Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Log in or read 2 more articles before registering, and 8 before becoming a member.
Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in or create an account to continue reading.
Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your registered account or create an account to receive 6 more articles over the next 30 days. join now for unlimited access.
Share unlimited digital access with 4 family members… join now.
Thank you for reading! To continue reading your local news, please register for free. Or join for unlimited access. (Already a member? Log in.)
Thank you for reading! To continue reading your local news, please register for free. Or join for unlimited access. (Already a member? Log in.)
Local news and analysis – and much more. By joining you get unlimited access to it all.Join now.
Share unlimited digital access with 4 family members… join now.
Thank you for reading! To continue reading your local news, please register for free. Or join for unlimited access. (Already a member? Log in.)
Checking back? Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Please purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
You get home delivery Monday through Saturday – plus full digital access any time, on any device – with our six-day subscription delivery membership.
This membership plan includes member-only benefits like our popular ticket giveaways, all of our email newsletters and access to the daily digital replica of the printed paper. Also, you can share digital access with up to four other household members at no additional cost.
Subscriptions renew automatically every 30 days. Call 240-215-8600 to cancel auto-renewal. Most subscribers are served by News-Post carriers; households in some outlying areas receive same-day delivery through the US Postal Service. If your household falls in a postal delivery area, you will be notified by our customer service team.
With our four-day Wednesday-through-Saturday home delivery package, you get home delivery of our popular Food and 72 Hours sections as well as the full Saturday-Sunday weekend paper.
And, as with all of our packages, you get full access to all of our online content, any day and on any device.
Membership includes access to newsletters, special offers and the ability to share your subscription with up to four additional household members.
Subscriptions renew automatically every 30 days. Call 240-215-8600 to cancel auto-renewal. Most subscribers are served by News-Post carriers; households in some outlying areas receive same-day delivery through the US Postal Service. If your household falls in a postal delivery area, you will be notified by our customer service team.
With a digital-only membership subscription, you get individual access to all of our online content, 24/7, on any device.
Digital memberships qualify for special member benefits, like our popular ticket giveaways.
Plus you get access to the ePages, a digital replica of the printed paper, and all of our email newsletters.
Subscriptions renew automatically every 30 days. Call 240-215-8600 to cancel auto-renewal.
Our short-term pass is the digital equivalent of buying a couple of papers at the corner store. You can access all of our digital content for 48 hours with each non-renewing pass.
Sorry, no member giveaways, custom newsletters, linked accounts or ePages access with short-term passes.
Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code.
Promotional Rates were found for your code.
Simarjeet Kaur Sandhu at Hood College graduation.
Simarjeet Kaur Sandhu at Hood College graduation.
Every year, graduation caps flood campuses throughout the U.S. Whether students decorate the caps or wear it as is, the graduation cap has been part of commencement regalia since at least the 15th century. But what about those whose religion requires them to wear a head covering? Do students who cover their heads have to ask for permission from their educational institutions to do so?
It can be a frustrating and stressful time for students who feel they have to seek permission to wear their religious head covering because of guidelines set forth by school officials. As an observant Sikh, I found myself in this position, ahead of participating in the 2022 Hood College Commencement.
The first amendment of the U.S. constitution gives citizens the right to practice their religions and protects religious liberty. Therefore, accommodations for religious attire should be observed by all academic institutions.
I was scheduled to walk during commencement on May 21. I started my academic doctoral program as a cut-hair Sikh and during my journey was led to become an observant Sikh who wears a dumala, a female head covering. However, after reading the commencement FAQs about whether graduates had to wear a cap and gown for commencement, it stated, “Yes, your graduation attire is required to take part in the ceremony. Graduates who do not wear commencement regalia will not be able to process.”
I didn’t know what to do. I had talked with several faculty members and was told I could walk with my head covered, but after reading the FAQs, I was worried that I would be questioned, stared at or worse, not be able to walk.
The traditional cap and gown may fit the majority of the graduates, but for observant Sikhs who cover their hair with a turban or dumala, wearing the full regalia may not be ideal. When Sikhs cover their hair with a turban or dumala, it is the head covering that symbolizes their life of simplicity, their path of connecting with the inner God (Waheguru) who resides within them, and it is part of their religious identity. Covering a turban or dumala with a graduation cap would be like covering one’s identity.
