The Charles Street Times

Are students showing too much skin?

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 By Gina Dorso & Meg Donahue

Lindenhurst High School has always been a place for self expression. We have clubs for just about everything you could think of, and a student’s creativity is never squashed. Going along with this policy, our school has never required that students wear uniforms, a privilege that many are grateful for. This liberal clothing policy lets students express themselves through their clothing and wear what they like, but some may be taking this freedom too far. Whether the blame should fall on the latest trends or the offenders themselves, it cannot be denied that some students take an overly relaxed approach towards obeying the dress code. The styles of summer didn’t fade away with the tan lines this year, and many girls were still wearing crop tops in the early weeks of school. Maybe they wanted to show off their new belly button ring or maybe their shirt just shrunk in the wash; either way, many people feel that this is an inappropriate look for school. Girls have also been sporting see-through lace shirts, another popular fashion statement, in school with only bandeaus underneath. Another bold fad is sheer clothing, such as thin tops that are almost completely transparent. These fashions have had girls showing more than a little skin in the learning environment. Other students dress provocatively, regardless of what is in style. Many girls cannot deny coming into school once or twice wearing a skirt that was a little too short or a shirt that was too low-cut. But this overly relaxed attitude doesn’t just apply to girls. The ever-popular jeans-below-the-boxers look has made more than a few appearances in our hallways as well. When asked about this fashion movement, Ms. Berry said "I think I would like to see every boy in the building wear a belt so that I don’t have to see their undergarments." Some brave souls are still trying to hold on to these styles a little longer, even with winter creeping up. The drop in temperature doesn’t seem to stop everyone from baring all. Not only are these clothing choices unsuitable in the school setting and the current weather conditions, but they are distracting as well. When asked whether or not he feels that student overexposure is distracting to the learning process, Mr. DiTomasso said "I think muffin top is distracting to everyone." Attention is a factor that sometimes drives people to dress this way, but they should realize that there are so many other ways to get attention that will be less harmful to the classroom dynamic and earn them more respect. Though it may get you noticed, dressing in such a way will not earn you the kind of attention you want to be attracting and can often lead to a bad reputation and even lower self esteem than you started out with. If you are leaving the house wearing something your parents wouldn’t want to see you dressed in, chances are that teachers aren’t comfortable with you wearing it either. They come to work dressed professionally and we owe it to our teachers to do the same. Does that mean that we should all be wearing suits and slacks to school? No, but most of us know where the line should be drawn. Students who are dressing distastefully should realize what they’re doing and have more respect for both themselves and those around them.