Students and community members came together at last night's Student Council meeting to express concerns about the dress code recently implemented by Corner restaurant Jaberwoke. According to Council Executive Vice President Nick Jordan, it was the greatest community input and highest community attendance Student Council has seen at its meetings in the past year.
Participants in the conversation included students, Council members and brothers Anderson and Patrick McClure, who own Jaberwoke.
The newly implemented dress code requires customers to abstain from wearing articles of clothing such as hoods, knit caps, white t-shirts, sleeveless men's tops and baggy pants. Concerns have been raised that the dress code discriminates against some members of the community on the basis of race.
Outgoing Asian Student Union President Patrick Lee said Jaberwoke's new policy was not being applied on an across-the-board basis. Lee said he went with friends to Jaberwoke last Friday dressed in a manner that violated the dress code, but were not refused service or asked to change their clothing.
"The bartender gave me long look, but made no comment," Lee said.
Anderson McClure responded by saying it is impossible to do "every single thing right all the time."
McClure also denied accusations of racism.
"It is insane to think that the intent of it [the new dress code] is to discriminate against any person on the basis of color, culture or religion," Anderson McClure said.
According to McClure, the policy was implemented to deter violent behavior that he had observed being perpetrated by patrons who "dressed a particular way." He said customers had complained of feeling uncomfortable at the restaurant, including a few who complained of being assaulted at the restaurant, and so he sought a solution to the problem.
"We noticed for a long period of time that people wearing a certain type of clothing were involved in this behavior, we asked how we can prevent it and we decided on dress code," Anderson McClure said, adding that the code is not directed at any individual ethnic group.
Patrick McClure said the dress code was not established in an effort to make the restaurant "more upscale," but rather to address a safety concern. Restricting the dress of patrons was a necessary "sacrifice" to make sure "everyone can come and feel safe," he added.
Anderson McClure encouraged all members of the University community to come to a forum that he is holding today at Jaberwoke at 3 p.m. to discuss the matter further.
The community involvement at the meeting was spurred by a proposed Student Council resolution that would condemn the dress code and encourage the restaurant to reconsider the recent changes made to the dress code.
Diversity Initiatives Co-Chair Ryan McElveen, who sponsored the resolution, said since the dress code has become such a "huge issue in the University community that it became obvious that Student Council needed to address it."
Also during the meeting, Council approved a resolution to recommend that the Information Technology and Communication Office add HBO and other premium channels to students' on-Grounds cable choices. Council also approved a resolution to recommend that its new constitution be amended to strike the phrase "full-time" in the definition of what type of student may serve on Council.
Student Council President Darius Nabors introduced a bill that would introduce this change to the by-laws of the constitution.Nabors also introduced a bill that would create a task force to advise the creation of office space in the new student center that is planned in the coming years.
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