The Paw Print

Trend Setters

Uniforms Make Their Way into Schools

by Emily, reporter

Summer is wrapping up with only one more week left—to stay up late, hang out with friends and take cool dips in your pool. Before you know it August breezes in and school is in full swing—homework comes a daily routine, pools close and your tan disappears. Your parents are probably nagging you about money. You earned the big bucks babysitting or mowing lawns, but spent it on movies, candy and clothes.

Students browse the latest fashion magazines looking for that perfect first day of school outfit. Sometimes the best styles can be found at the budget stores like Target—everyone’s fav. But for a lot of kids the newest rage in fashions—from flip flops to skinny jeans and designer tops costs parents a pay check.

The latest trends with bright colors, bling it on jewelry and Lucky Jeans can add up at the register at Macy’s.

Costs can range anywhere from $60 to $200 for a pair of jeans. A Coach bag can cost as much as $400 dollars on sale! A Hollister hoodie can run anywhere from 30 to 60 dollars!

Private schools and some public and charter schools across the US are moving to a different trend. The kids at these schools wear khaki shorts or skirts with a tucked in polo shirt. They wear penny loafers or tennis shoes and flip flops and jeans are not allowed. These schools require kids to wear uniforms that are purchased through a local vendor. The kids don’t have to worry or waste time searching for the perfect outfit each morning. They have four or five polos and plenty of khakis—they just pull one off a hanger each morning and get dressed.

They have time to spend with their dog in the morning before school instead of rushing off with a bagel and forgetting their homework. The obvious choice for most kids in middle school is to be able to wear whatever the latest trend is and for girls, to look cute for their weekly crush.

But just think about how simple your life would be if you didn’t have to worry about what people thought about your color combo or that favorite dress you begged for at Anthropology and your mom actually bought it for you because you promised you’d wear it.

Kids and adults argue how uniforms take away from the individuality of kids and that’s how they express themselves, but that is the lamest excuse ever! The most ironic part of it all is that most kids don’t even express themselves with what they wear. They follow the “cool crowd” and wear what they say you should wear—which is currently Hollister, Abercrombie and American Eagle. If you don’t wear those brands you can kiss your cool rep goodbye. Kids have lots of ways to express themselves –they have music, friends, after hour hangouts—a pizza parlor, the mall or the neighborhood park.

There are twenty six students in my 7 and 8 grade art class. 76% of the class thought school uniforms were the wrong way to go. The other 28% of them agreed that the new trend hitting the fashion magazines should be school uniforms.

“The old school I went to required uniforms. They were terrible, and I didn’t like it at all. On Fridays there was an exception to wear jeans. That was the craziest we ever got,” said Caroline Meiring (7).

Margie Tipton (8) said, “I think uniforms would be a good idea because you wouldn’t have to spend so much time in the morning thinking of what to wear. If we had to wear uniforms I’d like to wear a plaid skirt with a white button up shirt.”

She also mentioned that kids are being judged by what they wear and uniforms would prevent this. I mean really, school is for learning. It’s not a fashion show. That’s what my dad has taught me!

Say No to School Uniforms

by Paige, reporter

As kids grow older, the power to express themselves becomes more crucial to their independence and self-confidence. Most teenagers express their personalities through their clothes.

But what if that kind of expression were taken away? More and more schools in the US are requiring students to wear school uniforms. Imagine wearing buttoned up shirts, plaid skirts and penny loafers every day. You would wear the same outfit day, after day, after day.

Not only does it take away the chance for kids to express their individualities. Schools are requiring students to wear uniforms because they want the kids to start focusing on school and not on how they look.

The Journal of Education Research found that test scores were only raised five percent when kids wore school uniforms.

However, that’s one reason private or charter schools enforce a uniform dress code. The administrators at these schools think they will change the students.

Teenagers are teenagers. They must learn it on their own even if it’s from the school of hard knocks.

Most of the time, you can tell what a person is like and what they’re into by what they are wearing. If you’re tomboyish you may wear basketball shorts and t-shirts. If you are prissy and frilly, you might wear wear skirts and dresses. This helps kids choose their friends—by the interests that are outwardly apparent.

School administrators say they enforce uniforms to get rid of the trend setter statement. But, come on, this is middle school. Some kids are just going to dress in odd apparel and that’s the way it has always been.

Kids can be mean and will make fun of others in a common place. We just hope that it doesn’t affect a student and make a mark that causes severe or crippling insecurities.

I don’t think we should wear school uniforms. In a way, they are like prison cells. They trap us and don’t allow free expression. We don’t wear school uniforms, and I hope it stays that way in RRISD.