-Hot Pink Shirts No Longer Accepted at I.E.K.H.S.

By: ZHP

On Friday , September 21, 2012, over a dozen students at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School were sent home for wearing the wrong shirt. For those who were wearing “dark” pink shirts, their parents were called and told to bring lighter pink shirts for their them.

Those whose parents could not come were sent home to get a shirt, but some students did not return. One parent carried their child to the Curriculum Center where the superintendent upheld the school’s decision.

Some parents and students were outraged. At the beginning of the fall term when students went to take their ID pictures, they were told that if they were wearing dark pink shirts with designer logos on them they would not be accepted. It should be noted that dark pink shirts were accepted last school year.

“Every institution or company has rules” said Lloyd Jackson, a monitor at Kean school. Yes every institution has rules. But the way they enforced this rule was wrong-- well to some people.

“They wasted people’s time and money,” said Elgitha Hodge, an enraged parent whose child was sent home. “If they wanted to change a rule, they should have told parents and students at orientation at the end of [last] year.”

Some students were vehement from the beginning of the school year because their parents only bought them “dark pink” and could not afford to buy them different, acceptable, shirts.

“Uniform means one. So all students must look like one,” said Dr. Sharon McCollum, the school’s principal.

Principal McCollum announced to the school that Thursday, September 20, 2012 would be the last day that dark pink shirts would be allowed. Somewhere along the way, there was miscommunication between students, parents, and faculty. Many thought that the date had been changed to Friday.

On the Friday, September 21, students arrived to school to normal greetings like “Good morning” or “Hi,” while others were told to bring another shirt. In some cases parents came back with an acceptable shirt. Other students were sent home to get one. Some just did not want to return.

“Is it more important for me to have on a ‘proper’ uniform or get an education?” asked one female senior. She raised a good question. Maybe instead we should look at our dropout rate or even the lack of learning in the classrooms.

I believe there is way too much focus on the uniform. It is silly for students to miss classes over a shirt that doesn’t hurt anyone or put them in danger.