School is rough but add a dress code. This article was written to compare the two dress codes from middle and high school and answer the questions: which is better? Are they the same? Several interviews were conducted and picked out. (Only three were written in this article.)

The first interview was with Alison Callaghan, otherwise known as the High School's vice principal.

"I'm very passionate about this subject, and this first came to light when some students came to me. They told me how they felt and how it impacted their body image and eating habits. This started to come to a review about two years ago. So from that feedback from students, I was also really able to get feedback from teachers, and families, just about how dress code can sometimes be cultural. So it can also relate to sometimes what people have experienced themselves, and maybe adults were saying, "and well, when I was a kid…" and not necessarily reflective of what their kids are experiencing. So I became very passionate about this from students talking about their experiences with it."

Another question she answered was: "If you could change one thing about the dress code, what would it be and why?"

"When I see a dress code, I think about what I want to change and how you focus less on a woman's body. Because often, it is about shaming a woman's body. Because a lot of the time, I've heard counter things like, people won't be able to focus if she is wearing X. And you think that's not her problem, that's their problem. Do you know why? So that's where I would love to see if there could be less of a focus on a female's body, and I need to figure out how to do that other than saying there isn't a dress code. So be who you are and be great."

The second staff member we interviewed preferred to be anonymous. Their point of view on the topic was, "I think that dress codes are all about respect, and we have them in all parts of society." The next question was: "are you with or against the Middle School's dress code?" They answered like this: "No, I think it could be better…" Then we both said: "In what way?" Finally, they replied: "I think it has allowed people to take a lot of liberties, thereby disrespecting their classmates and the learning environment." Another question was: "Do you think there should be a dress code in the High School?" They said: "Absolutely."

The following interview was with Mr. Sparrow, a math teacher in the High School. We asked him where he stood on the topic. His answer was: "At the moment, I don't have a big opinion about the dress code because I've worked in a school with uniforms, and then I came here, and there is no uniform, and sometimes when there's a dress code it just ends up being an extra thing for teachers to worry about, to have conversations with students." Another question we asked was: "Are you with or against the dress code?" he answered by saying, "There should be some form of dress code, but it doesn't have to be really strict, and the looser the dress code, the better." The next question we asked him was: "Do you agree with the High School's dress code?" he said: "On the whole, yes." We asked him if he agreed with the Middle School's dress code, and he said: "I'm probably for that a little bit, and I understand why the Middle School has a stricter dress code. I think that perhaps the older students should have a few more privileges, and they should also have a bit more independence, and be allowed to make decisions for themselves and accept the consequences that they have for what they choose to wear, and that comes with maturity."

We asked on the survey we sent out, "What would you like to change in the dress code and why? "Here are some answers from students in the Middle School:

"There should be no dress code. As humans, we will naturally wear clothing we are comfortable with, so I don't see the problem with not having a dress code. Plus, as long as someone's clothes aren't harming someone else (rude slurs on them), I don't see a problem with them wearing their clothing."

Student Response:

"Overall, the dress code is a good idea. Still, I would change the dress code. We should be allowed to wear clothes we feel comfortable in, so if that means crop tops or shorts, that should be fine, but just nothing too short to expose everything. Students should be able to wear what we feel comfortable in, not what teachers want us to."

Student Response:

"I want to change how much of the dress code is about girls and how much is about boys also. I want to change the fact that they are gendered since if you're a different gender, why should you be forced to be a girl or boy?".

Another question asked in the survey was, "Are you for or against the dress code?" This is the data collected by the survey,

Another question asked was, "How many times have you been dress coded this year?"

In conclusion, all the interviews we have shown in this article have some agreement with the dress code or want to make it better. But, overall, the intel has shown us that most students and teachers are just fine with the dress code and would not change it. Many students believe the dress code is too centred on teenage girls. They are so different, with the high school having no dress code and the middle school having a much stricter one. But, they are equally as good, both being the best they can be considering the different age groups that the different campuses are dealing with. They are not the same; only some rules, such as hats should be taken off when inside, underwear should not be shown, and inappropriate and racist things should not be on clothing to go across campuses.

This article was written not to change the dress code but rather to bring it to light.