Youth / OPINION : School Uniform: Liberating or Stifling?

GABRIELA ALVARENGA

Senior, 17, Loretta-Conaty High School, Los Angeles

I like the whole concept of uniforms, because it solves a lot of problems. You don’t have to worry about what you’re going to wear every day. You don’t have to worry about impressing other people with what you’re wearing. It also solves the problem of gang attire and gang colors, especially now. If you wear a certain color you could get shot at by another gang. It also gives the school a sense of uniformity.

A lot of people believe that just because we wear uniforms (at Loretta-Conaty) we’re rich people. It’s a stereotype. No one here is rich. I have heard comments, especially when I’m arriving home (in my neighborhood). I tell them, “I live in this area, do I look like I’m rich?”

MICHELLE MESTAS

Senior, 17, San Gorgonio High School, San Bernardino County

High school is a time where students mature and they find out their own individuality. I understand the need for a dress code, but I don’t think it’s right to take away individuality and expression. Expression is your style. I’m for parent involvement. We have restrictions on clothing and I don’t find a problem with that. Just like any job requires a certain dress code and policy. Students may need to exercise their rights, but they need to do it effectively and with some dignity.

CHRISTOPHER WALKER

Senior, 18, Alemany High School,

Mission Hills.

I think for private schools (like ours), you do need to have a dress code. It looks better. But I think they should be a little more lenient on it. We can’t wear sweatshirts unless they say Alemany on them, or it’s confiscated. But it does bring out a better picture of the school, especially a Catholic school.

You can express yourself more as you, instead of people looking at you and saying, “Look at what that person is wearing.” It is a lot easier to express yourself in school.

TAMMY MIYASHIRO

Junior, 16, Poway High School,

San Diego County

I feel that public schools shouldn’t have any uniforms, because when students wear uniforms it’s making them the same. That’s great for private school because they have to pay for their school and it’s more of a prestigious type of school. At a public school people should be able to express themselves however they want to. I feel that by the clothes that they wear, they are expressing themselves. If people want to go all out and pay hundreds of dollars for clothes, that’s up to them. But people shouldn’t have to care who has the best clothes. It’s just what you’re comfortable in and what you want to wear.

HOI LE

Junior, 17, Poway High School

I see two sides to this. The uniformity of the dress code not only applies to the private schools, but might be helpful to the public schools because by wearing uniforms the whole school finds more unity together. It doesn’t separate the student body as much. But in the overall picture it promotes sameness. Eventually this sameness will not let anyone be different or bring in reforms that might help the school. If a person is not as academically inclined or athletically inclined but they get compliments on their clothes, it’s a plus because it validates them. They might try a little more in school.