As in-person school opened back in August, the student body was expecting and anticipating having to work with the continued COVID-19 rules and guidelines like having to wear a mask inside class. However, there was another concern that no one saw coming and that was the new Dress-code guidelines.

Dress-code violations have reportedly been at an all-time high during the first quarter of school. It seems as though students who dress on the ‘feminine’ side of the spectrum are receiving the most discipline. It is no secret that we have all seen someone get dress-coded for wearing a crop top, or a spaghetti-strapped shirt. Anything that shows too much thigh, shoulder, or midriff is seen as punishable, and as anticipated the teens are furious.

The anti-dress code students are more concerned that students are being “victim-blamed” and that the men and masculine students are not being punished for their sexualizing behaviors with their clothing in the same manner. Sagging pants that clearly display a young man’s underwear is not receiving the same attention from campus security or our administrative team.

The administration must have a good reason to be harsher on the students this school year when it comes to the choice of outfits worn on campus. We do believe that our administration team does worry about our safety. But, should our clothing choice be the #1 concern of campus safety?

How can students be blamed? When you walk into Sherwood Mall, whose main audience is teens, the young women’s section in every store features skimpy and tight-fitted clothing. It is the current fashion trend for young women. Even for men, there are pants designed to be worn sagged, shorter in length and wider in the ‘hip’ region. Adults and teens at Lincoln High School have survived working together with clothing choices for many years. It is our opinion that returning to school after an 18-month hiatus brought with it a lot of stress. The majority of Trojans were locked up inside their homes and the return to campus was met with equal excitement and stress. Teenagers wanted to express themselves through their clothing choices, and we were met head-on with strict discipline. We just wish that there was more open communication and guidance during this awkward re-start of school. The students goal was not to openly disobey our administration, but take the opportunity to express our personalities. The bumpy ride that opened up our school year appears to have subsided with the coming of cold weather.