Freshman Yohoni Torres is showing a positive way to dress in the school atmosphere. Photo by: Taylor Drake
By: Abbigail Rose
It is known by students at Plymouth High School the dress code is a major rule that must be followed, and if it is not, there are definitely consequences.
Picture this; the time is 7:52 a.m., and like any other regular school day, students are walking to class with their bags over their shoulders, doing what they can so they are not late. Now that the weather is getting warmer outside, students are beginning to wear shorts and T-shirts to keep cool. And there she is, walking to class along with everyone else, only she’s stopped in the hallway by her principal, who lets her know that what she is wearing is not appropriate. She needs to change into something that goes past her fingertips, and the summer shorts that she is wearing violates that specific rule in the dress code. She’s forced to change into something that is deemed more appropriate so she can continue on with the school day.
Students at PHS in the cafeteria wearing considerably average clothing for everyday school. Photo by: Abbigail Rose
The dress code is a school rule that applies to the students of PHS, and if violated in any way, the violators are required to change- or in some cases, cover up. “I wasn’t forced to change per say,” says sophomore Ellie Switzer, “but I was forced to put a jacket on because my shirt had slid off my shoulder. I was really frustrated about it because I was in study hall, obviously studying. To interrupt my studying time because I was ‘in violation of the dress code’ and ‘distracting’ is really frustrating.” But it’s not always optional to cover up, and more often than not, students are forced to change completely. Senior Reneh Gambrel states, “I have not been forced to change. However, I have seen multiple cases of girls who were wearing shorts get forced to change, despite the fact that the shorts they were wearing weren’t entirely too short. It makes me feel angry, because it really isn’t fair.”
This school rule does not apply to just girls. Boys have definitely experienced this as well. Freshman John Mills says, “They made me cover up because I was wearing a tank top, and it made me mad because we can’t wear whatever we want to.” But it seems as though there are students that are conflicted on whether there should be a dress code or not. “I’m very conflicted on this, because the dress code is supposed to prepare us for how to dress in the work area, however it does seem chauvinistic,” states Switzer. “I mean, girls seem to always seem to be the target, and guys never seem to see any punishment.” Junior Sophia Smith agrees, simply stating, “I think there should be a dress code, but one that isn’t sexist.”
Then there is the question, “If there were no dress code, would students take advantage of that?” “The students might take advantage of no dress code,” says Mills. “Like a girl might wear short shorts or a certain shirt, and it might distract us from learning.” Sophomore Gillian Larew states, “I do think students would take advantage of it. This is a really touchy subject because you never know what might happen if you allow more freedom.” Sophomore Bayli Czarnecki agrees, but goes a different route by bringing religion into the matter. “I think that people would take advantage of having no dress code. For example; I know many satanists who aren’t allowed to wear some of the clothes that they have. This also brings in religion, which I shouldn’t even get started on. Some things in the dress code are good for us.” Sophomore Alexis Aistrop says, “I feel like there would be a couple of people that would take advantage if there was no dress code, but if you allow people more freedom they are less likely to rebel. In this case by wearing very provocative clothes.” And Gambrel passionately says, “Every student should have some sort of opinion on the dress code, especially women. Because a bra strap is not the end of the world, and men are not nearly as sexualized as women are.”
In the student handbook, there is a section dedicated to what attire is and is not appropriate for school. The dress code is determined by the handbook committee. Each year, Mr. Olson asks teachers for the names of three students- one from 9th, 10th, and 11th grade, along with a parent from each of those grades to join this committee. In addition to them, he also asks for teacher volunteers as well, and tries to have 2-3 join. They begin meeting in February after everyone has reviewed the handbook, and then meet one time to discuss changes, including those of the dress code, that have been suggested by teachers, students, and staff members.
The school dress code is something that can be seen from many different points of view.