As I made my usual stumble through the halls so very early in the morning, I overheard something between a couple girls that woke me from my grogginess.

“Did you hear about the new rule? We’re not allowed to wear leggings anymore!” The friend looked infuriated and jokingly suggested that they wear them everyday in protest. Over the next few days the rule spread throughout the whole school almost entirely through word of mouth until nearly everybody had at least heard of it.

The rule states that no leggings or legging-like pants can be worn unless the waist is covered, meaning no booty can be shown. It has become an increasingly popular trend among girls to wear only leggings, especially at Garfield. Some might ask why I would even care about this to begin with. After all, I ever be wearing leggings (unless a large sum of money is involved). There are a many reasons why I should care, aside from the fact that these tight pants are easy on the eyes.

The issue of strict dress codes extends far beyond either Garfield or recent years. Rules such as this have been put in place among schools internationally, just as commonly in public schools as in private ones. It’s fair to say that we have it lucky in comparison to many other schools. In other regions of the country, almost all public school students are required to wear uniforms. Thankfully we don’t have dress as clones of each other, and we’re able to express ourselves through what we wear.

The question of what is appropriate for girls to wearhas always been an issue. Before the mid-sixties, girls were almost always required to wear dresses or skirts. Eventually, with the help of the feminist movement, this changed. Styles of clothing change faster than almost any aspect of our culture. It is no surprise that the older generation has and will continue to be shocked by trends in fashion among the younger generation. Standards of fashion have become less and less conservative, and it doesn’t look like there will be a drastic change any time soon. This is something that older people will have to accept, just as the generation before them learned to accept barely clothed hippies, bellbottoms, and the Jheri curl.

At some point it was decided that kids, specifically girls, weren’t allowed to choose for themselves what to wear in public. It became the burden of administrations such as our own to take up this responsibility. The fact is that most girls know what’s acceptable and what’s not. A good rule to follow: if students stare and drop their jaw at how revealing your outfit is, then you have gone too far. Don’t put yourself in a position to be ridiculed or become eye candy for your entire class. It’s that simple.

We would all be hard pressed to find a more judgmental place than high school. Whether you like it or not, people will pay attention to what you wear, especially the opposite sex. The fact is, tight clothing was made for guys to drool over, or at least give a glance. Call it crude, demeaning, or gross, but I highly doubt that there are many high school boys who haven’t admired a girl’s physique while passing through the halls.

If the administration took away the option of wearing leggings, there would be serious ramifications for boys as well as girls. Climbing four flights of stairs over and over again is a strenuous feat, and students need something to motivate them to make this journey. What could be more suiting for the job than a nice pair of legs to guide students to through the halls? For the sake of learning, these garments must be allowed.

For a long time it was considered a crime to show one’s body at school, but that doesn’t mean it should be now. Students should be given the right to decide whether their outfit is too much. Mind the generational gap, and get back to reminiscing on the days when kids dressed “properly.”