Highlights

Dress code violations

Friday, April 30, 2010 By Amanda McKeighan

“Could you pull up your pants please? Thank you,” said senior Megan Edwards. Guys with their pants around their knees and girls with skirts that show too much are only some of the violations of the dress code that occur in the school. “I don’t want to look across the table and see your chest hanging out or look down the hall and see a guy a guy with his pants pulled down saying ‘hey check out my swagger,’ I mean, how about ‘hey check out that wedgie,” said Edwards. Some students say that this year the school has gotten stricter as far as enforcing the dress code. “Yeah, definitely (it is more strict this year) though I think they tend to enforce it unfairly,” said Senior Hannah Sterrs. Principal Marie Anderson, however, insists things have not changed. “It’s the same as usual. Nothing has changed. The rules are the same as they always have been,” said Anderson. While she doesn’t think the rules or how they are enforced has changed, Anderson does think the way students dress has. “It’s better than the Britney Spears years when everyone had their bellies showing,” said Anderson. Sterrs has had some less than pleasant experiences with the dress code and feels strongly that the way it is enforced is biased. “I got sent home two weeks ago for a dress that I have worn numerous times throughout the year and have never gotten in trouble for it before that day,” said Sterrs. Questions that constantly circulate throughout the student body include are the security guards biased? And do certain people get away with breaking rules? They pick and choose who they want to catch,” said Senior Holli Pierce. “I think we enforce it as best as we can. When we see it we deal with it,” said Security Guard Maurice Vandenark. Vandenark usually stands in the hallway between MJM and Salzmann. He admits that some people don’t get caught, however, it is not for the reasons that most people suspect. “I try not to ignore it but there are so many other things that we have to enforce, such as iPods, cell phones, and ID tags. Unfortunately, some people slip through the cracks,” said Vandenmark. Students generally do not see it this way. Seventy-six out of one hundred polled students believe the dress code is not enforced fairly and some of the students believe people get away with it due to racial or gender preferences. “They pick on the black people when they got the short-shorts on and the white girls with the shirts,” said junior Chanses Mosely. “You would be surprised by the number of boys that have their attire addressed,” said Anderson. Vandenark firmly sticks by his claim that certain students are not exempt from the rules. He believes the dress code is a good thing and should be enforced properly. “I think it is a very good policy and students should stay within the regulations of it. I personally believe in school uniforms,” said Vandenark.