Last week, I ran across an article about a teenager in
Florida that was made to change her t-shirt after school officials determined
it violated the dress code. Summer
Schreiner, 15 wore a t-shirt to school which said, “Don’t drink and park. Accidents cause kids”. Schreiner received the shirt when she
attended “Silver Ring Thing” a Christian conference that asks teenagers to take
celibacy vows until they’re married.
Schreiner wore her t-shirt through lunch, until she was made by school
officials to change into a shirt given to her which read, “Tomorrow, I will
dress for success”.
The school’s dress code prohibits clothing which contains sexually explicit or oriented wording. Schreiner said her shirt promoted a positive message, and that sex is discussed in school as part of the curriculum for sex education. She says her abstinence vow is important to her, and that she felt humiliated by school officials. Michelle Irwin, Director of Communications for the school district stated, “This is not a situation of whether or not the district agrees or disagrees with abstinence among teens. It’s about the fact the she violated the dress code.”
This isn’t the first time I’ve read about students violating
school dress codes for what seems like pretty innocuous things. Check out this student who was told her
unnatural hair color violated the school’s dress code: http://www.inquisitr.com/520379/student-banned-from-school-for-unnatural-hair-color-is-allowed-back/ In October, 17 year old Zachary Aufderheide
was made to serve a two day in-school suspension because his hair length
violated the school’s dress code.
Aufderheide was growing out his hair to donate to the charity Locks of
Love.
I’m torn on the issue of dress codes for students. I generally detest censorship of any form, and I am generally suspicious of authority. That being said, I grew up poor and my parents didn’t always have the money to buy me the latest fashions. What made it worse was that I often received the knock off version of the latest fashion, which in my mind just made me stand out more. Perhaps had my school had a stricter dress code, or required uniforms this wouldn’t have been such an issue for me.
So my question to you this week is, “Do you think Schreiner’s shirt violated what the school states as its dress code policy? Do you think students should have stricter dress codes and/or uniforms?” Answers are due no later than Sunday, March 3rd, 2013.
I think she should have been allowed to wear it. It's witty, and not vulgar. I don't think it's going to scar all of her peers if they see her wearing a shirt that references sex.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with dress codes though. When I was in high school I would sometimes see how my classmates dressed outside of school. All I can say is if they dressed like that in school, I would have been pretty damn distracted! They're also a good idea in urban settings, where the possibility of gangs looms around.
So yes, I do think they are a good idea, but they should not be so ridiculously strict, nor should they have such harsh punishments.
I think that school officals are stupid, but also corret. She was violating school rule, but her measage wasn't negitavly explicit. I think one thing that would solve these issues is to wear a uniform. I think that it would make every one less likely to worry about having a presentable apearence and insure the rules are followed. It would also inhance security showing who atteneded the school.
ReplyDeleteWho cares what you wear, its all about who you are not what you wear that makes you an individual.
This poor girl was not violating any dress code. It is hypocritical of the school to not allow her to promote something that is promoted in every sex education class like ever. Unless she was wearing the shirt with a super short shirt and had her boobs hanging out, their should of been no reason for the shirt to be taken away, as she would obviously be promoting the opposite.
ReplyDeletePersonally, i think school's dress codes should be a written standard on what is appropriate and what is not. By no means should this include clothing that would be consider reasonable to wear every day. I don't think highschool should have a professional looking standard either for their students as casual wear is much more the set standard for highschoolers. But i do believe everyone has a general understanding of what is appropriate and what isn't.
That was dumb to make her change her shirt because it had a positive message on it. Her shirt was not harming anyone and i don't think they should of made her change. They do take the dress code to far sometimes. Even at my school if you were holes in your jeans you would have to put duck tape on them and i use to hate that . The officials take some situations to far.
ReplyDeleteAs fa as the boy with the long hair , the principles should be ashamed, because he was doing something good. And next that's just ridiculous.
Wow that is ridiculous. She is a teenager that is setting an example and a statement many people need to see. Nothing is wrong with her shirt saying that; they should let students where shirts like that to spread the word what they shouldn't do. Its a good metaphor and the state is over dramatic about. Its a positive message that young students and adults should see. The dress code doesn't need to change in school based off of what the school felt uncomfortable about.
ReplyDeleteThankfully I know this topic well because it happened to me all throughout high school. This lovely girl was just being proud of the fact that she still has her virginity. In my mind, they should give her a award and thank her for not getting pregnant. I had uniforms in my high school and very strict rules on hair, dress code, nails, piercings, tattoos, and the worst was when individuals (like me) decided to abide by the opposite gender's dress code.
