At Blue Valley and most other schools in the area, there is a school dress code students are required to follow.

Freshman Tali Amjadi said she didn’t have a huge problem with the dress code, but she didn’t like the idea of the school being able to impose a dress code on students.

“It’s fine because it doesn’t really affect me very much,” Amjadi said. “I don’t think the school should be allowed to tell me what I can or can’t wear [though].”

Freshman Sadie Myer said she had never been pulled aside for not following the rules, but she doesn’t think dress codes are necessary.

“It’s not that I have a problem with what [clothes] the school’s are saying I can’t wear,” Myer said. “It’s that they are able to tell me certain clothes are unacceptable.”

On the other hand, freshman Katie Upton said she feels school dress codes are necessary and help schools keep control over students.

“I do think schools should have dress codes because it helps kids stay focused,” Upton said. “Although I do think students should be focusing on their school work to start out with and shouldn’t have to worry about dress codes getting in the way of their learning, they are a good way to prevent distractions in class.”

The dress code has restrictions students must follow. Myer said she didn’t like how the dress code made her unable to wear certain tank tops.

“I have lots of shirts with spaghetti straps, and it made me mad I couldn’t wear them unless I had some type of shirt or cardigan covering them,” Myer said.

Freshman Jack Berg said he didn’t like that students couldn’t wear certain things on their head if it got cold.

“Classrooms get really cold, especially in the winter or in the mobiles,” Berg said. “Hats and sweatshirt hoods aren’t allowed to be worn, and I get really cold in class sometimes, so I don’t think that should be a rule that is emphasized very much.”

Amjadi said she doesn’t think dress codes let students express themselves.

“I think schools could potentially be taking away the freedom of students by applying a dress code,” Amjadi said. “I feel like dress codes should have restrictions on how short pants or tops should be but not to the point where they’re infringing upon the rights of the students.”

Myer said the school dress code prevented her from expressing herself as well.

“I think every student has their own sense of style and opinion on what to wear every day,” Myer said. “The dress code does not let students express themselves if they’re constantly worried about their outfit not following it. Many students have different tastes in clothing, and it shouldn’t be right to force a student to change that just because of something small like a strap showing.”

Upton said she doesn’t think the dress code takes anything away from students.

“I have never been pulled aside before for anything I’m wearing, and most things students like to wear are permitted anyways,” Upton said. “If a shirt I’m wearing doesn’t comply with the rules, I always keep jackets in my locker or bring some type of cardigan to school.”

Myer said temperature issues inside and out of the school were another challenge she faced with the dress code. She said the school is not kept at a constant temperature, so in some classes the room is really cold, and in some it is really hot.

“I have classes all over the school, some in the freshman hall, some in the senior hall,” Myer said. “In every class it’s a different temperature, so dressing to work with both the school code and the classrooms gets annoying.”

Amjadi said when it was hot outside, she was usually uncomfortable in class.

“Mainly at the beginning of the year, when I was walking even just 30 seconds to my classes in the mobiles, I was sweating by the time I got to my class because it was so hot outside,” Amjadi said. “Nobody wants to be freezing or sweating while in class.”

Myer said if she were told by the school she was allowed to change something about the dress code, it would be to get rid of the dress code all together.

“I think school’s should trust the student’s judgement on whether or not something is not appropriate for school,” Myer said. “This change could really help schools and students because kids would feel more free to wear what they want.”

Myer said she thought the school dress code might grow on her as changes were made.

“There are definitely positives and negatives to the school dress code, but I think as long as the schools are willing to work with students, it shouldn’t ever become that big of an issue,” Myer said.