By Brooke Schwisow
Looking good for school is something we all want to achieve. Buying fashion-forward clothing is at the top of everyone’s list, whether it be expensive designer jeans or an outfit we managed to find rummaging around the half-priced clearance rack. While we all want to look our best and present ourselves to get noticed by others, there are policies which must be enforced. North Star has its own set of dress code regulations that all students must follow. Most students are aware of the policies, but many choose to ignore them.
The dress code requires students to cover themselves from top to bottom and everything in between. Any shirt a student wears to school must be school appropriate, which means that it cannot display profanity, anything alcohol related, or signs of gang affiliation. Girls who decide to wear tank tops to school are to make sure the straps are at least an inch wide and cover their midsection. Hats and bandanas are not to be worn at any time during the school day. Shorts must be as long as your fingertips and cover an appropriate amount of skin. The amount of skin showing that is considered to be appropriate is set by those who first enforced the policy at LNS, and many students disagree with their ruling.
Staff and security continue to make students change their clothing to a more appropriate outfit, tell boys to pull up their sagging pants, or tell girls to put on additional clothing to cover cleavage or other revealing areas.
Some students have strong feelings about the rules that make up our dress code and consider it to be too strict. The opinions range from some students who like the dress code and think it’s very fair, to ignoring the dress code and wearing whatever they feel comfortable in.
Junior Taylor Lothson said, “I follow the dress code, but it’s hard to find shorts that actually fit the policy. It seems like the dress code isn’t followed, although staff do try and enforce the policy. When I see other students in the hall with their butts hanging out and their chests not covered up, I don’t care because it’s their own decision and they have the right to dress however they want.”
Senior Jordan Glosser said, “When I walk through the halls I don’t notice how people dress, because it’s their choice how they choose to look. Their choice of clothing doesn’t bother me because I could care less what they are wearing. I think that North Star’s dress code is always being enforced because you can see teachers in the halls scolding students to pull up their pants, to take off their hats, or to go change their shirts because they have something inappropriate on them.”
While the concerns of the students about the dress code seem to be minimal, our administrators must continue to enforce it to make school an appropriate environment for everyone.
Students may not agree with the staff that their shorts are too short, that their tummy is showing too much, or their pants are sagging too low. Remember it is their job to maintain the dress code and they are just trying to create a non-distracting learning experience for everyone.
