It’s boiling inside the school, and a young girl rushes to the water fountain, sure to die of dehydration if she does not make it to the ambrosia of the gods in time. Stepping away from the oasis, she halts, hearing the words that she has been avoiding all day.

“How long are your shorts?”

The current dress code is restrictive and does not allow female students to dress comfortably and stylishly during the warmer months.

The standards of modesty in today’s world are changing. There was once a time in our country’s history when a woman who showed her ankle was considered risqué and ladies on the beach covered exposed skin. However, we now mock the extreme standards of modesty for women because of our current standards of decency. No longer does society view a woman’s shoulder or thigh as inappropriate, but instead a simple body part.

After a summer of wearing weather-appropriate clothing, returning to school and its clothing guidelines proves to be difficult when the weather remains the same. Currently, the outside temperature is upwards of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while the inside temperature of the school varies from chilly to uncomfortably warm. Many students find that wearing “modest” clothes, such as jeans and cardigans, is too stifling during the warmer months of the school year.

The current dress code is extremely subjective. For example, the fingertip guideline varies from girl to girl depending on how long their arms and legs are. What is modest on one girl may appear immodest on another. Not only is beauty in the eye of the beholder, but modesty as well. Furthermore, because of favoritism between some teachers and students, some students may find themselves an exception to the dress code regulations.

Currently, women’s clothing distributers are more likely to manufacture sheer or low-cut tops and tight pants because that is the current desire of their consumers. The most widely available pants made for teenage girls are jegging-styled jeans or “boyfriend” jeans. Many students will discover that it is hard to find affordable and appropriate clothing that is able to combat the summer heat. Although the fall weather will make complying with the dress code easier, spring will soon bring rising temperatures and leniency on the dress code will be expected from the student population.

While dress code is something that we all must abide by, some of the regulations are not reasonable. We believe that modesty should be the number one priority, but it cannot be ignored that the severity in which we are limited determines that female students are only provided an education based on the style of clothing that they are wearing.