Morehouse's New Dress-Code

Saul Williams doesn't like it. I think I'd probably care a lot more, had I went to Morehouse (as Saul did.) It's a little hard for me to get upset about a small, elite college enforcing a dress-code. I don't think this sort of thing what have worked at a lot of the larger HBCUs. I just can't see them even attempting this at Howard. All of that said, this is the sort of thing that would have kept me from applying to Morehouse--not that I was anywhere near qualified. College was my time to figure out who I was and what I wanted. The last thing I needed was someone else trying to dictate that to me.

I don't think any of us like profanity on tee-shirts, or seeing some dude's boxers because his jeans are on his calves. I understand why shades at convocation, and Yankee caps at graduation may be annoying. But I think folks should be very clear about what they're trying to achieve and why. Is the literal quality of Morehouse graduates declining? Are they less successful now then they were thirty years ago? How, specifically, will a dress-code change that?

I think people often take to complaining about how people dress, when they're actually bothered by something else. Dress is a kind of intellectual short-cut that allows you to get around hard problems--either real or perceived. Of course short-cuts often lead to other unforeseen problems. As Williams notes, the school has banned cross-dressing. Some of the school's gay students are, understandably, pissed.'

On another note, I have a question for Morehouse and Hampton grads. Is it true that applicants have to submit photos? Did they ever have to in recent memory? I keep hearing this, but never first-hand from anyone who went there.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2009/11/morehouses-new-dress-code/30654/