Should students have a dress code or feel free to dress how they want?

Recently at Pahrump Valley High School, students were taking action in a protest about the dress code and wanting to be the change they see in this school. With that protest came some new policies for the better. Some of the new changes were no more fingertip length skirts or shorts and girls are now allowed to wear tank tops without covering the shoulders. But, with this change still came some backlash from both sides, students and staff. 

Yanira Hermoso is a student at PVHS and is totally fine with how the dress code is today and doesn’t see much problems in it saying “The dress code should stay the same in schools. This prepares us for future jobs and protocols we will have to follow as adults.” But with that she also sees some wiggle room in the dress code, such as bandannas. She says, “In today’s society and the day and age we live in, bandannas are used as a fashion statement and are considered as a trend.” 

Isabella Wheeler, a Sophomore here at PVHS, is against the dress code. Wheeler believes that students should feel free to express themselves and sometimes that could mean in the way they dress. She feels that the dress code is “….. holding them back from being themselves and who they are as people. It’s their body, their choice.” If there was one thing that she could change about our dress code would be tank tops. She feels like “….girls should be able to wear tank tops without having to cover up their shoulders and having to feel like there’s something wrong with they’re body or the way it looks. I also think with our dress code today girls are made to feel ashamed of they’re body by telling them to cover up or change a piece of clothing when what they have on makes them feel confident and feel good about themselves. It is one of the most belittling feelings in the world to be told to change or cover up what makes me feel good as a human being in society.” Overall, Wheeler feels that there still needs to be changes and new modifications to the dress code saying, “I would love to see people and students express themselves. I think we would have a more positive school environment because of this change.” 

With that said you still have people that are on the fence with the dress code and its policies. But, do people have a 50/50 opinion of the dress code? William Moor, a teacher here at PVHS, is for the dress code, however he thinks it singles out individuals, and states “… the dress code is different for girls and boys. For example, tank tops and separating who might have more money to spend on clothes compared to others who might not have much to spend on such things as  clothes.” Next I interviewed the school principal Desiree Veloz, I asked her what her opinions were on the dress code and how she felt about the current policies we have today. She stated “It’s all about safety for the students and staff. I do believe we have to have some sort of standard and I feel that the dress code allows students to express themselves but also upholds standards that are necessary for a professional environment.” But she also feels like “Students should be able to express themselves even if there is a code and policy, and the dress code should stay evolving with the different time periods and letting students still have a voice and a say in the possible changes to come in the future.” 

With all that said, people will always have an opinion on the dress code and what it stands for, but what you could learn from these four people is change, evolving with the times, having a voice in something that matters to you, and sticking up for what’s right not just for you but others. Dress code is here to stay for now, but it is always evolving and making an impact on schools all over the world.