incoming class of freshmen and rebuild them into a cohesive unit. Uniformity is a tool. Cadets dress alike and wear their hair alike because that’s part of the training and it’s a fact of life students presumably accepted when they apply to the school.
The Citadel policy on religious expression is that special requests will be denied if they “will have an adverse impact on a competing institutional interest including, but not limited to, cohesion, morale, good order and discipline, cadet welfare, safety and/or health.” It seems fairly obvious that one student standing out from the crowd because of a uniform exemption could have that effect.
If the request is granted, it wouldn’t be the first time The Citadel broke ranks with tradition. In 1995, the school grudgingly gave in to public pressure and began accepting women. That was an overdue change for the better. The women are treated no different than the men. They dress alike and in all other respects conform to the school’s culture.
That change was needed because the school was blatantly discriminating against women. It would not be an apt comparison to say it discriminates against Muslims or any other faith. There is no prohibition on praying or discussing beliefs on campus that we are aware of.
Why does this particular student want to attend The Citadel? If she seeks an environment that welcomes and encourages individuality, any number of colleges and universities fit the bill. You don’t go to a hip-hop club expecting to hear heavy metal any more than you would hope to find escargot on the menu at a barbecue joint.
Perhaps there’s something else in play here and we suspect it has something to do with the entitled culture so many kids grow up with these days. After years of participation trophies and helicopter parenting, it seems we are producing a society of young people who are coming of age convinced the world revolves around them. They are hypersensitive to the point of not being able to take constructive criticism. Familiar with the term “micro-aggression?” It was coined for this current generation of teens and young adults who are going to head out into the real world believing they are so uniquely fabulous and gifted, though most of them will find out they are pretty much average.
In a perfect world you work hard, get good grades, graduate on time and before long have that perfect career and an even better life. That’s not taking in account economic shifts, office politics and many other unpredictable forces that can get in the way of the best laid plans. That seems unfair – and it is. But guess what? Life is unfair. Get used to it.
The student seeking the uniform exception at The Citadel must be accomplished to have been accepted. We wish her the best and although we hope the school does not grant her request, it would be great if she’s standing tall alongside fellow cadets – just indistinguishable from the crowd in headgear no different from the rest.
This story was originally published May 2, 2016 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Editorial: Citadel should deny uniform exemption request."