Tuesday's opinion column, "Putting on Airs," argued that U.Va. students create an "embarrassing" atmosphere on game days by following the tradition "Guys in Ties, Girls in Pearls." I couldn't disagree more. Since my first day at U.Va., I have worn a dress and a three tiered strand of pearls to every football game. I pride myself on always upholding this tradition. I firmly believe that by wearing button down shirts or dresses, students show their pride and respect for the University as well as for its sports teams. At the William & Mary game, for example, I walked into the stadium behind two girls wearing sports bras who had painted their bodies green. They were discussing how "fancy" the girls at U.Va. dressed for games. In that moment, I felt a swell of pride. No girl at U.Va. would ever attend a football game so underdressed, and the fact that we dress like sophisticated women shows our confidence and respect for ourselves.
I do agree, however, that there should be a change in the implementation of "Guys in Ties, Girls in Pearls," but I do not agree that this should be done by telling students to wear T-shirts. Instead, students should be encouraged to dress traditionally, but to do so in shades of blue and orange. I'm originally from Georgia, and my best friend attends UGA. She wears a red or black dress to every single game, as do all the other female students. Guys at UGA wear red and black bow ties or oxfords. As a result, the stadium is a sea of red and black. The ideal game day outfit is not a T-shirt and jeans - this is a fundamental shift away from the principles of U.Va. - but rather a classic, traditional outfit in shades of color that show support for our football team. In fact, corner stores other than Mincer's and the Student Bookstore should encourage this trend: Finch, for example should have a selection of appropriate game dresses in blue and orange.
Kelsey Kerle-O'Brien\nCLAS III
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