Written by Kate Driscoll and Amanda LaRiviere |

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Which of the following outfits do you think are appropriate?

As the weather gets warmer, the amount of clothing worn by students tends to diminish. The dress code at Morgan is similar to that of other schools as extremely short skirts or pants, tank tops, and many other pieces of clothing are not allowed to be worn. But are all of these restrictions really necessary?

Science teacher Mrs. Whittel reflected on the changes in how the students dress: “The biggest thing I’ve seen change has been leggings with nothing over them, which I think is inappropriate. I would say that students with an infraction for wearing the leggings should have to see an adult, like a teacher, wear the same clothing to see how ridiculous it really looks.”  Math teacher Ms. White told us, “I do think that the rules are fair, but the dress code isn’t enforced much. You don’t want what others wear to be a distraction to learning. I would also add that the shirts some girls wear are a bit too shear.” Finally, World Language teacher Ms. Sunny said, “I don’t really notice what the students wear, but they need to remember that this is a school, not a night club. Students should focus on their learning, but also be comfortable.”

We asked the Principal, Mr. Webb, about the rules of the dress code: “It’s been around for about three years, from a push of the Board of Education to implement the rules. I do think it’s difficult for teachers to make dress code calls, especially the awkwardness that arises when male teachers have to talk to young women about what they are wearing. We advocate that they ask a female teacher to eliminate the awkwardness”. When asked about whether the dress code was enforced, he responded, “We arent flooded with violations, but we don’t know whether this is from oversight or just following the rules. Some people push the limits, and those are the ones that get caught.” Finally, we asked his opinion on the hat rule: “My opinion doesn’t really matter since this is all from the Board of Education. This winter we allowed winter hats because it was particularly cold. I have quite the hat collection in my office.”

As for students’ opinions, many had different thoughts on the dress code. “The only thing I disagree with is the hat rule; hats should be allowed,” said sophomore, Bryan Archer. Freshman Marcus McDermott defended the rule about wearing hats as well. “We have never been able to wear hats before, so I don’t really miss wearing one, but it would be nice if we could wear them.” Melissa Sullivan, a sophomore, said, “The rule for leggings and yoga pants should change, and also the tank top rule”. Mike Aboala, a junior, thinks, “The dress code should be more strict.” If you would like to read more about the ruling on hats, read Jonah Morello’s article, Hats in School: What is the Official Ruling?