Obey the Dress Code
Students in the Westside uniform
Over the past few years at Westside High School, the administration has cracked down on what we are and are not allowed to wear at school. Just recently, the dress code has become even more strict than it was before. Students are only allowed to wear khaki bottoms, whereas last year, we were allowed black or khaki bottoms. This was due to many kids not following the dress code which caused the privilege of wearing black uniform bottoms to be revoked. Since the new uniforms were instituted into Westside in 2016, students have been fighting the administration to lighten up the rules and enforcement.
Dress code doesn’t allow me to express my full personality at school and I would like to wear what I want.”
— Leah Manale, Senior student
Another new implementation of the uniform policy is that students are no longer allowed to wear other school organization jackets. Many people who are in sports or clubs are paying to buy outerwear and are no longer allowed to wear it unless it is a spirit day at school. This rule has become a problem for many students as the rule was not told to students directly, but more towards teachers that were to relay the message.
What students don’t know about the dress code is that it is enforced not only to identify students who actually go to Westside but also to keep students safe in situations such as a student who does not actually attend school on campus. The dress code has helped the administration identify students not only through the new uniform policy but also through ids. The uniforms were implemented in order to ensure safety and security throughout the school.
I feel that they are necessary unfortunately in the world that we are living in today that we have to be more cautious with our students and one way to make sure of that is that we have uniformity as best we can. ”
— Mr. Tallerine, Health science theory teacher
The uniform policy also has consequences that follow not complying with the dress code. Some of these consequences include but are not limited to, getting sent to the dean’s office, spending the day in ISS or even having to have your parents come to bring you new clothes. The problem with these consequences is that kids are missing crucial learning time. When kids are forced to miss this learning time, they begin to fall behind in class, their grades begin to slip and may have trouble recovering from that.
Although there is much controversy over whether the uniforms were a good idea or not, they are ultimately there to provide security and reduce risks throughout the school. Uniforms have become more strict in order to make the student body follow the dress code. The freedom of expression is a small price to pay in order to keep Westside a safe environment for students and staff.
Rachel is currently a junior at Westside high school. She is a cheerleader and a member of the Westside chapter of Young Life. This is her first year to...
I disagree with the dress code policy I feel like we should be able to express ourselves with how we dress. But i do think we should have it for our safety
This article is great it really points out all the pros and cons of the situations and allows for students to learn the reasons for our strict uniform policy. Great job Rachel! Awesome story I can’t wait to read more!