A student wakes up on the first day of school and decides to wear their favorite shirt. They think nothing of it as they walk into the gates but are soon met with reality. The new dress code states we must conceal undergarments and prohibits any crude or inappropriate insignia.     

At the first day of school assembly, Principle Richard Nash announced that the new dress code would be enforced this year. The change is for the better. 

The new PUSD dress code focuses on better topics to be worried about. Administration veered from focusing on the amount of skin showing to what is specifically on clothing.  

So far this year, there has been a difference in students getting dress coded. “Mainly boys have been dress coded this year with drug related references,” Administrative Assistant Andrea Martin Son-Fuller said. “Clothing shall be free of writing, pictures, or any other insignia which promotes the use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or other illegal activities,” according to the 2022-2023 PHS Student Handbook. 

It could be said that this new dress code infringes on one’s right to freedom of expression, but as high schoolers, students should not be promoting crude or inappropriate topics on clothing because it can encourage improper behavior within students. 

The dress code from this year is different in a lot of terms compared to last year’s. In the old dress code, crop tops must completely cover the chest, abdomen, and back as well shorts/skirts must completely cover the backside in the last year’s dress code. This year’s dress code centers mainly on what can and cannot be worn on your clothing rather than the amount of clothing. 

“Clothes shall be sufficient to conceal undergarments,” according to the 2022-2023 PHS Student Handbook. If a student is considered to not be covering their undergarments, they will get dress coded. 

Students should be taught to respect each other no matter what they are wearing. The new dress code this year is very progressive in terms of shifting the attention on more important matters concerning the well being of high school students.