ReplyDeleteIn high school, in my junior and senior year I finally came out as a bisexual to my friends and shaved all my hair off and had a faux-hawk. I did this when it was popular to have one with the Jershey Shore wanna-be's. I would see my fellow class mates have their hair spiked up a bit, and then one day I decided I was going to spike mine up and show my friends at school. I walked into the school and got pulled aside immediately for not abiding by the school's dress code. Even though, last time I checked it didn't say anything about hair being faux-hawked up, I ironically saw someone else have one (who was a boy) and the person said nothing to them. Of course I got upset and then they had the right to tell me I either had to leave school or wash the "shit" out of my hair. (Yes the lady said "shit".) I called my mom to tell her I was coming home because I refused to wash it out of my hair... She said to stay and wash it out cause she had a plan. So I did, and they let me finish the day with greasy hair. When "Spirit Day" came around and no one had to wear uniforms and just wear Red and White, My mother and I decided not only to wear Red and White, but to faux-hawk my hair up and then color my hair half red & half white. I finally walked in my school with confidence because I was the only girl to do this, but I wasn't the only guy. (So there was no way I could get in trouble, right?) Wrong. The same lady pulled me over immediately and told me yet again I was either getting suspended this time or wash the "shit" out of my hair, but this time was different she also gave me a reason. The reason was "it is too distracting and people are going to think things about you." Funny thing was, everyone already knew by that time that I was bisexual and that I truly didn't care what people thought of me. So finally I told her that it was Spirit Day, and I was wearing my Red and White, and that I wasn't as distracting as the 20 pregnant teenagers that are walking around the school at age 16. She didn't say anything, and I just walked away. Never got pulled over for it after that comment.
Teenagers are going to do what they want regardless of how strict the dress codes are, I know I really didn't give a crap what they thought. These dress code nazi's are just making it harder on the students and giving them more stress to remember "Oh hey, I forgot my belt at home - I guess I will get detention today." It's pointless to do these things, because you are just making students more irritated and not really wanting to come to school. I don't believe in uniform, because of the fact that the poorer kids still get picked on because they don't where the Aeropostle Uniform pants and polo's. I never wore the right fashion clothes and half the time I'm thankful I didn't because I had Art classes and I always got paint on my pants or charcoal on my new white shirts.
I also don't believe that females shouldn't be able to wear pants if the dress code calls for them to wear skirts. I know that I NEVER wore my skirts, I always wore pants and had to fight for my right to be able to wear pants. I was never a skirt person, I never will be. Dress codes are annoying and just pointless in my opinion.
- Sarah Brown
(apologize for the lengthy post.)
I simply don't see it as an issue. It was a 15 year old wearing a shirt in Florida. If they are at a public school, this dress code was passed by a group of board members that they elected. If it was a private school, they have no right to complain about the dress code because they have no say. It's clothes, at a high school. Even if it was an infringement on free speech, it was by a high school and a principle that will go home to probably the same neighborhood as some of the kids. This isn't a huge issue for anyone but the kid and maybe a guidance councelor. There is another principle in another state with another 15 year old kid, and the opposite happened, that also didnt affect us. I get that there is an issue. But the issue is that it has become an issue that we're even hearing about.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up I attended both private and public schools. I think as a girl in those stages of your life there is a clear distinction between mean girls and normal girls. It is the girls who judged me for what I had on my back as opposed to my personality. I liked private school and having the same outfit as everyone else. It made us all like eachother for WHO we were. Now, in highschool, which is the tip of the bullying world I did like the freedom of finding who I AM and how my outfits reflected my personality. I went through many stages during that time but i found myself to be creative, always accentuating my clothing with favorite musical bands and what not. I am on both sides of the equation on this one.
ReplyDeleteI believe Schreiner’s shirt violated the dress code. The dress code is growing ever so stricter, and people i remember from High school we're being put in detention for not having the right color of shoes and refusing the buy new ones. We we're only allowed black, brown or white for our shoe colors, and i went to a Public High school. I wont even get started on how ridiculous our Dress shirts, and dress pants would have to be. I believe there are two extremes (a very lenient dress code, and an extremely strict one). I believe its about time to start leaning back towards the "more" lenient dress code since for the last several years its only been becoming increasingly stricter. And if it doesn't tip back soon, it will end up becoming a 1 way uniform, with a bald head for everyone. Wouldn't that be strange...
