Unban Hoodies at Saint Joseph School
The Issue
The staff at Saint Joseph unexpectedly banned hoodies without providing a sufficient explanation for the ban. Many students’ Saint Joseph outerwear catalogs consist of mostly hoodies. Because of this new enactment, many students will need to buy new outerwear when they have plenty of hoodies. Additionally, most students prefer hoodies to other outerwear options. Therefore, the staff should unban hoodies.
The Principal’s Reasoning Behind Banning Hoodies:
“Ultimately, it is a safety and security issue. We have a lot of other options available for outerwear that have been available in the past that will still be able to be used.”
The Rebuttal:
According to Wikipedia, “A hoodie is a type of jacket or sweatshirt with a hood that, when worn up, covers most of the head and neck, and sometimes the face;” additionally, hoodies commonly have kangaroo pouches. In contrast, “A quarter-zipper or quarter-zip is a type of sweater with a zipper that goes down from the neck to the chest.” Based on this understanding of the two terms, the major difference between a hoodie and a quarter-zip is the presence of either a hood and a kangaroo pouch or a short zipper; therefore, the reason that the school administration disallows hoodies and allows quarter-zips must involve the presence of a hood and/or a kangaroo pouch. To address safety concerns about the hood why not ban hood-wearing rather than banning hoodies? According to a study concerning forty-one school shooters conducted by the United States Secret Service, “Half of the attackers (n = 12, 48%) who used a firearm in their attack transported the weapon into the school building while concealing it in their backpacks. Three attackers (12%) transported their firearms into the school in another type of bag, including a guitar case, a golf bag, and a gym bag. One attacker transported a firearm into the school concealed in his waistband. Two attackers did not conceal their firearms, carrying them openly into the school building after the start of the school day.” Based on this study, backpacks and similar bags are much more likely to be utilized for weapon transportation; therefore, the usage of bags poses a much larger threat to student safety. Thus, the ban of hoodies fails to significantly reduce student danger. Overall, the widespread hostility towards the ban of hoodies and the potential of better legislation outweighs the minor safety benefits.
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The Issue
The staff at Saint Joseph unexpectedly banned hoodies without providing a sufficient explanation for the ban. Many students’ Saint Joseph outerwear catalogs consist of mostly hoodies. Because of this new enactment, many students will need to buy new outerwear when they have plenty of hoodies. Additionally, most students prefer hoodies to other outerwear options. Therefore, the staff should unban hoodies.
The Principal’s Reasoning Behind Banning Hoodies:
“Ultimately, it is a safety and security issue. We have a lot of other options available for outerwear that have been available in the past that will still be able to be used.”
The Rebuttal:
According to Wikipedia, “A hoodie is a type of jacket or sweatshirt with a hood that, when worn up, covers most of the head and neck, and sometimes the face;” additionally, hoodies commonly have kangaroo pouches. In contrast, “A quarter-zipper or quarter-zip is a type of sweater with a zipper that goes down from the neck to the chest.” Based on this understanding of the two terms, the major difference between a hoodie and a quarter-zip is the presence of either a hood and a kangaroo pouch or a short zipper; therefore, the reason that the school administration disallows hoodies and allows quarter-zips must involve the presence of a hood and/or a kangaroo pouch. To address safety concerns about the hood why not ban hood-wearing rather than banning hoodies? According to a study concerning forty-one school shooters conducted by the United States Secret Service, “Half of the attackers (n = 12, 48%) who used a firearm in their attack transported the weapon into the school building while concealing it in their backpacks. Three attackers (12%) transported their firearms into the school in another type of bag, including a guitar case, a golf bag, and a gym bag. One attacker transported a firearm into the school concealed in his waistband. Two attackers did not conceal their firearms, carrying them openly into the school building after the start of the school day.” Based on this study, backpacks and similar bags are much more likely to be utilized for weapon transportation; therefore, the usage of bags poses a much larger threat to student safety. Thus, the ban of hoodies fails to significantly reduce student danger. Overall, the widespread hostility towards the ban of hoodies and the potential of better legislation outweighs the minor safety benefits.
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Petition created on June 30, 2026