What Still Needs Fixed: Our School
By Kaela VanDoren
With contributions made by Blake Green, Wyatt Gipe, Scott Jorgensen,
Raven Peterson, Kylie Flax, and Kayden Presnell
As most everyone knows, a good portion of our high school students get disciplined in such ways as after school detention for wearing hats in school. A few of them were asked what they think about this rule, as well as a few students who have never worn hats to school. Here was sophomore Blake Green’s response: “I think we should be able to wear hats because a lot of us work/live on a farm and it’s a habit to wear them. If the rule is changed we would take them off when the pledge of allegiance comes on or other important events. Hats don’t do much but make some people more comfortable and a lot of other schools let their students wear their hats.”
So, Blake is trying to make it clear that these students wearing their hats are not trying to be disrespectful. They’re even offering to take them off willingly at appropriate times. “Personally, I think the hat rule is outdated. It used to be a sign of respect, but now, for most of the boys in our school, it is part of their identity. Their hat is a part of them.”, said Wyatt Gipe on the matter. A similar quote was also said by Scott Jorgensen; “We all wore hats over the summer, and the hat became a part of our identities.”
Other students that were asked don’t really mind this rule, but also think that it’s a bit outdated. Here is a quote by senior, Kylie Flax: “I personally think the rule is a little silly. I understand where it came from, but I honestly don't think a hat is disrespectful or worth giving a student detention. That said, I also think the students who fight so hard for their hats are being a bit silly. It's a hat. You don't need it, and you know you're going to get punished if you wear it. For the sake of yourself (and your teammates, if you're an athlete), just leave it in your car or at home.” And other students agree with Kylie, that this rule is a bit silly, such as junior, Raven Peterson. “I believe as long as it is not causing a problem or creating any distractions that we should be able to wear hats. I totally respect the rule of not wearing them in school, but it would be nice to be able to wear one every now and then.”
One other student that was interviewed had a completely different opinion on the matter, senior, Kayden Presnell. “Personally, I think that there is no reason to wear a hat indoors. You're not going to wear it at the table in a restaurant, you wouldn't wear a hat at church or synagogue, or in your home necessarily. So it’s really out of respect. It's not that difficult to just keep it off. These students are being pretty immature. In most schools, hats cannot be worn during school hours because it's a safety issue so they can identify students. I grew up with my grandpa, who would not allow us to wear hats indoors so I'm used to it. I do like wearing my hood sometimes when I wear hoodies but it's not difficult to keep it down.”