<\/p>\n![\"Spencer](\"http:\/\/www.dailytexanonline.com\/polopoly_fs\/1.1760130%21image\/3726784317.jpg_gen\/derivatives\/landscape_260\/3726784317.jpg\" "\\"Photo:")
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\nMary Kang\/The Daily Texan\n<\/p>\n
\nSpencer Wall, fourth-year English and sociology major, talks about her
\nexperience wearing a hijab on Wednesday night at Kerbey Lane Cafe.
\nWall, a Christian from West Texas, embarked on a personal experience in
\nwhich she dressed as a Muslim woman for a year, starting in April.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
I first noticed Spencer Wall in my religion and society class toward
\nthe end of last semester. She wasn\u2019t particularly outspoken, but the
\nshawl that covered her hair, neck and shoulders made her stand out in
\nthe large class.<\/p>\n
I usually gave her nothing more than a completely unconscious
\nglance. But when she revealed to the class the decision that she made
\non April 27, I suddenly became aware of the attention I gave her.<\/p>\n
Wall, a 20-year-old sociology and English senior, decided to assume
\nthe characteristics and attire of a \u201ctypical\u201d Muslim woman for a year
\nstarting in late April.<\/p>\n
She wears the traditional veil, or \u201chijab,\u201d and loose-fitting
\nclothing everywhere she goes and does not consume pork or alcohol in
\npublic. She avoids eye and physical contact with men and has adopted
\nmodest habits like walking with her arms glued to her sides or crossed
\nin front of her to hide her chest. <\/p>\n
I witnessed the looks Wall gets on a daily basis when we met at Kerbey Lane on the Drag recently. <\/p>\n
She\u2019s wearing a hijab splashed with vibrant shades of green and
\nblue. A long-sleeved, black shirt and floor-length aqua skirt reveals
\nonly a few inches of skin.<\/p>\n
Some who pass us try to be inconspicuous with their intrigue,
\nlimiting themselves to quick side glances. But most don\u2019t even try to
\nbe candid with their exaggerated double-takes or blatant stares.<\/p>\n
She passes by a group waiting to be seated, and all of them stare at
\nthe back of her head as she walks away. One guy even rolls his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t surprise me,\u201d she says when I tell her about the group. \u201cBut look around. They\u2019re not the only ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
She insists her decision is not a social experiment but more of a
\npersonal learning experience. As a white female from a small, West
\nTexas town, Wall says she wanted to know what it would be like to be
\npart of a \u201cnoticeable minority.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not representing Muslim women or the Muslim community,\u201d she
\nsays. \u201cI just want to know what it\u2019s like to walk in their shoes for a
\nwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Initially, Wall elaborates on her \u201clearning experience\u201d when people
\nwould ask her questions, the most common being \u201cSo, where are you
\nfrom?\u201d She has abandoned these efforts. Now, when people ask about her
\nattire, she simply says she is not Muslim but wears the hijab because
\nshe chooses to do so.<\/p>\n
This explanation is not entirely untrue, as Wall admits to not being able to leave her home without the clothing. <\/p>\n
\u201cI decided a while ago that I was going to try and not wear the
\nhijab for 24 hours,\u201d she says. \u201cI couldn\u2019t even make it for half that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wall says she receives different reactions when she wears the hijab.
\nA man once fell into a display at Wal-Mart because he was staring at
\nher. One day a group of male patrons at the restaurant where she works
\nrefused to be served by her. The same group called her derogatory
\nnames. But most of the time she said she is just respectfully avoided.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say guys don\u2019t hit on me, but they do so in a very
\ndifferent way now,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s more respectful, less forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
The experience has taught Wall to pay attention to smaller details
\nthat would make a traditional Muslim lifestyle difficult to follow in
\nthe United States.<\/p>\n
One day at a clothing store, Wall had to ask for a sheet to cover a
\ngap between the floor and dressing room door so she could hide her bare
\nlegs as she changed. Her job as a waitress presents one of the most
\nawkward situations as it naturally entails a lot of physical contact
\nwith strangers, which is not allowed for Muslim women, she said. <\/p>\n
Wall has grown to appreciate this sort of privacy and, in some ways,
\nrespect it. Perhaps the most unexpected outcome of the experience is a
\nnewfound devotion to her Christian faith. The Islamic faith requires
\nfollowers to pray five times a day, the first prayer being at 5 a.m.
\nThough Wall has not yet assumed this tradition, she admits she may in
\nthe future, and finds herself praying more often.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know we live in a society that is very unconscious of daily
\nreligious activities,\u201d she said. \u201cThroughout this experience, I have
\nnoticed myself becoming much more aware of God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throughout our conversation, I find myself wanting to discuss the
\nmost obvious topic, but can\u2019t bring it up without having to continually
\njustify myself. Doesn\u2019t she feel constricted and even oppressed by the
\npractices she is assuming?<\/p>\n
Wall\u2019s candidness to discuss such issues validates my impression of
\nher. She constantly reassures me to ask even the most probing questions
\nand to present any debate, illustrating a maturity and intelligence
\nuncommon for a 20-year-old.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis experience has taught me to respect a woman\u2019s decision to stay
\nhome with her children or wear a hijab or go out and become CEOs,\u201d Wall
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
She finishes her sentence, as I notice a young woman staring at the back of Wall\u2019s head.<\/p>\n
Her eyes momentarily follow the outline of the brightly colored veil
\nand then quickly move away. Instead of feeling sorry for Wall and
\nassuming that the attention is warranted by feelings of resentment or
\nfear, I soon wonder if the girl is instead intrigued by the hijab.<\/p>\n
Wall admits to only showing her hair in the most intimate of
\nsettings, and I realize that I\u2019m slightly jealous of someone who
\nrespects something I easily take for granted.<\/p>\n
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