Spring weather blooms unwanted attention (Editorial)

As+demonstrated+by+Freshman+Abygale+Harlan%2C+Sophomore+Lydia+Estes%2C+Junoir+Julia+Kephart%2C+and+Senior+Catherine+Steffy%2C+CHS+requires+finger-tip+length+on+skirts%2C+shorts%2C+and+dresses.+But+should+this+rule+be+more+enforced+than+appropriate+behavior%3F

SarahBeth Davis

As demonstrated by Freshman Abygale Harlan, Sophomore Lydia Estes, Junoir Julia Kephart, and Senior Catherine Steffy, CHS requires finger-tip length on skirts, shorts, and dresses. But should this rule be more enforced than appropriate behavior?

SarahBeth Davis, Perspectives writer

April has given us a long awaited spring; rain and snow finally stopping, temperature shooting up to the 60s.  With warmer weather, everyone is anxious to get out their warm weather clothes: shorts and tank tops, dresses and skirts.

CHS sent home an email earlier this month, reminding all parents that their children are still following the dress code. It is perfectly reasonable for the administration to make sure everyone’s dressing properly, so that revealing clothing does not distract other students from their classes during school hours.

Be that as it may, it is unreasonable that revealing clothing is a distraction to students. The most common example of this is girls wearing shorts, skirts, or dresses that are considered too short. Without a doubt, more girls have been called out for the length of their skirts than for example someone wearing a hat or sagging their pants.

It would be wonderful to say how ridiculous this precedent is; that teens are perfectly capable of focusing on their classes, even if a girl happens to be showing more than three fourths of their legs. Unfortunately, many guys do let their minds and eyes wander. The attention that should be going to their teachers and class work ends up being unwantedly directed to the girls.

Key word: “unwanted.”

Most of the time, a girl is dressing to what she likes to wear and to not die of overheating. They’re not wearing what they wear for the sake of objectifying comments and someone staring down their shirt.

So the most obvious solution is to punish the girls for wearing weather-appropriate clothing. Totally. Perhaps, instead of telling the girls,“When in doubt, cover up,” the real problem should be addressed: boys should be taught to be respectful no matter what someone is wearing and to mind where their attention is going.