Students should wear the appropriate attire to school. Guidelines include the following:
· Sayings and illustrations on clothing should be in good taste
· Shoulders, undergarments, midriffs and lower backs should not be exposed
· The length of shorts, dresses and skirts should extend below the fingertips with the arms straight at your side
This is Stuyvesant High School’s dress code, newly imposed in the fall of 2011. On the surface, this code seems simple and straightforward enough—nothing too controversial or provocative should enter a school environment. The dress code is meant to protect students and to preserve the academic atmosphere of Stuyvesant– or so it seems. Ever since the beginning of the school year, countless students, both male and female, have clashed with the administration regarding these requirements. The conflicts have not been a result of a conscious student rebellion against the code. Rather they were an expected outcome of the administration’s faulty, subjective enforcement of the policy.
Jacqueline Krass, senior
My issues – for lack of a better word – with the dress code actually date back to before its official existence. In the spring, especially, there have always been disagreements between students and the administration about what is appropriate and what is not. Before the official dress code was drafted, the rule seemed to be “whatever administrative figures nearby think looks inappropriate.” This used to result in different people being told different things, especially given the dramatic variation in body type among students –shorts can look shorter, or dresses less appropriate, depending on the student’s physique. However, clothing violations also had much less of an effect on daily student life before this year. No one got her ID card taken away, or had grey shirts handed to her.
Things have changed with the introduction of official rules. For the most part, I don’t consider myself to be a particularly inappropriate dresser – even my mother would agree – but this year, I’ve been called out nearly every single time I’ve worn a skirt, dress, or pair of shorts (maxi skirts not included). Once I even lost my ID card over a belted dress that just reached my fingertips – and, once the belt was off (as I showed the administrator) actually went beyond. I’m not sure what it is about me that causes me to become the administration’s target girl. Not all my friends have the same problem; few girls I know get called out as frequently as I do, and of course boys barely have to acknowledge the existence of a dress code at all. Perhaps this simply stems from some sort of miscommunication about the rules of the dress code. One day I came in wearing a jean skirt that actually extended beyond my fingertips (I had checked!) and, although wary of being called out, I was not totally surprised to be stopped anyway. What did surprise me was being informed that it wasn’t enough for the skirt to simply reach past my fingertips (à la the rules as stated in the student planner), it had to “go well past.” When I complained, indignant, that they just didn’t make dresses or skirts long enough to pass – not for teenagers, anyway – I was advised to “think knees,” or just wear pants. I was released with a warning, and left feeling like I’d been called out for wearing a bikini top to school, or a garter belt. It was an unpleasant, shaming experience.
Still, I didn’t realize how damaging and degrading the whole situation had become until the thought occurred to me that I was excited to leave Stuyvesant for college next year because I wouldn’t have to follow a dress code anymore.
Tiffany Phan, junior
It was 7:55 am when I swiped my ID card through the scanner one morning. I was in a hurry to get to physics on the 8th floor (my teacher has a tendency to give pop quizzes at the beginning of the period). Thewoman who was supervising the scanners that morning looked me up and down and then guided me into Ms. Damesek’s office. Once I went in, Ms. Damesek took one look at me, sighed, and asked me what I was thinking when I went out of the house that morning. All I wore was a long-sleeved button down, which was secured by a navy skirt and accompanied by floral cutout tights; I didn’t intend for it to be inappropriate in the slightest. At the moment, I was confused because I specifically made sure that the skirt covering my patterned tights was past my fingertips. She told me that the whole outfit was bad and that I looked like I was“going out for a Saturday night, not going to school.” I think we all know what she was implying. After she took my ID and barred me from going to class until I changed, I swiftly put on some jeans I had in my locker and went back to her. She promptly commended me for actually looking like a lady and said that it was “much better.”
To this day, I still don’t understand why I was forced to change, and every single day since then, I’ve had difficulty deciding what to wear to school. Clearly, skirt length isn’t the only factor that needs to be considered when we pick out our outfits. We still have to cater to Ms. Damesek’s personal and exceptionally professional fashionista tastes.
