Before this week, Cadillac freshman Charly Loper could walk through the halls unnoticed.
"(Now) I feel like some people stare at me from a distance, then quickly turn away,” Loper said.
Loper has decided to wear a hijab, a traditional Muslim head covering, for a week. She has been participating in Hijab Week for her class, HON 100: Introduction to the Honors Program.
Clinton Township junior Amanda Jaczkowski has been coordinating the project and assisting the other women involved.
"(The) Hijab is a very misunderstood part of Islam and I wanted to help the girls understand better what it means,” Jaczkowski said.
Throughout the week, about 25 women have been participating in Hijab Week. Jaczkowski created the event this year and said it is only taking place on CMU’s campus.
Clarkston junior Hannah Grimaldi said she has experienced discrimination since putting on the hijab.
“I started on Friday and went to Meijer with my friend, and she told me people were staring at me,” Grimaldi said. “I’ve gotten a lot of rude comments. I realize this is not the inclusive environment I thought it was.”
Grimaldi said she comes from a predominately white area and had little to exposure to other cultures.
“You get a chance to be in someone else’s culture,” she said.
There are three different levels the participants can choose to engage in for the week.
The first level requires them to change their physical appearance by covering their skin and hair. They also cannot show public displays of affection or consume alcohol.
The second level encompasses the first, as well as eliminating the consumption of pork.
The third and final level includes the requirements from the first two, but also removes any sexual relations for those who are not married, in addition to forbidding the women from being alone with men.
“I thought it would be interesting to live with a hijab on and see how people would treat you,” Loper said.
Loper said she is quickly finding that wearing a hijab is drawing unnecessary attention from people around her.
“I feel like some people don’t know how to treat me,” Loper said. “I can tell they are uncomfortable.”
Before the event, Loper said she did not think it was right for someone to wear a hijab.
“I always thought it was degrading for women to wear them, but now I feel like it is not restraining,” she said.