| Shirtless seniors (4/08) | | Print | |
| Written by Soraya Okuda | |
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It’s getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes. Actually, don’t. According to the district dress code policy, you’re not allowed to.
During recent warm weather spells, the administration has been following district policy and cracking down on shirtless students. School regulations state that the administration should be concerned about the bare torso, as it can be distracting. The district 2007/2008 Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook states, “the school should be concerned only when (clothing is) extreme and could cause school distraction or disruption or be unsafe.” The handbook further states that inappropriate clothing includes torso-exposing garments, bathing suits, gym shorts, sagging pants, cut-offs and flimsy, silky or plastic shorts. Administrators use a policy of “common decency” when determining dress code violations, according to dean Ray Cordoba. “What may be common decency to you or to me might be different to others,” he said. “We don’t want anything that’s going to be a hazard or distracting, and possibly create a major disturbance in the classroom or the courtyard.” Those who violate the dress code more than once will face consequences, according to Cordoba. “If it’s a repeated offense, it’s going to be a call home and a possible suspension,” he said. But the school does not usually need to make many calls home, Cordoba added. “Our dress code policy seems to have been working fine,” he said. “People occasionally just need to be reminded of what a decent uniform is and the Lowell staff will help to enforce it if necessary.” These “occasional reminders” were recently given to some seniors, who were scolded for removing their shirts in the courtyard. “When it's really hot, we go shirtless a lot more often,” senior Vieje Piauwasdy said. However, seniors generally maintain a sense of decency, according to senior Nick Rosenheim. “We don't get completely naked,” he said. “When we take our shirts off, it's not for an extended period of time, maybe just five minutes.” After violating the rule against shirtlessness, senior Chris Colbert faced consequences. “I've been taken to the counselor's office twice, and I've had to pick up trash one time,” he said. “The school officials tell me that I can't have my shirt off because it's 'explicit display.’” He disagreed with the penalty. “We take off layers just when it's hot out,” Colbert said. “If it's hot, there's really no reason for punishment. I figure if you go to the beach or go swimming, you're going to see guys with your shirts off. I don't see it as very offensive.” However, Colbert did admit that at times enforcement of the dress code was appropriate. “There was one time where it was 90 degrees out and I got down to my bare boxers,” he said. “I can understand how the administration could be pretty mad about that.” According to assistant principal Mary Streshly, students should not be dressed too casually. “The general rule in dress code is that students should dress as though they are coming to a professional environment,” she said. Streshly said that the code does not stifle individualism. “We have a healthy balance at Lowell right now, where students can express their creativity, but still not be overtly distracting from academics,” she said. The administration wants to keep its dress code policies fair to both genders, according to Cordoba. “Girls can’t wear tank tops that shock the decency out of others, and we definitely don’t want Dolly Parton wearing a tank top in the courtyard,” he said. “But, I think that boys can be a distraction, just as girls can,” Cordoba said. |
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