Wearing heels on the Hill

 

People notice the infamous “heels on the Hill” ritual among the women of FAMU. In a professional sense, many would understand why women would wear heels to school. On any other day, it raises questions of why females feel like they are necessary for school dress code.

Most women who wear heels on campus usually have a distracting outfit on as well. If you do choose to wear heels, it should be more business casual than anything else. Our professors are watching us and the way we display ourselves to professionals makes a difference.

With FAMU’s new dress code requirements approved by the Board of Trustees in April, how much will actually change this fall semester?  The “Millennial Famuan” standard will hopefully allow students to soon understand how much appearance matters in the workforce.

We all want to look nice and appear attractive among our fellow peers, but the stigma of maintaining your “swag” seems to be more important. I’m not opposed to wearing stilettos or wedges to complement the outfit I took hours to prepare, but what’s really the motivation?

“Although fashion is excessive on campus, girls should be able to express themselves,” said Whitney Baron, a senior health care management student. “Heels are fun and if they make you comfortable, go for it. No one should tell you what or what not to wear.”

The idea of perception is very apparent around campus. Being well dressed is one perception most women want to leave in people’s heads. However, the reputations we strive to achieve don’t always reflect education.

“People strive to carry a reputation and forget about education,” said Antoria Moten, a third-year business student. “We are here to learn, not to impress other people.”

Appearance is everything and as a college student your appearance should center on the career you choose to pursue, while also being comfortable. “Heels on the Hill” is a trend that needs to focus on our professional swag and attract the right attention.

“I think wearing heels is a bit extra, especially with all these hills on campus,” said Chimere Wright, a senior education student. “It’s an attention thing more than anything.”

As women of FAMU, our priorities should be different. Less time in the mirror, more time into that test you forgot to study for. Our brand is everything and our dress code, with heels or not, should reflect that.