Lucinda Ventimiglia, senior
I have been stopped to justify my clothing many, many times since the beginning of this school year, and 9 out of ten times, I wasn’t breaking the dress code. I’ve been told that even though my skirts were technically acceptable, they were still too short for me to wear, and once it was suggested that I should follow a separate dress code, wherein my skirts should end at least four inches past my fingertips, and preferably at my knees. Even though hearing that I needed an individual dress code was hurtful, it wasn’t even the worst thing that’s happened to me regarding the dress code. That would be the time that I walked in wearing a dress that did in fact follow the rules, only to be stopped by one of the women sitting by the scanners. She told me that my dress was too short, and that I would have plenty of time to “show off my curves” when I wasn’t in school (I found this to be ridiculous because the dress I was wearing was shapeless). She then went on to say that the dress code was only instituted for my protection, because there are a lot of bad men outside school, and if I was raped nobody would be able to take that away from me. Then, she said, “and you want a husband, don’t you?” I called my mom later, in total shock, and told her what had happened. She called the school, and funnily enough, I haven’t been unfairly targeted since then.
Marta Poplawski, junior
My experience with the dress code has not been as extreme, but certainly not much different from that of others. Various members of the school staff have pulled me over once or twice to tell me that leggings are inappropriate. Last year, in warmer weather, I was pulled over because my shorts did not reach my fingertips, and once when it hit 90 degrees I was yelled at for wearing a tank top. I have long arms, so the fingertip rule often works to my disadvantage. The shorts I wore did not expose anything (besides my terribly suggestive knee caps at times), and even if I bent over my attire remained appropriate. Meanwhile, I have seen classmates in much shorter attire than I who did not get pulled over. I feel that this dress code is simply a judgment of style; it rewards those who can sneak past the administration fast enough. I also believe that if I were sweating from heat because I was in long pants, it’d be much more distracting than people in shorts, which has been used as reasoning before.
At the moment, there are just too many ambiguities about the policy. Who is to decide what illustration or phrase on a shirt is “good taste”? The administration. And who is to decide what is “proper” enough, what is not “too provocative”? Again, the administration. The original dress code requirements aren’t unreasonable and they don’t seem too hard to follow, but the fluctuating opinions of the staff are just too unpredictable. If I’m supposed to be allowed to wear a skirt as long as it’s past my fingertips, I expect to be able to get into school without being insulted when I am wearing one. I’m not saying that students are completely innocent; there are times when some of us do violate the code. But when we do make an effort to follow it, we do not expect to be pulled over and disrespected by whoever is supposedly righteous enough to judge students based on their clothing.
I hear you – I’m class of 2010, and we didn’t even have this official dress code when I was a student at Stuy – but I still would get called out for “inappropriate” clothing. I’m nearly six feet tall, and so it’s understandably difficult for me to find shorts or skirts which would reach the “appropriate” length without being completely frumpy. I would see the administrators let girls slide with shorter skirts, only to stop me because I had more leg showing. When you have longer legs, more will show, even with more clothing! This whole system is so subjective.
Perhaps alumni can work with students to change it!
While straying outside of the regulatory bounds described in the rulebook is very bad administrative procedure, high school kids do wear some particularly racy items, as even the interviewees in the article attest.
I recall how, back in May 2008, I was mesmerized in class by the sight of one girl in mini shorts and a wifebeater. Her erect nipples poked visibly through the thin material, and the curvature of her full, round breasts…
Ah…
I’m on some sort of watchlist now, aren’t I?
Everyone should wear burkas made out of bedsheets and safety pins out of protest one day. Completely serious.
- Class of 2011
As a member of the class of 2006, this is exactly what we would have done. The administration will do whatever it wants if there’s no opposition. By whittling away at student freedoms, they’re slowly destroying the environment that made Stuyvesant a place that stimulated individual expression and growth. Maybe the demographics of the student body have changed, but the spirit seems to have gone.
I agree completely! As a current senior it is terrifying to watch the administration trample the student body time after time and to see no action being taken.
Today, roughly 200 students from various grades gathered on the second floor after school. It was truly amazing to see such a turnout of people all together in one place for one cause. However, that cause was not a protest or stand against the administration but was merely and audience for a large prop-posal. It is disheartening to see what the priorities of the student body are.
It would be interesting to speak with Jack, and all the other complainers, 20 years from now and read their comments at that time.
Life can really be cruel when students can’t have what they feel is appropriate. Sooner than later they will realize that life is governed by rules and that there is a need to follow them so Society can continue to move ahead. The sooner the youth of today realize that the better off they’ll be.
Class of 1956.
Please don’t wear burqas–it’s insulting as a Muslim woman to have you use our symbol of modesty as a symbol of oppression.
