In middle schools and elementary schools throughout the country, dress code remains a topic that is never left ignored. Despite there being relative freedom as to what one can wear at school, there is still a large effort made in ensuring that what is worn is appropriate. Every day, it is not a rare occurrence for multiple individuals to be sent to detention or the principal’s office for a violation of dress code. They are either motivated by these disciplinary consequences not to violate the code again or forced to change out into more suitable clothes.

Unfortunately, in many high schools, such as our very own, this enforcement is not as prevalent. A dress code policy is, of course, still in place, but there are many who believe the effort in maintaining the policy is rather haphazard. Sometimes, security feels the need to remain alert and vigilant against students for infringing upon dress code policies. The enforcement of dress code in these situations is not really an issue, but there is still contention as to the legitimacy of some of their violations.

Noah Heming, a freshman and hat enthusiast, was rather critical of his experience regarding this topic: “During the first week of school, I wore a Pittsburgh Steelers hat and was caught by security. They told me that I needed to wear Quartz Hill hats only, warning me that I would be in trouble if they caught me again. Since then, I have only been wearing [a] Quartz Hill hat.” This example is just one of the many instances where students felt that security unfairly called them out for infringing on dress code.

Though dress code enforcement has proven to be harsh according to some, there are also many times where students get away with major violations. In particular, there have been many concerns about the inappropriate clothing and revealing of too much skin.

Vani Tyagi was one of the students who was not hesitant to reveal her opinion on the dress code situation. “It really disturbs me how poorly some people dress in Quartz Hill. Some of the girls are revealing far too much skin and are dressed really awkwardly, which I feel is affecting the school environment. To tell you the truth, I would prefer that kids wear uniforms to high school.”

As shown by these two examples, there is relative concern among students regarding the effectiveness of dress code. Mr. Fields, one of the members of security at school, discussed the issue. He had a rather interesting take regarding dress code.

“I acknowledge that there are many times where security is unable to catch all of the students who violate the dress code. However, I feel that it is unfair to criticize the efforts that security has made to address the issue. I myself have caught a lot of people violating dress code these past few weeks. If this remains an issue, I will make sure security is on top of it.”

Many students have had differing views on the effectiveness of the current dress code policy. Whether it be that there is too much leniency, incorrect judging of certain situations, or even security being too strict, there are many issues that students are concerned about. Nevertheless, it must ultimately be understood that in a school of over 3,000 people, enforcing dress code is no easy task. High school students are not like many students, and opinions about what clothing is appropriate or not are bound to differ. Many efforts are being made to ensure the maintenance of a proper educational atmosphere, but there always will be room for improvement. Dress code will always remain an issue.