meembo

I have to be the devil's advocate (and I'm qualified, since in college I had a beard and hair almost down to my waist in a ponytail) --

There is a bigger picture here. You WILL be judged (by the appearance your long hair) by a good fraction of potential employers in the future. Whether or not that is the motivation behind the dictates of your instructor -- I don't know. I recommend that you go talk to him.

It would be wise of you to acknowledge that however fucked up it may seem to judge your capabilities by your appearance, it will in fact happen at some point. Make sure that you understand that you may unfairly suffer a consequence in being judged "unkempt" by an authority figure, like a future boss or an authoritative college instructor. It's a compromise (often unfair) that is unavoidable in life. Some people suffer because of the color of their skin, or their gender -- for you, now, it's your hair.

Just go into the situation with your eyes wide open. You may certainly choose to do your presentatiuon with your hair gathered in some way, but I would talk to the instructor beforehand to have a good idea of what to expect. If you can do the presentation with your hair slicked or in a ponytail without any further consequence, I'd definitely go for it. Fight the power if you must, but be prepared to pay the price.

I finally cut my hair when my brother got married to a banker's daughter. My brother wanted me to be the best man, but it was clear that the long hair was going to be a distraction that my brother would avoid with his new in-laws if possible. I cut my hair then, and I did not regret doing it for a good reason, that my brother's wedding was a good reason to put his needs first.

__________________
less I say, smarter I am