Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018, Elizabethtown College will host its annual Leffler Lecture in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. The Leffler Lecture was created by Linda, ’67, and Patrick Castagna, in honor of Linda’s parents.
There is an endowed Leffler Memorial Lecture Fund which aids the College in presenting speakers of national or international relevance who create an educational experience annually for students, which promotes conversation in classes as well as promoting learning.
The lecturer this year is Ibtihaj Muhammad, who is known as a sabre fencer, ambassador, fashion designer and author.
She has a dual degree in International Relations and African Studies from Duke University.
Muhammad is an American sabre fencer who won an Olympic medal in the 2016 Olympics and is a Senior World medalist and World Champion. She competed in the Summer Olympics in August of 2016 as the first American woman to compete in a hijab and the first Muslim woman to win an Olympic medal for the United States.
She is an ambassador with the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls through Sports initiative, and she works closely with Athletes for Impact and the Special Olympics.
She is also the founder of Louella, which is a clothing company that tries to bring affordable and modest clothing to the U.S. She was the inspiration for the first Hijabi Barbie, which was released in 2017. Her memoir is titled “Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream.”
As part of her time at Etown, she will be hosting a fashion show where Etown students will be modelling some of the clothes from her clothing line. The show will be emceed by senior Quinten Yonkers.
He said Etown is doing the fashion show to not only show the line but to show that modest fashion is still current and worn by current people.
He learned about the culture in high school and actually got a chance to visit the Middle East and was able to have a first-hand experience in the culture. He is glad that Etown students will be exposed to this culture.
Sophomore Austin Hall-Bumbray is helping to organize the fashion show. She said the Leffler Lecture will bring light to why people wear certain clothes and the thought behind it.
Hall-Bumbray is participating in the show because she is interested in learning about a new culture that she has never really explored before.
Hall-Bumbray is inspired by how Muhammad helps those who want to dress modestly find clothes that they can be comfortable in.
Yonkers said that especially with all of the misconceptions about the Muslim culture that are prominent in today’s society, it can be helpful to spread information, especially in areas like Etown, where it is not a prominent culture.
“It doesn’t really matter what you identify as, everyone is a person,” Yonkers said. “Not enough people know about different cultures outside of their own.”
Sophomore staff photographer Emma Pile is one of the models participating in the show.
“I want there to be a better understanding of diversity whether that be race, religion, etc,” Pile said. “I feel like the world needs to be more informed on diversity.”
Pile and Yonkers both work for the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) as International Leadership Assistants.
Through her work with that office, Pile hopes to do her part to increase awareness of other cultures on-campus and around the surrounding community.
Tickets for the lecture are free but sold out as of Oct. 30, 2018, so any student who still wants tickets will be placed on a wait list.
If you want to get on the wait list, please email lecturetickets@etown.edu or call (717)361-4757. If you have tickets that you are unable to use, return them to Caroline Lalvani in 302A in Alpha Hall or contact her at (717)361-1246.
The fashion show will be in the KAV Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Leffler Lecture will be in Leffler Chapel Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