–Class of ’02
Great Idea!…My Grandson has to report early to school tomorrow so that they can see if he still has gauges in…which he will. I’m going with him in support armed with pics of serial killers that didn’t have gauges and articles that courts ruled in favor of the students in court over dress code rules. He and a few others that the school doesn’t consider normal are already being targeted so we know how you feel. Wish us luck!
“We still have to cater to Ms. Damesek’s personal and exceptionally professional fashionista tastes.”
Genius line, and completely true. I’ve managed to get past the eyes of the administration most of the time, so this is the first time I’m hearing about this unjustified commentary from the administration. At first, the rules were agreeable. But once the staff starts including personal opinions and making nonsensical remarks such as ‘“and you want a husband, don’t you?”’
then there is something wrong with this idea of a written and signed contract. I would almost rather they simply issue a school uniform instead of feeling the need to sneak past the office every morning when I arrive in school.
The recounted stories in this article are really disturbing. This quote from Tiffany Phan’s section in particular really points to the bigger issues and assumptions under which the new dress code (Thank God I didn’t have to go through this) operates:
“She told me that the whole outfit was bad and that I looked like I was ‘going out for a Saturday night, not going to school.’ I think we all know what she was implying.”
Especially if the clothes in her outfit followed the dress code’s regulations, what’s wrong with wearing a “Saturday night” outfit to a public school in New York City? Tiffany Phan’s outfit as she described it would have been the NORM for Stuy girls when I was a senior last year. The dress code’s specific regulations are reasonable, but it’s clear that the administrators are using the dress code to arbitrarily restrict the expression of female students’ sexuality.
“She promptly commended me for actually looking like a lady and said that it was ‘much better.’”
“Looking like a lady”? Unbelievable.
-Class of 2011er
Basically: snappy, degrading, unnecessary remarks on the part of the administrators such as those only reveal the deeply entrenched backward gender norms and ideals under which the enforcement of the dresscode is operating.
It’s mostly females that have a problem with the dress code. Instead of wearing a normal t shirt and a pair of pants, they insist on wearing skirts. That’s basically the entire issue lmfao.
Yeah, those slutty females! Don’t they know to cover themselves? Whenever I see a skirt I just want to spit in her face. How DARE she wear what she wants?
Also, I mean, I was trying to take a test one day in a few years ago, and some girl was sitting with her legs crossed in a way that allowed me to see her ENTIRE MID-THIGH. Needless to say I failed the test, and therefore the class. Men will NEVER be able to control themselves if women are allowed to flaunt their legs and shoulders everywhere. A dress code isn’t enough! Let’s return Stuy to an all boy school and get our education back!!!
It’s extremely disturbing that those enforcing this dress code have such views. In a city where people actually get raped on the street, do you really need to spread that myth that your clothing has something to do with it? In a world where women do need to struggle to be taken seriously, do we really need to tell girls that there is only one standard for self-respect? It’s hard enough to respect yourself at Stuyvesant; no need to tell everyone they’re doing it wrong.
real talk man i keeps it real when i went to stuy (class of 2010 holla) it was those girls not wearing any clothes that kept me coming to school yo
girls are stuy dressing kind of slutty is honestly one of the best parts of the school
Frankly, the inconsistencies in the effectuation of the dress code itself undermines the code’s legitimacy (especially those personal remarks!). For the sake of the administration’s dignity, it should acknowledge that in this case NO rule is better than a BAD/ignorant/ineffective rule. Furthermore the dress code belittles the student body and gives us impetus to retaliate and suspend our respect for the administration. The reason the dress code lives on is that there is no official method/process by which the SU can promulgate a statement to repeal the dress code. This is because the administration overseeing such affairs wishes to maintain a stronghold over such liberties (or lack thereof). In other words, petitioning, sit-ins, etc. would do nothing because technically the administration is in no way beholden to our opinions; they are in no way obligated to react to or even acknowledge our opinions. In this sense the SU must develop a trust relationship with the administration that makes the admin comfortable with conceding to the student body. This takes time and cooperation but there’s faith in the student body.
Class of 2013-eur
Surprise! Stuyvesant treats its students like problems.
This dress code, both in writing and practice, is disgusting. Not only does the administration further rob students of their autonomy, but shames their bodies and expressions. Of course, Randi is abusive and what she says to students should be more publicized. But the problem extends more than that. To be allowed only through a side door, to be reduced to a number, to be moved about by bureaucrats and Things, to be forced to fight our fellows, to be emotionally brutalized if we fail to do what we’re told, is disgusting. Are we cattle?
