By Jules Cantor ’11, Sports Section Editor
On Thursday, October 14, 2010, Jack Wildman delivered news that the CCDS upper school student body was greatly anticipating: dress code reform. At the end of the 2010 summer, I had received an e-mail outlining the dress code for the 2010-2011 school year. When I looked at it, I saw that the administration had decided to revert to the old policy of no sweaters and mandatory collars under hoodies. I really thought they had a made a mistake. However, upon confirmation from Mr. Dahl during lunch break of a football double session, I came to terms with the fact that it was going to be a long year of mandatory collars and no option to just wear a sweater.
I am a firm believer in a dress code that creates a respectable learning environment. With that being said, I am a proponent of the spirit of the dress code, not the law. Last week, I wore a Polo quarter-zip without a collar underneath and was castigated for a violation of dress code. Was my quarter-zip too revealing? No. Did I look good in it? Well, naturally, yes. In all seriousness, I got dressed that morning without the rebellious intent to break dress code, but rather with the desire to dress in a comfortable yet stylish manner. And honestly, walking out of the house, I was unaware that I was even breaking dress code. I felt that the law of the dress code was somewhat ambiguous and unclear. Thus the dress code change to include quarter zips, v-necks, and hoodies will certainly save students a trip to detention and will add to their daily clothing choices.
The new dress code is a privilege, and one that I am quite excited about. We’re being given the opportunity to dress more comfortably and with greater variation, and we cannot abuse that opportunity. In short, V-neck T-shirts are not sweaters and leggings and jeggings are not pants, so don’t wear them. As Baldur Tangvald said, “Friends don’t let friends simultaneously break the dress code and mess up what everybody else enjoys.” Keep this in mind. I know I am not alone when I say that if I see you committing a blatant violation of dress code, I will give you the cold shoulder as though you were Hester Prynne, with the Scarlet Letter burning upon your chest. It’s really not that hard to comply with the extended dress code, and if we want to keep our privileges, we must cooperate. As Peter Parker says in Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” We must take responsibility for our appearances and come across respectfully. If we do this, we will be able to bask in the comfort, beam in the style, and keep the wonderful extended dress code.
Photo courtesy of http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/ralph-lauren-quarter-zip-henley-sweater
