Spring Dress Code

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A flyer protesting the email that administration sent out to parents and students.

With the warmer weather, students, particularly females, are dressing to accommodate to  the heat. Recently administration has sent out an email to parents and students regarding the dress code.

The email states that “students [must] come to school appropriately dressed for an academic environment” to “prevent any disruption of the classroom atmosphere, enhance decorum and minimize student distraction so as not to interfere with the educational process.”

The email continues with what clothing items are not allowed: low-cut blouses, torn jeans, bare midriffs, halter tops, strapless tops, off-the-shoulder garments, and sheer tops, just to name a few.

Students are beginning to protest against the administration’s code.

On Friday, May 12th, both male and female students alike protested against the school’s dress code rules by wearing what the school had banned.

“It was interesting seeing the amount of people who put effort in to rally against the email and admin,” said Autumn Wright (12).

Most females around the school agree on one thing: the dress code is bogus.

“I think the dress code is sexist and a display of misogyny propagated by our school system because none of us (female students) are a distraction,” said Josie Blubaugh (12).

“Most girls are dress coded for things as “big” as the length of their shorts, to the amount of skin that shows on their back, to simply the width of the straps on their shoulders,” said Stephany Moghalu (12).

School dress code mainly aims to prepare students for appropriate dresswear for the work force. Thus speaking, the clothes the administration are banning are also not suitable for the work environment.

“Dress code helps prepare for the work force because you can’t wear revealing clothes in that setting. Say you’re working in a business position, it’s inappropriate to wear something like a crop top or a spaghetti strap shirt. It wouldn’t allow the other works to take you seriously,” said Jade Mendoza (12).

Many students want to believe that dress code is an act to control the students, but that is not the purpose.

“It’s not that admin is trying to censor female students or even limit their self-expression, they overall just want to prepare us for the real world where wearing clothing like that isn’t as acceptable,” said Cierra Pierce (12).

It is doubtful to say the conflict over the dress code is over, and may even carry into next year as well. One thing for sure is that students will continue to fight for what they believe in no matter what.