ReplyDeleteSean Brown
If innuendo of any kind is stated to be against the dress codes then that would be a violation. Have far as the words themselves being explicit, that's ridiculous. Dress codes are something i'm strongly against. Some people only know how to express themselves by how they look. Granted that's not the best way to go about it but it's the truth nonetheless. Some people feel extremely awkward in certain types of clothing. To force them to go through 12 years of school in something they'll never be comfortable in seems like a slow torture to me. Sure some things have no place in school, but people are just being stupid about it these days. Sheltering children has always worked in the past though....... oh wait
ReplyDeleteKiernan Stillabower
I am aggravated at this. I'm not a religious person, but the fact that they are against something that she stands for is silly. Especially if it sends a positive message. It wasn't even that bad of a concept either. I feel like dress codes for school is silly. Who are you supposed to impress while at school? You aren't running a business while at school. One that keeps the students decent at school is fine with me. No inappropriate skin, no asses hanging out. stuff like that. but just because of her shirt saying what it did is silly. Maybe because of this shirt not being worn, it caused some of her school-mates to have that accident. Now it is the schools fault.
ReplyDeleteto be honest, I too find this to be aggravating. Also, it doesn't help when the school is somewhat prejudiced behind the scenes against certain students' clothing. Back in my high school we had girls who would get into trouble for showing cleavage, yet a lot of other girls would wear revealing clothes with shorts as high as their upper thighs and tank tops everyday only to get away with it. I was grateful, however, that the school was somewhat lenient on what we wore just as long as it didn't show. But that's where it didn't make any sense for me when certain people got away with wearing certain clothing; You can't just pull people aside for what they wear and let someone else slide.
ReplyDelete-Micah J. Kistler
Just about anyone who went to high school can relate to this. In my school we weren't allowed to wear shirts with Marilyn Manson, yet all the time, I saw Hooter's t shirts. Although Marilyn Manson isn't really a positive icon and hers was, the situation is kind of similar. I don't think she violated anything. She wore a shirt that expressed her belief. In my opinion, I don't think that's any different than wearing a shirt that supports Jesus. Yet because it has something to do with sex and alcohol, people lose their minds. We should have the freedom to express ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI feel like This t-shirt might cause distractions within a class room, knowing the maturity level of an average high school student. However, I do not know how I feel about the whole situation. This shirt doesn't personally offend me. Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is about this t shirt. I think you should be able to wear whatever you want.
ReplyDeleteI think that it'd be okay if uniforms were provided but for me personally I believe that if they require uniforms then they should provide everything. They need to give me socks to go with my uniform and the sweaters and things like that. I went to Catholic school and we had uniforms. I wore socks of a different color that our school colors and I would get in trouble for that. And on days that we had Mass I would get in trouble for not wearing socks or hosiery with my shoes if they were heels. I didn't like the picky nature of school dress codes that had uniforms but besides all of that I liked that I didn't have to argue over what I was going to wear in the morning. So all in all I think uniforms are a good option as long as all the necessary items are given to the masses so they can wear them properly.
ReplyDelete-Ashlee Adams
I do not think there should be any limitations for colleges. In high school and junior high there should be definite restrictions. Vulgar and bad languages is obvious. Revealing clothing for both men and women (sagging pants, low cut shirts) should also be considered violations. Wearing a shirts with drugs and bad influences should also be considered violations.
ReplyDeleteStudents should be able to express themselves. When students feel restricted on what they have to wear, it affects students how students can express themselves. I believe that the dress code is lowering our self esteem rather than building us up and making us better students and better young people. Personally in my opinion dress codes are just a whole bunch of organized words that mean nothing. Yes, we are at school to learn but that doesn't mean we can't express our-selves during the time period. The way you dress represents you, it shows that your original and unique and not just ORDINARY it shows you are your-self, and it shows your creativity.
ReplyDeleteRidiculous as that shirt sounds, it doesn't violate the basic rules of free speech. It isn't like yelling fire in a movie for example. I personally couldn't care less about a person's clothing unless it contains obvious hate speech or references to sexual abuse.
ReplyDeleteBeyond those obviously disgusting examples, it all comes down to the fact that being offended is something that will always happen. And to that subject I will refer to the words of the actor/comedian Stephen Fry. It's amusing to add this but, warning strong language is used.
"It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more than... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I'm offended by that' Well, so fucking what."
- Stephen Fry
I think schools should not try to control their students freedom of speech so strictly. Do you think sex ed is her view on thw topic of sex? No. So why does she have to be forced fed the thought on sex that she dosnt agree with but can't voice her own opinion? Just dosnt make any sense to me.
ReplyDeleteWell to me its a matter of viewing this not as a violation to freedom of speech and expretion that this country was founded on, but as a moral compus for people to learn from possibly changing they way they look to "fit in" with soceity. We are a nation that is a melting pot, full of different people from different cultures that can respect the dress code, but i do have to agree that hair length should not be such a big deal, and should not be in the dress code. God gave us hair for a reason, there was never a commandment that stated "thou shalt not have long hair according to the dress code".
ReplyDelete