On August 28th, I reached out to a few students and faculty members at John I. Burton High School to discuss the school dress code, which I feel has been more strictly enforced this year. I wanted to know why students (from both genders) were being accused of wearing "distracting" clothing, such as yoga pants, spaghetti straps, and tank tops. Students accused of violating the dress code are usually sent to the office and asked to put on clothing with appropriate coverage. To get more information about the dress code, I asked Coach Williams, our principal. a few questions. Below is the information I obtained from him.
I first asked his opinion on the dress code. He responded saying that the dress code was put into place for educational purposes and to promote self respect. I then asked if there was a specific time of year the dress code is broken. He answered saying, "Spring and the start of the school year with about 4-5 write ups a week." I asked if there was a grade that broke the dress code more than any other grade; he ultimately thought that no single grade broke the dress code more than any other. When I asked him why the dress code is broken, he answered like this: "The kids let social media influence them in what they can wear what society considers normal. When, to others, it is inappropriate and distracting." Then I asked why the dress code has gotten more strict, and Mr. Williams responded with, "I do not necessarily think that the dress code has gotten stricter, but society has gotten more relaxed." When I asked if he thought tank tops could pose a distraction in class, he responded with, "Yes, I know for a fact."
I think that there is a reason for the school dress code just like everything else for our school. It's there to help us not hurt us. It teaches us how to act as young adults and prepare us for a job. As for me, I don't have a problem with it. It makes sense in a public school to have a dress code, but I'm glad we don't have uniforms. If you think about it, we have a freedom of choice. Sure, it's limited, but it lets us show our creativity. Just remember that if we all looked the same the school would be a boring place.