While I was home over Thanksgiving Break, I got the opportunity to return to my former High School for Powder Puff and Thanksgiving game activities. With a couple of friends who had graduated with me by my side, we once again walked the halls that at one point in time entombed us in a brick and stone fortress; we saw underclassman friends whom we had left behind after graduating. Besides the normal rules and regulations being enforced we noticed something else, not one person was wearing a hat; no baseball hats, beanies, snow hats, nothing. This made no sense to us due in part that we were allowed to wear hats whenever we wanted to unless: a) the pledge of allegiance was being said or b) a teacher asked that all hats be taken off in a class of theirs. In my opinion, restricting the wearing of hats is a serious case of a power trip on the part of the school administration.
Wearing a hat is a voluntary choice on the part of the wearer. As long as its not done is a disrespectful or distasteful way, I don't see any problem with wearing a hat in school. When I was at the school, I knew the teachers who had issues with it, and there weren't many. For such a drastic rule to be passed without a large number off faculty advocating it meant only one thing; the school board got involved and decided to blow things out of proportion. I went home after the rally still confused. After reading the town newspaper it turns out that one of the school committee members caught wind of students failing to remove their hats during the pledge. Granted that is disrespectful, but why punish the whole population for something a couple of morons did? It's not like the group of students who failed to remove their hats represent the rest of them. This overreaction came as no surprise to me. The year before my senior class lost our senior privileges because some stupid freshman decided to flip off a basketball player from Franklin at a game. The little ass decided to blame the senior class, so we lose our privileges as a result; no investigation, no questions asked. In recent years my school's administration has had a knack for overreacting. This new rule concerning hats is a clear case and point illustrating it. It's PUBLIC school for Christ sake. There are private schools for a reason. Administrators need to wake up and smell the bulls*** already. Yes the administration is inclined to make sure order is kept in the school but restricting a simple thing like hats is ridiculous. It has nothing to do with maintaining the school's good image or protecting students from any kind of harm. As far as the respect factor goes, I do not believe a hat in the classroom is a sign of disrespect. If a teacher feels the need to ask students to take them off that's fine, but forcing them to refrain from wearing them anywhere in the building is completely asinine. Are school administrators using their power just a little too much? This former student has seen more than enough.
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To: Dave From Timmy:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you all the way. If a teacher asks you to take off your hat then you should do so with respect, but other then that a hat in a non dress code school should be fair game. I know some people will always think taking off your hat is a sign of respect and I feel thats true in some ways like in the National Anthem or Church but a hat other then those kinds of events should be your choice to wear one or not. Hats are part of peoples everyday life styles and if people want to wear them they should.
To: Dave M
ReplyDeleteBy: Greg M
Yea, i agree with you on the "no hat" thing is just ridiculous. I, myself, don't wear a hat, but i don't see why we shouldn't be able to. I think that its a rule that we are following from the 50's where its disrespectful to wear a hat to things such as dinner, something that was more respectful at that point in time, and that just carried over into public schools, like spanking. So i feel like it will be outdated eventually, but right now, the old teachers that are usually found in high schools are more used to this traditional way of doing things, and therefore are the ones that tend to enforce the rule; at least in my experience. Its just the way they were taught.
Also the school might argue its because its a security hazard, because hats can cover up and hide your face.
To Dave from Clayton:
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying. Hats are not distracting. I personally hate wearing hats and only wear them when it is cold and I need to keep warm but there is nothing wrong with wearing them all the time. Nothing about a baseball cap alone is distracting or prevents kids from doing school work. The only argument I can think of is wearing them during tests in which case there is an easy solution. If a teacher wants to see where your eyes are, just turn the hat backwards and bam, problem solved.
To Dave from Hai:
ReplyDeleteI agree that it was absurd that your school doesn't allow hats to be worn in the building when it was allowed the year you went there. Isn't it disrespectful to wear a hat inside a building? I was always told to take mines off when entering a building. It's suppose to be "disrespectful" if we keep it on but it relates to the old tradition of not wearing something on your head inside a building. To many of us, it's puzzling why it's disrespectful but your faculty and administration grew up in a different generation when this was considered disrespectful. In my high school, which was also public, we were not allowed to wear hats inside. Some kids tried to get away with wearing a hat out of class but almost all faculty members told the kids to take them off. Then when the faculty member is out of sight, the kid throws the hat back on. I suppose that can be considered disrespectful.
To Dave from Julia
ReplyDeleteI think it is crazy that you are surprised that wearing a hat in school is prohibited--not because i think it is an okay rule, but every school i have been to has enforced that entirely. However, i do agree with you completely. I do not think that hats are of any distraction and if it is really a problem then a teach could ask for the hat to be removed. How is a hat really any different than any other accessory? Its not. Ive seen so many people in classes in my high school get yelled at for wearing a hat, but a girl wearing a mini skirt and belly shirt isn't even acknowledged. Whats really more disrespectful?