-Uniforms Again!

By Bose B

It seems that every year as the new school year begins, a new set of rules comes rolling in. Every year at the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, there seems to have new additions to the uniform policy. This year the females' socks had to be several inches above their ankles; it is mandatory that seniors wear ties; and freshman students have to wear patches on their school shirts. A male senior attending Kean asked, "Are most of these changes necessary because in my opinion school is school." What I think the student is trying to say is that they're coming to school to learn. So what do uniform changes have to do with them learning?

Mr. Leayle Robinson, Dean of Students, replied to this question with, "The uniform is meant to keep everyone in one mind; one body; one unit. This is considered to be training for a future beyond the gates of Kean, whether you're going into the Army, the workforce, or even higher education. We're trying to teach the students discipline, so when they leave Kean, they’re ready for the Army, Navy, the workplace, or what's out there in the world!"

Asked about the uniforms, one Red Hook community member said , "The colors are beautiful and the way that the students represent their uniforms is excellent. While on the other hand, [some] students tend to make the uniform look bad by wearing them in disrespectful ways. Some of the girls wear short skirts and tight shirts in the same ways they go out and party. The guys wear their pants so low that you can see the crack of their bottoms. It's not cute, it's really disgusting!"

The Ivanna Eudora Kean High School administration has made an attempt to end some the gang violence that kept happening throughout the years by being strict about uniforms. “Since I’ve attended Kean, I’ve always noticed that students who associated themselves with the gangs “Crips and Bloods” wore red or blue under shirts to show their associations with the gangs” says a 2007 graduate from Kean. I remember when my friends and I wore purple shirts and accessories.

Many Ivanna Eudora Kean High School students seem to have their own "unique" rules for their uniforms. Every student wants to express their own individuality, but they fail to realize that a uniform means that every one has to look alike. It all boils down to uniformity.