I’m going to start this off with a story, it happens over the course of two days and happens at the same time, as I walk to third period. First, some background, I wouldn’t say my school has a particularly severe dresscode or that it's even enforced strongly but the supervisors definitely target some girls when looking for their victims. It was september 26th I was walking to ASB, third period. I was wearing a red floral tank top and walking with my two friends when I heard the supervisor yell out “LADIES!” her voice booms through the halls and into my ears. I look at my friends and we all keep walking, to be fair there is at least 50 other girls in this hallway. Soon after I feel another supervisor tap me on the shoulder and tell me to go talk to her, as I walk over I think to myself “okay well my stomach isn't showing and I have straps and the top goes straight across the middle of my chest so nothing about this is against dress code” yeah… I was apparently mistaken. After me and the superviser exchange a few words, mainly her saying my shirt was “too much”, I head over to the office fuming with anger but overall keeping my mouth shut. By the time I get back to third period I'm about five minutes late and now wearing a blue shirt that goes all the way to my knees, lovely. Fast forward to the next day, September 27th. Today I am wearing a white floral tank top, the bottom reaches a little past the top of my shorts so I know today I'm not going to get dress coded. As I walk into school I jokingly say “if I get dress coded again I'm going to throw a fit”... yeah, I wasn't kidding. Same time same place, on my way to third period, the same supervisor calls me over and starts talking about how my shirt is “too much” and that I “had to go change” now for some reason something took over, maybe it was because I was tired and getting sick or maybe because I was just so fed up with an unfair system designed to shame girls, instead of keeping quiet I asked “ Well what about it is dress code?” without giving me a clear answer she continues to tell me to change. I tell her that my stomachs not showing and I have straps so it's actually not against the dress code, then she tries to tell me I had to change because it's see through. Is she serious right now! Why would I leave my house in the morning wearing a shirt I could see through! I tell her that it's not see through and that I can't see through it so how could she. I think she just wanted me to leave her alone at this point and she realized i definitely was not going down without a fight. So she looks me up and down and says “Well if that's what you want” and I walk away not only making it to class on time but still wearing my shirt.

Now this might sound like just a funny story of me finally cracking and fighting back against the dress code but in fact this is what girls have to deal with on a daily basis. We have to spend our time in the office changing or our time arguing about breaking a rule that we didn't even break in the first place, this results in us being late to class and for what? Because our bodies are distracting male students and staff? Dress code was designed to shame girls into hiding there bodies in order for boys to have a better learning environment. If I was a boy I would be offended that the district thinks I just want to look at girls all day instead of getting an education. As a girl I'm offended and disgusted that a boys education is set at a higher value not just because we have to cover up but when we go to cover up we are late to class but all the school seems to care about is us not being “too much”. Remember when I said the supervisors target their victims? Yeah they target girls with larger chests, and I know this for a fact. Why else would I be forced to change my shirt though it's not breaking any rules?  The dress code shames you for things they know you can not change but they expect you to somehow look different the next day, shrunken and unnoticeable. I go to school every day to get an education so that I can have a good future, I don't go so that boys will stare and me and I definitely don't go to waste my time arguing with the supervisors. So thank you for the concern, but no I will not change myself so that school will be happy.