School Dress Code Is Too Restrictive

* In the four years of high school that each student endures, we often find ourselves being restricted and overpowered by school authorities. In the case of the new dress code at Thousand Oaks High School, many of my fellow students believed the school district had no right to put boundaries on our outward appearance. Many of them also believed that the slight irrationality of the recent protest demonstration was necessary to get a point across.

We understand that our safety in school is the main reason for the dress code and, understandably, we are also concerned for our safety. Unfortunately, we disagree with the methods by which they want to maintain our safety.

To us, our clothes say who we are, what we like (whether it be music or activities) and where we fit in. Even if we all wore the same clothes, we still have different colors, cultures, points of view, ideas and opinions that may conflict with someone else’s. Therefore, the dress code is not going to prevent fights.

The saying “Where there is a will there is a way” is definitely true. If the dress code remains in force, there will be many students who do not comply with it. This will only cause trouble for otherwise good students and clutter up the desks in the office with unnecessary detentions.

LINDSAY GERKEN

Thousand Oaks