I feel you may as well be asking for everyone to wear uniforms. I have never viewed a personal charms, talismans, or costumes as a poke in my eye (and I can be as touchy as my mother about public religious displays). It is a show of pride in one's culture, traditions, or other affiliations. When I was in high school, I was a bit showy about reading my favorite less-than-famous comic books. One of my friends has a Mac shirt for every day of the week (and one infrequently worn one, for best). It may amount to the same thing.

However, these are still only my feelings, and those are yours. You're entitled. However, I am strongly reminded of a story one of my teachers once told us: he was young and in college, and had a roommate from central Africa. They both had pictures of their families up on the walls. My teacher was rather bothered by his roomie's photos, which showed the young man's female family members with their breasts exposed, and mentioned it one day.

"Do you think you could cover parts of those pictures so that they are more appropriate?"

"Appropriate?! Mine?" the roommate asked, shocked. "Your mother's and sisters' knees are showing in every single shot you have up!"

Just a thought.

Happy Fructidor,
Beth

btw, everyone, I checked with the Florida Dept. of Ed., and USF is indeed listed under the state-run Florida universities. "Private school" arguments need not apply.