A few weeks ago, I was talking to some friends after school when one of my friends came up to us, fuming because she had been reprimanded for violating the dress code. The administrator who talked to her had said that her shorts were too short and that boys were looking at her the wrong way. Her shorts were a good two inches longer than mine and they completely covered her butt.

The only thing wrong with her shorts, as far as I could tell, was that she was tall enough to make them look short.

I was shocked that she had gotten in trouble for violating a rule that she didn’t know existed, and since I’d heard other people complaining about heightened dress code enforcement as well, I checked the Student Handbook to see what the dress code rules actually are. It didn’t help me clarify because the only specifications are that we must wear shoes and shirts. Students are expected to be appropriately dressed at all times,” is the clearest rule in the Handbook and a definition of appropriate is conspicuously absent.

When I asked the assistant principals about the rules, however, their explanations were reasonable. “We are trying to get across to students that we trust them,” Eric Mapes said in explanation of the vague wording.

“It’s not a means of exerting discipline…it’s to promote a culture of understanding and respect,” Ginna Myers said.

I’m all for a culture of respect but there is a disconnect here with students complaining that new dress code enforcement is arbitrary. “New dress code enforcement” is somewhat of an oxymoron, however, since there have not been any official changes, said Mapes.

Furthermore, the administration has not entered a single dress cut in Infinite Campus, said Mapes. Instead, the students who have been called out for the dress code have been warned and Mapes, who talks to boys who violate the dress code, has not had a single case.

Four to five girls have been reprimanded since the beginning of the school year, Meyers said, who talks with girls who violate dress code. Teachers can and do talk to students if they feel that they are not dressed appropriately, Myers said, and maybe this is why some students feel attacked by the dress code.

Although I have no doubt that the teachers and administrators mean well, they must be extremely careful when discussing dress code with students. There is no direct punishment associated with the warnings that have been issued, but I would imagine a conversation with a teacher about what clothing choices feels embarrassing and confrontational.

And as for the argument that short shorts distract boys? I firmly believe that the purpose of shorts is to cover the butt wearing them, but I have a huge issue with this justification. It condones misogyny, and frankly, the idea that boys cannot help but be distracted by girls’ clothing is degrading to the boys as well.

We are young adults, entirely capable of making our own decisions when it comes to dressing and I don’t think that we need a dress code. However, given the lack of dress cuts issued, students need to keep the policies in perspective. The dress code was put in place “to make sure that everyone feels comfortable” Myers said, and students need to respect this.

If the issue persists, maybe we could rewrite the dress code more clearly.