At Ipswich High, some students have been wearing their hats and hoodies more often now. However, the high school clothing guidelines have always required students to keep them off. I can agree with the guidelines because it makes sense: in case of an emergency, students need to be identified in order to stay safe, and staff need to be able to identify students when entering the building. Or generally speaking, on a typical school day teachers and school staff should also be able to identify students.

Coronavirus has consumed our thoughts for months, and we’re going crazy. Going to school this year is very different, and it’s occasionally challenging to understand every guideline. According to Aleigh, a senior at IHS: “I feel like because of the virus, my routine going to school has changed. Wearing a mask and sanitizing more frequently is a lot different than just showing up on a regular school day.”  She would like the school’s dress code to be updated to a certain degree. 

High school is the time when students start to mature and gain awareness. I believe that every student should be able to decide what to wear in school, as long as the student is easily identified and is being respectful.

According to Conant High School’s dress code, “Students who casually wear jackets and hats in class, however, mean no harm or disrespect to anyone, and thus shouldn’t have to take their hats and jackets off. They simply enjoy the way they look in their clothing, or they wear warm clothes to feel more comfortable in the unusually cold classrooms at Conant.”

If Ipswich High changed to this rule, I believe that students would be more comfortable comfortable coming to school and would appreciate the freedom afforded them to decide how to dress. After all, students should be able to wear what they want as long as it does not disrespect or harm other students. 

During the winter, the weather is, of course, always bitterly cold and uncomfortable. Beanies and jackets prevent us from feeling freezing-cold coming to school. However, the outdoor weather can always sneak its way inside the school. With that happening, students who get cold often should be allowed to wear protective headwear. I asked Aleigh what she thinks about the winter guidelines, and she responded, “I think in better weather, it’s unnecessary to wear certain things because then you’re just wearing it to wear it. But during the winter, the school should definitely allow us to wear warmer clothing, including hats or beanies.”

To conclude, wearing certain types of clothing that is prohibited at this time by IHS’s dress code should be allowed depending on the holiday, season, or time. Students are aware of the clothing guidelines, but still don’t fully respect them. I believe if we respect the guidelines, we would all be allowed to wear comfortable hats and hoodies to school.