Eyes Up Here!
Last year at Ike, many teachers were forgiving when it came to some rules, such as tardies, absences, class work, and more. However, this year, it all stops. Teachers will no longer be so lenient regarding the rules, and this is especially true for the dress code. At Eisenhower High School, the way that the dress code is designed and enforced makes it feel very unfair to every student, no matter who they are.
The way people dress is what makes them feel comfortable in their identity as an individual, and the dress code is just a restriction. In an effort to reduce distractions and make the environment more “professional,” wearing certain things like short clothing, for example, is prohibited. Many do not agree with these rules, and if anything, It makes some students feel insecure about themselves, negatively impacting their self-confidence. This is one of the worst outcomes, seeing how important these few years are to students trying to build courage and social skills. Not only are they struggling with several things in their personal lives, but now they don’t even get to feel safe in their own bodies in an environment that is so adamant about being a safe place for these children.
Regarding how it’s enforced, it’s very “pick and choose.” When it came to asking students how they felt about it, one thing happened to stand out in particular. It seems to only apply to some individuals, whereas others get some sort of special treatment. After looking into the matter, it appeared to be true. There were various instances of someone getting dress coded for something subtle like a short shirt or ripped jeans. Still, when it comes to others wearing extremely revealing shirts, shorts, or dresses, no administrator or staff seemed to say anything about it but rather ignore it and allow the student to go about their day normally. If Ike is to have a dress code, there should be a clearly drawn line that applies to everyone, not just whoever is unlucky enough to be called out for it.
Another thing is that students, especially young women, are told that whatever happens to them is their fault. This is becoming more of a trend now, where if something happens to a girl, may it be verbal harassment or outright assault, they are blamed for “wearing this” or “allowing that” when in reality, they had no control over anything. This is a very large issue as individuals will not support them and may even antagonize the innocent woman for things like this. It’s disappointing seeing that in 2022, a year in which everyone is all about equality among all kinds of people, there are still rules that restrict certain groups from doing things that others can do.
