While many see college as a time to shed traditional religion, others choose to wear it on their sleeve, dressing according to the tenets of their faith.

And perhaps most visible since the attacks of Sept. 11 2001, many Muslims on campus have chosen to retain traditional religious dress.

Abeer Ayaz, a UConn senior, is one of them. She wore a traditional Hijab, or Muslim headsarf, to attend Mosque at the UConn Islamic Center in Storrs last Friday in addition to jeans, sneakers and a coat to protect her from the rain. Ayaz rejected what she believed was the stereotype of oppressed Muslim women, saying she saw the Hijab as a symbol of her faith. "It represents Islam, it represents who I am," said Ayaz.

"I wear it for the sake of Allah," said Ayaz "I choose to wear it to show that I am not oppressed [because] that is a common misconception." Ayaz, a Pakistani by birth who's family moved to the US when she was two years old, did not grow up in a devoutly religious household. In fact, she did not wear a Hijab or attend services until she left home. "I started a couple of days after I started college," said Ayaz. Her religious awakening convinced members of her family to follow suit. Her mother, she said, just started wearing Hijab and attending services in the last month, and the two of them recently returned from Haj, a journey to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that every Muslim must attempt in their lifetime.