Yes by Rachel Willmer 

   Students at Lake Shore often find the dress code hard to deal with. Students dodge the teachers that enforce the dress code to avoid getting in trouble but that become a very tedious, annoying task. Not only are some of the rules in the dress codes ludicrous but how the school enforces them is even more frustrating for students.

   One of the worst rules in the dress code demands dresses and shorts be knee length or longer. For most girls’ clothing, it is hard to find shorts or dresses that go to your knees. In the summer the school gets very hot and the only shorts girls can wear are basketball shorts or long cut-off shorts, which are uncomfortable. “I hate that we really can’t wear shorts and the school doesn’t even have air,” says Susan Peters, sophomore. Basketball shorts may be comfortable but you don’t want to dress down every single day in the summer. 

   Another unreasonable is not being able to wear a jacket or coat in class. What does this rule even solve? If you are cold in a class room (and the classes do get chilly quite often), there is no reason to let a child freeze just because the dress code says they cannot wear coats in class.

   One last senseless rule is the pajamas rule. “If you can wear jeans with holes than you should be able to wear pajama pants,” says Sathe Cahaldi, freshman. “There is nothing wrong with them.” The administration allows sweat pants and there really is not much of a difference

   Sometimes it feels like teachers pick and choose who has to change and who doesn’t. When a teacher asks you to change it is the worst feeling ever when you see someone else who is also violating the dress code. Even worse than that is when you make it all the way to fifth hour without getting in trouble and then your teacher tells you that you have to change. It really will not make a difference for 70 minutes if your shorts are too short.

   The Lake Shore Handbook says that there will be exceptions made to the dress code for extra-circular events and athletic events, but teachers must not know about this rule. Last year, the girl’s soccer team wore mesh soccer shorts on their game day and every single one of them was told they have to change because their shorts were not long enough. They barely violated the dress code.  Even in dress clothes on game days you are constantly being harassed to call home for a change. “If there are exceptions on spirit days why can’t we just wear what we want all the time?” said Susan Peters about being able to wear crazy clothes and shorts during homecoming.

   Lake Shore should adjust the dress code because students will wear what they want and most do not care if they get sent home so it would just be more convenient.  

No by Mitchell Saulnier

   Lake Shore’s dress code may seem controversial for some students. However, there should be no debate at all. The policy shows a fair balance of modesty and expressiveness. No one is distracted by extravagant or too-revealing outfits, and students can still wear what they want, with only slight limitations.

  A proper dress code is reflective of the future in how people handle and respect their jobs or careers. Businesses will not take a person seriously when looking for potential employees if they show up to a job interview and they are dressed inappropriately.

  With a lenient dress code, students would dress up to draw attention and divert it from time spent learning. Too-revealing outfits can attract the wrong sort of attention from people. This would be inappropriate in a school setting, especially with teenagers. In any case, a proper education should be a higher priority than caring about one’s appearance and manner of dress.

   Outfits such as Spandex, low-cut skirts or shorts look ridiculous regardless of where you wear it. Clothes that have profane or harsh language, drug references, gang-signs, and inappropriate acts are even more inappropriate for most situations outside the home. Aside from the students themselves, parents or legal guardians should take responsibility for how their children dress. If a student dresses inappropriately, it is a reflection towards the parents and how little they seem to care for their child’s, as well as their own dignity and respect to public appearances.

   What is even more disappointing, however, are the students who disregard the dress code and choose to wear such derogatory clothing. It is disrespectful to the school rules, as well as the staff and students who choose to follow the policy and have to see the offensive articles of clothing.