As always, a new school year brings new changes. For the 2019-2020 year, the main change is the dress code. Students were introduced to the new rules at the first assembly and the shock on the students’ faces was extremely evident. 

Students, especially girls, left the auditorium chattering away about the blatant unfairness of the rule, and I was one of them. The dress code is outright sexist and angering. 

When dress code was brought up, the attention immediately shifted to the girls. The main focus was on female students covering up and boys’ pants sagging was brought up as an afterthought. 

Girls should not be told to cover up because boys may get distracted. That viewpoint inherently puts the male student population’s education over the females. 

If anything, being pulled out of class to change and receive the punishment is distracting. The process can take up to two class periods, which is much more of a disruption than a tank top will ever be. 

The rule entails: fingertip length shorts and high neck, long shirts that cover shoulders. 

Considering the climate we Floridians live in – where it is 90 degrees throughout the beginning of the year and the air conditioning is almost never working – it cannot and should not be expected of the student body to overlook comfort in order to conform to these ridiculous rules. 

Not only does the weather prevent us from wearing long shorts, but they are not sold in many stores teenagers enjoy shopping at. Because they are not in style, finding what are considered appropriate shorts is very difficult. 

In addition to this dress code being difficult to follow, it is also not equally enforced due to a select few teachers dress coding nearly every day and others never doing it. This makes the rule affect some students more unfairly due to classes and teachers they may have. 

Despite the suffocating rules, the student body is not taking this sitting down. Junior Chloe Smith created a petition August 19th to put a stop to the new dress code and adjust it back to how it was last year.  

Upwards of 1,090 people have already signed the petition in less than a week and the number continues to rise.  

Although it is understandable to look polished for school, the enforcement and execution of this dress code is simply unacceptable. It is sexist, unfairly written and outdated for the progressive environment Plant should strive for.