No more scantily-clad students: Dress code interpretations are raising eyebrows, undermining male work ethic and progressing sexism

Sun, 15 May 2005 21:15:00 GMT

By Amy Classen-2005

Mom: “What did you learn today Johnny?”

Johnny: “...Nuthin...I was distracted.”

In nearly every school in Minnesota, America, and yes, even the world, the administration enforces the dress code policy at the dismay of the disgruntled students. So, what is the big deal? Under the surface of Cannon Falls High School, a notion brews. The goal of this dress code argument is not to turn CFHS into a nudist colony, nor is it to duplicate the millions of other complaints heard across the world, the objective is merely to recognize the frank sexism of this theory. Certain unidentifi ed faculty members argue that the dress code should be enforced because male students are being distracted. Why are they being distracted? Apparently the fi nger can be pointed at female students. Sounds familiar.First of all, blaming even modest spaghetti strap tank tops or halter tops for a lack of focus in the classroom completely undermines the fact that, female students are equally as “distracted” by male attention. There, it is out on the table. However, for some reason, female students are not being targeted as being easily sidetracked. This leads to the next problem with this idea. Is it fair to assume that males are so distracted by their hormones that they can no longer be considered fi t to pass a class? Absolutely not. Male students and female students have excelled throughout time, so perhaps the unfocused classroom does not rest in the hands of a seductress female student, whose only aim is to distract the males, so that she can fi nally bump herself up a couple notches in class rank.

The Lantern

No more scantily-clad students: Dress code interpretations are raising eyebrows, undermining male work ethic and progressing sexism