By Lindsie Rogers
Erin Harshberger, a senior at Pioneer High School, believes the dress code at Pioneer is “useless and sexist.” The dress code, which was set up to help students prepare for a professional environment, is doing exactly the opposite, she says.
“Community [High School] not having a dress code is preparing students for real life, where we’re not held by rules for what we wear,” Harshberger says when comparing the dress codes of Community and Pioneer.
Community High School has no dress code, whereas the Pioneer dress code consists of eight items, five of which are directed towards girls. The remaining three regard gender neutral items including hoodies, hats, and “sagging” pants. If a student breaks the dress code, they are called out and forced to change into clothing the school provides, call a parent to bring clothes, or are sent home.
On some occasions, Pioneer administrators have stated the dress code is enforced more heavily toward girls because a girl’s outfit choice could distract boys from their education. “Everything is aimed so that boys can get adequate education, and it gives the message to girls that they are just there to not be distracting,” Harshberger says.
Pioneer and Community dual enrolled student Khalil Eljamal has been exposed to both dress codes and agrees with Harshberger that Pioneer is not setting students up for success in real life. Eljamal says restricting the dress code makes it so students aren’t able to fully express themselves. “Never have I ever been distracted by what someone has worn,” Eljamal says. “There was a guy walking around at Community with no shirt once, so maybe just require clothes.”
Pioneer Principal Tracey Lowder says Pioneer and Community serve a different clientele, and with its dress code, Pioneer is setting students up for all around success, while Community focuses on each student’s strengths and aims for success in that area. “Community is a nice school…but we are [Pioneer is] preparing you for college and a career,” Lowder says. Lowder said he is working on creating a group of both students and faculty to brainstorm a new dress code that is both effective and agreeable.
The Huffington Post’s Lauren Bromberg reported several stories regarding school dress code and its effect on high school girls. One article, titled “Your Dress Code Is A Bully,” sheds light on the emotional effect of being treated as a sexual object. “By giving teachers the responsibility and the right to judge what is being worn, it encourages teachers to look at female students as sexual objects of desire,” Bromberg wrote.
A few years ago, local political blogger Mark Maynard interviewed Ada Banks of Community High School and Julia Hale of Pioneer High School about a petition they started on change.org to get Ann Arbor Public Schools to change their dress code policy. They received over 1,600 signatures just weeks after creating their petition. Banks says the goal was to eliminate the dress code completely from Ann Arbor Public Schools. “It’s really just an unnecessary policy, and Community proves that, in that they don’t have a dress code,” Banks says.
“Community [High School] not having a dress code is preparing students for real life, where we’re not held by rules for what we wear,” Harshberger says when comparing the dress codes of Community and Pioneer.
Community High School has no dress code, whereas the Pioneer dress code consists of eight items, five of which are directed towards girls. The remaining three regard gender neutral items including hoodies, hats, and “sagging” pants. If a student breaks the dress code, they are called out and forced to change into clothing the school provides, call a parent to bring clothes, or are sent home.
On some occasions, Pioneer administrators have stated the dress code is enforced more heavily toward girls because a girl’s outfit choice could distract boys from their education. “Everything is aimed so that boys can get adequate education, and it gives the message to girls that they are just there to not be distracting,” Harshberger says.
Pioneer and Community dual enrolled student Khalil Eljamal has been exposed to both dress codes and agrees with Harshberger that Pioneer is not setting students up for success in real life. Eljamal says restricting the dress code makes it so students aren’t able to fully express themselves. “Never have I ever been distracted by what someone has worn,” Eljamal says. “There was a guy walking around at Community with no shirt once, so maybe just require clothes.”
Pioneer Principal Tracey Lowder says Pioneer and Community serve a different clientele, and with its dress code, Pioneer is setting students up for all around success, while Community focuses on each student’s strengths and aims for success in that area. “Community is a nice school…but we are [Pioneer is] preparing you for college and a career,” Lowder says. Lowder said he is working on creating a group of both students and faculty to brainstorm a new dress code that is both effective and agreeable.
The Huffington Post’s Lauren Bromberg reported several stories regarding school dress code and its effect on high school girls. One article, titled “Your Dress Code Is A Bully,” sheds light on the emotional effect of being treated as a sexual object. “By giving teachers the responsibility and the right to judge what is being worn, it encourages teachers to look at female students as sexual objects of desire,” Bromberg wrote.
A few years ago, local political blogger Mark Maynard interviewed Ada Banks of Community High School and Julia Hale of Pioneer High School about a petition they started on change.org to get Ann Arbor Public Schools to change their dress code policy. They received over 1,600 signatures just weeks after creating their petition. Banks says the goal was to eliminate the dress code completely from Ann Arbor Public Schools. “It’s really just an unnecessary policy, and Community proves that, in that they don’t have a dress code,” Banks says.