Is the Dress Code still a thing?

One of the more contentious school rules is non-existent while distance learning.

Here we go again: another complaint about the dress code.  Although, not quite.

Ever since we have started distance learning, dress code may as well not be a thing anymore.  In my experience, during in-person school many students seemingly got dress coded on a daily basis.  Since we are distance learning, students can really wear basically whatever they want because we attend class in a Zoom call.

How could they not?  Students are in their household, or anywhere but school.  If we started getting dress coded over Zoom what will the school do?  Give us online detention?  Tell our parents?  Crazy, right?  Although we aren’t quite sure what they’ll do.  Maybe they’ll assign uniforms?  If we were at school right now we would be wearing uniforms.  Last year we did get the news that uniforms were to be worn this school year.

But not anymore!  We are currently distance learning.  During Zoom classes, the teacher can either see your face and shoulders or just nothing at all, when the camera is off.  Teachers, on the other hand, are always dressed professionally during classes.  The purpose of wearing uniforms: “It is expected that all MacArthur students will ‘dress for success’ every single day. Our students are scholars and their dress and general appearance should not detract or interfere with teaching and learning” (Student Handbook 8).  I suppose the small screens of a Zoom window take care of the interfering an outfit might do.

We don’t know when we’ll return to campus, but chances are if we do, we won’t wear uniforms.  

I think.  

I mean there really would be no use if we wore uniforms.  Maybe they can assign specific masks for groups?  Last year, many students were upset when the news came out that we would have to wear uniforms.  The waiver is still an option for all students, though.

With or without the uniforms, though, there are still points of contention within the dress guidelines.  Do you remember when students would constantly get dress coded for wearing ripped jeans?  Yeah, it didn’t change. I think it should have because, as long as the rips are a few inches above the knee and below, there really isn’t a problem. As stated, “Clothing must be free from tears, rips, holes, etc” (School Handbook 8).  We also aren’t allowed oversized clothing. We can all agree oversized clothing is comfy, but unfortunately not school appropriate.  Because I agree students should dress for success, we should have some decisions to make on our success, too.  

We should choose how we want to dress.  Appropriately, of course.

As we all see, teachers are always dressed for success during Zoom meetings, which is very professional and might even motivate students to do the same. Some teachers even go to school, go to their classrooms, and hold their classes there!  Pretty cool, am I right?  But the good thing is that we students can really wear what we want until we go back to in-person school. 

So is dress code still really a rule?  As we can tell so far, not really.  It will likely return when and if we return to campus.  But our school can always change the rules.