Unpacking The Debate on School Uniforms

As the school year of 2016 comes to an end we ask ourselves, "how can we make things better?" Clubs are starting to appoint new leaders and student council elections have already taken place. One suggestion that has recently got a striking amount of attention is the implementation of uniforms. "All the other SPC schools have them!" remarked an anonymous student. Many questions pertaining to the subject have been heard. However, some deeper issues within the school's community have been brought to my attention, as well.Most boys are comfortable with their uniforms. I'm not a boy, but I can imagine they want the most freedom available to them because, truthfully, they would rather show up in shorts and t-shirt - as would all of us. Zac Conner ('18) said, "Our uniform [now] is great because you can have many different options to wear, [like] different colors of polos or shorts or pants, and there's no problem for the guy's uniform. But, I can understand how the girl's uniform can be more complicated."Abby Robinson ('18) completed his thought with some of the issues girls deal with every day: "I think it would be better because it's less stressful in the mornings. I feel like we get dress coded for a bunch of stupid stuff -like our shoulders! Guys' legs are all out all the time, whereas we get dress coded for that, too! If we had uniforms, everyone would probably feel more equally treated and comfortable."Olivia Utz ('18) would agree with this statement: "I think we should have a uniform because girls never know what to wear in the morning, and it takes forever to get dressed. Everyone gets dress coded anyway, so if there was a uniform, it would be much easier." Indeed it would. No more measuring your clothes with a dollar bill!Other students were more concerned with the logistics and expenses. Sara Anderson ('19) said: "I think it's reasonable because it costs a lot of money to buy the clothes we get every year. So it makes sense to buy two outfits that you could wear [repeatedly] out of the school year, rather than spend hundreds of dollars every year on twenty!" Despite this, some students claim the uniforms might be pricey, as well. "[No uniforms] is also a way for people to show who they are and that they don't care what other people think - which is nice. It would also be hard because uniforms [may] cost a lot of money, too. So having [no uniforms] might be easier for people to stay in their budget," said Judy Nguyenvo ('17).Every student here at Casady has their own story, but we could all use a few extra minutes for sleep. Many girls have expressed having uniforms would allow them that. Juliet Moncho ('19) said: "I think this is a good idea because it would save me a lot of time in the morning, and I wouldn't have to worry about cooperating with the dress code."However, some students, like Paris Corbett ('17) wouldn't mind sparing the time to get ready in the morning: "I think we should not have uniforms. It's proven that people who dress up for school or something and wear nice clothes are more productive during the day because you feel better about yourself."Simon Ma ('17) claims it's all about the convenience: "It depends if they're comfortable or not." I think it's safe to say many students would agree with that.At the end of the day, it's up to the administration, and we'll have to see what they decide. Hopefully, they will consider the student body's opinion on the issue. Overall, girls seem to lean toward having uniforms, but the majority of boys' votes oppose them.