Dressing down the dress code

By Melissa McMonagle
MILFORD — With the decline of summer and the start of the school year comes the perennial debate about the school dress code.

On their first day back at Delaware Valley High School, students weighed in.

Seniors MacKenna Powell and Jenna McEvoy and junior Randi LaCagnian agreed that the “dress code is okay.” One of the girls commented that “skirts have to be fingertip length,” indicating that her fingertip length dress seemed appropriate for school. But they had one complaint: If shorts are just a little bit short, school officials call the girls out. But they say it’s hard to find shorts nowadays that aren’t that short.

Alison Zhiukovich, who was passing by, agreed.

“It’s fine," she said of the code.

Two freshman girls at Delaware Valley took another view.

“The dress code is awful,” said ninth-grader Savanna Rollar. "I was called out about five times in middle school because of short skirts and yoga pants.”

Rachel Joffen, also in ninth grade, said the school is sending the wrong message.

“I feel like they’re devaluing girls," said Rachel. "Everything’s about the boys. We have to cover ourselves up so the boys feel comfortable. It’s all about making boys feel comfortable.”

She said the message girls are getting is that "something’s wrong with our bodies. Why should we cover up?”

The boys at Delaware Valley mirrored the girls' opinions. Three seniors, PJ Matarazzo, Bryce Haraldson, and Bryce Gifford, agreed that the dress code is fair.

“It’s conservative," said PJ.
"It’s fair to have to dress to the code, to a standard,” he added, as the other boys nodded. “If boys get distracted by girls’ dressing, it’s just an excuse. There should be standards.”

A large group of boys passing by said they felt differently.

“I’m a guy, you should ask the girls,” said one boy, but added, tongue-in-cheek. "It’s okay, but girls shouldn’t cover up."

The others laughed in agreement.