"It was a really hot day. I was in gym class, and I was wearing a short-sleeve shirt so I rolled up my sleeves," said a seventh-grade girl at J-DMS. "The teacher yelled at me for it."

      "I got dress coded for wearing shorts, but the girls in eighth grade wear the same length shorts all the time," another student protested.

       "Today, [the principal] came into all the eighth grade classrooms," my sister, J-DMS alumna once told me. "He told us that girls aren't allowed to wear tank tops anymore because our shoulders are 'distracting to the guys.'"

      11/16 people at Jamesville-DeWitt Middle School claim that the dress code is unfair for various reasons. People at J-D get dress coded plenty of times, but not always for the same reason. A girl wearing a crop top an inch above her pant line might get dress coded and suspended for it, but a girl wearing the same thing two days later might not.  A boy wearing shorts above his mid-thigh might not be dress coded, but a girl will. And sometimes, Black students get dress coded for wearing do-rags and other traditionally African hairstyles, whereas other students have no restrictions on their hairstyles. Girls in the upper grades are told not to wear tank tops because their shoulders are "distracting to the guys." However, that sensualizes both parties. Not to mention the fact that the guys can wear tank tops if they so choose with no consequence.

    Girls are often dress coded for wearing too-short skirts or shorts, or too- thin shoulder straps. This can lead to an excessive watch over girls' bodies, causing a considerable amount of discomfort.

     Also, girls with more curves get dress coded for wearing the same things as girls without, but the girls with less curves don't get disciplined, which is unfair.

      A lot of people who are non-binary or trans also feel limited or targeted by dress code.

     Dress codes dictate how a certain group of people are "supposed" to look, dress, be described, etc.

     If nothing changes, then people will continue to feel targeted and sensualized by the school dress code. Schools try to cultivate a unified, respectable, kind community. Yet we dress code certain people and not others, and take kids out of class or suspend them for wearing something. Not only does that embarrass the student, it makes them insecure about what they wear as well. Insecurity about what you're wearing is never a good feeling, and nobody should have to worry about how they look. However, if the dress code is changed, people will no longer feel this way.

      After all that, you're probably wondering, how exactly should our dress code change without it getting out of hand?

      Well, first of all, teachers should let students wear tank tops. If it's 95 degrees outside and you're stuck inside, none of the students are going to care if you wear a tank top. They'll be wearing one, as well. Students should also be allowed to wear hoods and hats. The adults say that it is a "safety hazard," but what if a student is cold? They're not allowed to put their hood up? What if something about their hair is causing them to get made fun of by other students? We just let them get made fun of? Putting a hood up or wearing a hat does not make it harder to identify a student, although people like to claim that it does. Furthermore, there's no way to hide anything inside of a hood or hat--they're not large enough for that, and anything I could put in my hat I could also fit inside of my backpack if so inclined. The staff claims it is a safety hazard, but it's no more of a safety hazard than backpacks!

      Secondly, teachers should keep a list of everybody they dress code and look back on it once every month to make sure a specific group of students isn't being targeted.

      Furthermore, if somebody gets dress coded, none of the teachers should be forced to measure any article of their clothing, because that causes a significant level of discomfort. If somebody's shorts are too short, just tell them. And make sure to ask them how long they are, so you can take note of it. It is vital that you dress code anybody with that length of shorts, or nobody with that length of shorts.

      And lastly, if you're going to discipline a student, don't take them out of class and embarrass them by doing so! Just send them an email. 

     You know what they say, there's no time like the present. If we don't act now--if we continue not speaking up--who knows if things will ever change? For the good of the current J-D students and those to come, sign this petition!