Sami Grimes
Teen Reporter

On any given weekday, the halls of FLHS present a myriad of personal styles.

For example, in just ten minutes of student passing timeówhich resembles the waves of runners at Grandmaís Marathon in Duluthóone can see the following: two female students wearing skirts that can only be described as thicker-than-average belts, a junior boy wearing a very suave black shirt with black pants and a bright red tie, another young man wearing ripped dirty jeans and an old yellowed T-shirt, and a gaggle of girls flocking to the bathroom wearing the common blue jean and Abercrombie & Fitch sweatshirt combination.

This is just a glimpse of the variety that students are sporting these days. At the March 3 school board meeting, School Board Member Karen Morehead proposed research into a plan that could eliminate the diversity evident among students.

Her suggestion for the introduction of school uniforms throughout the district has caught the attention of many, causing various reactions from within the community.

The proposition would affect the districtís students greatly and many have expressed their opinions on the proposal.
ìThere would be no originality in the school,î said Jeffrey Carlson, a senior who maintains a reputation at the high school for being a very cool and expressive dresser.

Many of Carlsonís peers sitting around him in his first hour class agree.

ìThereís no point in itóbecause everyone would be the same,î adds Dan Leavell from a few desks back.

Their comments demonstrate a popular concern among many of the students.
Would the adaptation of uniform clothing take away the freedom of expression that so many young people enjoy through their choice of dress?

A junior, Ian Gildersleeve, says it would.

ìThey (uniforms) donít let students show their uniqueness,î he said.

Grasping a black Marilyn Manson T-shirt and looking over Gildersleeveís shoulder with a concerned face was his friend, Jackie Mechim, who also shared in his opinion.

After listening to the conversation for a moment or two, she interrupted with ìthe majority of students are mature enough to dress themselves.î

Sure, the majority of students at FLHS can dress themselves, but how they are choosing to dress bring their maturity into question.
That idea produces the first concrete advantage of school uniformsóa uniform dress code would make the violators easy to spot, and put an end to the increasing amount of dress code violations that are seen each school day.

Another positive implication is rather a touchy subject for some.

ìWe look at people sometimes based upon their clothingÖit levels the playing field, especially when it comes to the have and have-nots,î Morehead said.

Money has long since been a factor for some when it comes to high school experiences. Commonality between social levels often brings certain groups of people together, which can be seen on a slightly smaller scale at the high school.

Many students report this isnít as bad an issue as it is for some other high schools in the area, however, it does occur.

When financial strings are tight, it is pretty much out of the question to justify purchasing an $80 sweatshirt and even more expensive shoes. So, the introduction of school uniforms could very well ease the social anxieties of students coming from less-affluent homes.

Mariah Docksteader, 17, supports that notion. ìI wouldnít mind themÖit would be nice not having to worry about how weíd look - weíd all just look the same.î

Despite the opposing viewpoints on the matter, the man at the head of the school, Principal Steven Massey, is hesitant to state his opinion on the proposal.

ìThe way students dress is important, and we have policies in place and itís our job to enforce them...as for school uniforms, it is a school board discussion,î he said, adding later ìthe important thing is what is best for the students, and Iím in a position to support what the board decides.î

Massey added the uniform proposal ìdeserves careful study, and thereís research out there that we need to examine.î
That research will be the preliminary job of Morehead, who plans on speaking with parent-groups and gathering other information on the topic.

Not wanting to disrupt the focus of the board on the upcoming levy vote this November, Morehead is gathering information on her own spare time, and assures there is more to come of this subject down the road.

Will students sometime in the future be sporting the uniform style of khaki pants and polo shirts? Or will they maintain the current trend of expressing their personalities in the form of their threads? Only time will tell.

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Forest Lake Times
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