When I was in Middle School, the dresscode caused me grief. It stated plain and simple that shorts and skirts were acceptable as long as they were longer than your fingers reached if your arms were hanging at your sides. The vice principal was a real stickler about it, and actually sent people home if their shorts or skirts were too short. Not that I wanted to have my rear end showing when I bend over or anything, but affectionately nicknamed “Lurcharms” at home, I have really long arms. To be able to wear a pair of shorts or a skirt would have meant finding something that came down to four inches above my knees. That wasn’t the style then, and it was maddening to me as a student. It made me disrespect rules and authority, because I didn’t think it had a real purpose. If the dresscode was specific like saying your underwear couldn’t show, or no see-though shirts or profanity-covered clothes, I wouldn’t have had a problem with it.
At the school mentioned in this article, the students have a problem with the strictly enforced dress code. Apparently the color red is now banned, due to the fact that gang members wear red to pledge their alliance. The school officials are so afraid of gang activity that they punnish all students from expressing themselves with the clothes they wear.
A new enforcement in the dress code edict at South Tahoe Middle School prohibits students from wearing red belts, red shoes and red accessories.
The ban was implemented Monday of last week when school administrators said there had become an exorbitant amount of red clothing worn on campus.
“It just felt unusual,” said school principal Jackie Nelson.
To me, banning the color red is silly. If it really is a problem, maybe it is time for full uniforms. Otherwise, they are just going to lose respect from the rest of the students who don’t see the need to enforce such a silly rule. Just look at what students are already saying.
“Just because you wear a certain color doesn’t mean you’re in a gang,” said eighth-grader Dulcie Camacho.
“It’s not like we dress in certain colors that it’s going to affect our education,” said Belem Herrera, another eighth-grader.
Jana,
I can’t believe a school actually did this… wow! I have always been one to want to challenge rule of authority which dont make sense. This is certainly one of those rules that i would question. If i were a teacher in this school i would seek to find a different solution to this problem, perhaps better security??? afterall, what they are afraid of is gang violence right?
As a student i would be agreeing with the students you quoted… Whats the point of getting rid of the color red?
-Adam