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But the act of dressing in attire or headwear worn by other cultures — native headdresses with elaborate feathers or fake dreadlocks to mimic Rastafarian culture, for example — has been criticized recently in popular culture.

The planning committee has had complaints from students about frosh leaders wearing culturally insensitive garb, Scripnick said.

The committee decided to also ban bandanas worn over the face because that is “unwelcoming,” she said.

Bandanas could be threatening, especially for students who come from violent countries, explained Eddy Avila, Orientation Week co-ordinator.

“We want to be extra cognizant that we are welcoming to all students. We want them all to have a great experience,” Avila said.

The ban on groups of frosh leaders wearing tank tops and short shorts is a few years old. It was developed to avoid making attendees feel uncomfortable by wearing revealing clothing, Scripnick said.

“In general, you don’t have to practise a culture to realize that some of this could be inappropriate,” she said.

The wearing of turbans and hijabs by students who aren’t wearing them for cultural reasons is also prohibited.

“We’ve had some pushback from certain Soph teams because they say it’s tradition, but I don’t foresee anyone breaking the rules,” Scripnick said. “The Sophs’ whole purpose is to get first-years to feel welcome.”

Orientation Week at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., meanwhile, is being dubbed Brockchella, a play on the popular California music festival Coachella, at which attendees have come under fire for wearing nativeheaddresses.

But Brockchella attendees are being advised: “Don’t appropriate other cultures to make a fashion statement.”

The London Free Press