If you graduate from Stuyvesant, don’t be fooled when you walk off that stage with your diploma. The professional picture they take of you is not to commemorate your success, but a mugshot to mark your discharge from the institution. The overt dehumanization at Stuyvesant is an excellent method of social reproduction, of molding us into parts for the “real world” to juggle. After all, how can humans stomach such an alienated social being?
But yeah the dress code is bad too.
I really don’t like the tone of Issac’s comment, but I have to agree with some of his opinions. (Are you even part of the Stuyvesant community?) (If not, you know nothing about the side entrance situation) We shouldn’t be told nasty things when we wear “inappropriate clothing” according to the views of some of the staff. The main reason why we are “forced” to enter the side door is because there is enough room for the scanners without a lot of need for widespread attention to arriving students. After all, there could be one day when someone uses toilet plungers and rope to climb their way to the second floor without scanning in (though I consider that a challenge what with the slow pace you will set). Do NOT use graduation as an example. Nobody as a student goes to Stuyvesant’s graduation wearing nothing but filthy jeans, a muddy T-shirt, and grey sneakers that were originally white without looking like a total dumpster. (Unless anyone reading this comment would like to do the honors) The robes are symbolic (even if we don’t keep them) in the way that we know our merits and we are proud of it, not because we get a mugshot and get dumped out of Stuyvesant like potato chips onto a plate.
The staff is becoming overwhelmingly powerful, but students must also know their rights too. Bashing a teacher about failing one small test isn’t going to make your grade better because you did not understand the material entirely. However, the staff, including the teachers, should not insult anyone for their mere pleasure nor their “suggestive” way of dressing. I’d think that if faculty and students alike did not criticize clothing as much, we would not need this article to express the distress of the student body.
Sounds like gender discrimination. Let’s make the life of Stuy girls unbearable bit by bit so that they don’t come to Stuy anymore and go back to an all-boys school. Note that most of the rules are about girl’s clothes not boy’s.
STUY SLUTWALK!
No. Just no. The way you put it takes it to a whole new meaning.
I don’t think they went far enough with their assertion that no one will want to marry a rape victim. I’m feeling mandatory stonings for patterned tights.
[...] of paper were dispersed, some bearing the message “Redress the Dress” typed in the center in small letters, others featuring a printout of the school’s clothing [...]
One of the (several) problems I see here is that there is no good reason or rationale for a dress code at all. Is there a connection between attire and academic success? If not, then why is the school paying any attention to clothing? Is it the mission of Stuyvesant to educate students, or to force them to conform to somebody’s arbitrary standard?
The staff’s comments quoted in this article are entirely unacceptable. Attitudes like that (“Don’t you want a husband someday?”) have no place at Stuyvesant. Those staff members need some retraining.
When I was at Stuyvesant (1976-1980), the only guidelines about clothing were that it could not be dangerous or distracting. The commonsense rules against “dangerous” clothing meant that one couldn’t wear big, dangly earrings or long, loose hair in shop class, and no six-inch stiletto heels on the stairs. The “distracting” rule was never enforced. Somehow, the class of 1980 seems to have turned out alright, despite the fact that kids were tank tops and short shorts when the weather was warm. We are all in our late 40′s or 50 years old now, and I know of no classmates who were scarred by their sartorial experiences and choices at Stuy.
I hope that Stuyvesant alumni, current students, and their parents can get together and get the entire regressive dress code thrown out.
I am disappointed to witness the imposition of a dress code on the high achieving students of Stuyvesant. The focus should be more on how to reduce the stress level that each student must handle while maintaining superior academic performance. I am sure today’s curriculum at Stuyvesant is more difficult and intense than when I graduated in 1975. My plea to the principal and the rest of the school administration – please rescind this dress code and not adopt policies that would exacerbate the hectic and stressful lives of the students at Stuyvesant.
Class of 1975
You all should be grateful that you go to that school in the first place.
Because you all sound like preppy nyc prep school spoiled brats.
Considering that the people who go to this school aren’t chosen by random lottery or who has the most money and is instead chosen by an entrance exam that most people put hours into studying, we shouldn’t just be grateful we go to the school in the first place. Also did you actually read the article? The enforcement of the dress code is very unfair, which is what we’re focusing on. I don’t think it makes us spoiled brats to want fair treatment from the school.
Oh, the benefits of having a wardrobe with no clothes that could come near to violating the dress code….