Students Excited About New Hat Policy

This school year marks the first year of the new hat policy which allows students to wear hats in class and around the building as they please.

Over the years many students have expressed their feelings about the previous dress code, and over the summer Student Council  met with administration and proposed the idea to loosen up on the dress code.

Associate Principal Mark Pollex explains why the policy was in place.

“One reason why we had  the policy did not allow for them to be worn is that over the years hats and how they were worn had been associated with potential gang affiliation. A second reason is that if worn too low they can limit the ability for students to be identified for school safety reasons.”

Eventually the Student Council and administration were able to come to an agreement. The new policy is that hats can to be worn, but they must be worn straight forward or backwards or sideways not obscuring the face in any way also students are still not allowed to wear their hoods up.

While the new policy has its limitations students seem to really like it.

“I like the new policy because there’s not as much restriction and now students are able to express themselves in more ways,” junior Mya Colon said.

Additionally students believe the new policy will help eliminate problems between students and teachers.

“I like that we can wear hats now because now people won’t have to worry about  getting in trouble with teachers anymore,” junior Symone McLain said.

Administration also believes the new policy will be a good change for the school.

“We believe that this has given the students an additional privilege, and as long as it is not abused it will remain a perk that many students seem to enjoy,” Pollex said. “By allowing them to be worn it definitely has lowered the amount of discussion surrounding the inability to wear hats thus opening up more positive student/staff interactions.”

Some believe the new hat policy has been a reflection of the change in culture our generation has brought.

“We no longer have the same problems as we did when when we first enforced the old policy, times have changed with the new generation and now wearing hats is solely for individual expression, and the push students made to change the policy reflects that,” art teacher  Pam Merkel said.   

More specific rules and regulations about the new policy can be found in the Student Handbook, but overall everyone is pleased with the change after years of controversy and have high hopes that it sticks around in the long run.