When I reached out to faculty members, they reassured me that it was OK not to wear the traditional graduation cap. Hearing those words put me at ease, but there was something inside me that still kept coming to the surface. Why did I have to ask? Why didn’t the FAQs state something like, “Students with religious head coverings may choose not to wear their graduation cap.” By stating these words, it simply covers one’s first amendment rights and deters students from questioning whether they can participate in their commencement.
The faculty at Hood College was very receptive and understanding of me walking with my dumala. So, on May 21, as Hood College celebrated its 2022 commencement, undergraduate and graduate students, along with their families, joined the festivities on the beautiful Hood campus. And amid the 400-plus graduates stood one observant Sikh, myself, wearing a dumala — for the first time in Hood College history, so I’ve been told.
I hope that future commencements include observant Sikhs, and that somewhere in the commencement FAQs, students know it’s OK to wear religious head coverings. From my experience at Hood College, I truly believe that it is a campus that seeks to accept and include people from all walks of life.
Simarjeet Kaur Sandhu is a graduate of Hood College and an English as a Second Language teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. She is the author of the Simran and Sehaj book series that is geared toward raising awareness for the Sikh community and creating more multicultural books for classrooms across the U.S.
Your comment has been submitted.
There was a problem reporting this.
“Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!
But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money!”
The God of the One Commandment mostly doesn’t care what you say, do, or believe. There is only one thing you must not do and it’s really easy to not do it.
Here's the rub, if you get to wear it, others will inevitably sue because they wish to wear a Yankee hat, a dunce cap, a fez, yada yada yada. Judging by the photo, it would appear that a mortarboard would have fit over the covering.
Graduation with tradition cap and gown is a way to show that all students in unity and as a group are graduating together. Once other parts of the graduation uniform is changed, then that makes some students stand out above the others. It just changes up the dynamics. Uniformity is intended to show the whole class is graduating together in unity.
I’m pretty sure some graduates get to wear various cords or sashes to denote their high academic achievement and to make them stand out above the others.
Sadly, I just attended a 2022 senior graduation for a FCPS high school and every single student was wearing a self-congratulatory cord or sash. No one can be honored for his unique academic brilliance and hard work. Every one is "inter-changeable". No one is unique, except in purely superficial ways--clothing, blue hair, tattoos...
Please read Biological Ethnocentrism: The Negative Impact of Racial and Ethnic Diversity Upon Societies and Individuals. Version 1.0 / 06.2019 / 11,000 words / Over One Hundred studies cited!
https://de.catbox.moe/su1vjr.pdf
"I hope that future commencements include observant Sikhs, and that somewhere in the commencement FAQs, students know it’s OK to wear religious head coverings."
It's unfortunate that there are folks that choose not to observe a traditional uniform dress code, & instead of simply respectfully opting out the ceremony, feel that they need to make a public issue out of it. By allowing "religious" head coverings instead of the traditional mortar board w/ tassel, you force the debate: What is "religious"? For Pastafarians, this means they can legally wear a kitchen colander on their head. People have sued (& won) in several states to be able to wear a kitchen colander on their head for their driver's licence ID photo.
You've helped to destroy traditionalism, & drop standards. Congratulations, freedom-fighter.
Adherents to the Church of the Latter Day Dude, could wear a white bathrobe and carry a white Russian in a highball glass. They could get a letter authorizing it from their local Dudist priest.
Keep it clean. No vulgar, racist, sexist or sexually-oriented language. Engage ideas. This forum is for the exchange of ideas, not personal attacks or ad hominem criticisms. TURN OFF CAPS LOCK. Be civil. Don't threaten. Don't lie. Don't bait. Don't degrade others. No trolling. Stay on topic. No spamming. This is not the place to sell miracle cures. No deceptive names. Apparently misleading usernames are not allowed. Say it once. No repetitive posts, please. Help us. Use the 'Report' link for abusive posts.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to read or post comments.
Looking to hire in Frederick? Reach jobseekers in print and online. Email recruitment@newspost.com.
Keep the conversation about local news & events going by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Recent updates from The News-Post and also from News-Post staff members are compiled below.
Our local business directory includes detailed information for featured businesses as well as customer reviews and direct links to related events.
Stay informed of daily news & events in your community for as little as $3.25 a week.
The Frederick News-Post is printed by FNP Printing and Publishing.