Addressing the Islands’ dress code

Dress code has always been a big topic at many high schools, especially at Channel Islands. You might assume dress code only targets the girls, but here at C.I. some rules include the boys aswell. For the past year our dress code has been up in the air. 

Over the years, CI’s dress code has changed and we actually had a recent change this year. Girls were asked not to wear tops that resemble bikini tops. 

Ms. Marianne Ramos, principal of CI, explained how she felt about it. She said, “You’re here to go to school, you’re not here to go to the beach.” 

When it comes to the boys dress code, there wasn’t much of a change. There is a rule preventing the boys from wearing professional sports hats, but that has not stopped them. Ms. Ramos wants to prevent hat wearing as much as possible for safety measures. Safety is her main priority here at CI, so not allowing certain attire will be one step closer to a safer campus.

There were a few opinions about the dress code at CI, especially from students. Arabella Echavarría, a senior here at CI, said, “I just want to wear what I’m most comfortable in without having to worry about getting dress-coded or it bothering someone.” 

Ashley Hernandez, a senior at CI, shares confusion with the dress code, “I don’t understand, it’s our body.” 

Senior Sabrina Barajas stated that she felt like “the dress code shouldn’t be something the admin worries about. The things we wear, our hats, don’t define a person. Some people use it for fashion purposes or because they want to look good, or because it just matches the outfit. That’s why I like wearing hats because the hats I wear always match my outfits.”

The dress code has somewhat created a rift between students and staff, but as time goes on things will change, styles will change, and students will change. There is a possibility about a new dress code for the upcoming school year, but for now the current dress code is what we have to work with.

“I just want to wear what I’m most comfortable in without having to worry about getting dress-coded or it bothering someone.”

— Arabella Echavarría