What is the purpose of uniforms? The real question is, is there any real purpose to having uniform policies?

“Uni-” is a Latin prefix that means “to be one.” To be a uniform school means looking clean and appropriate and together in our communities. However, the reality of the situation is that the uniform policy’s only purpose is to make the world that revolves around Charles Herbert Flowers High School media pages look good. Pictures, videos, edited articles, and most importantly, evidence.

How does your school look? Together! We put smiles on our faces and a CHFHS logo on our chests because we believe that the positivity from this school is ever-present and that the students at this school are prim and proper.

Outgoing media is manipulated for the cost of keeping up reputations. Up until the last minute of the click of the camera, what really happens behind the stage curtains is unknown. People say that uniforms prevent bullying because everyone is wearing the same outfit. This is just not true. Bullying happens far beyond the scope of wearing the uniform and on emotional and mental levels as well. As a victim of bullying myself, I propose changing these policies.

What is needed for administrators and rule-makers to realize the effect is minimal? Teenagers will continuously find ways to verbally attack you, whether or not you are wearing the same uniform or not. Bullying is a topic of its own and a massive one indeed. It is by no means an easy problem to solve if there is a way to even solve it. However, the purpose of this article is to ask readers, “What are uniforms for?”

Some kids simply don’t wear uniforms in Charles Herbert Flowers, and some kids might not even be able to afford it! What they have is what they wear, and because of that, as students, we are being penalized. Those students with a less unfortunate financial situation will be apprehended for a situation they can’t even control.

This was Charles H. Flowers’s principal, Dr. Gorman Brown’s, statement on the uniform policy.

“Additionally, we will be supporting our students return to the school community by instituting a VOLUNTARY uniform policy for SY 2022. This means that families that would like to have their children wear the school uniform of forest green polo shirts and black pants may do so. HOWEVER, children will be allowed to attend in non-uniform attire as long as it is in compliance with the PGCPS Dress Code.”

This was sent as an email to every email within the CHFHS school on July 13, 2021.

Later in the year, it was ruled that this would be changed to a MANDATORY rule, but how many times will the rules bend and change? How will the students be able to adapt? Do what is easier for the children, not the parents! The PTA called the vote, but was there noise made about this so that students could hear and make a decision? THE PARENTS DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL! Children are the ones who deal with the changes and fluctuations in the rules, and in this school, many children do not wear the school uniform because it is easier for them, and in the classroom, whilst in the middle of taking notes or a test, a uniform will not matter.

The policy change was quickly reverted by board executives, stating that any school that had a uniform policy prior to the COVID closings was required to reinforce the same policy. What was taken into account when they made this decision? Why was it so swift and silent?

The uniform in CHFHS is a rather interesting topic due to how frequently it’s changed over the past few years. From different colored shirts for each grade level to a single shirt color and specific restrictions on the type of sweater you can wear one point, sweaters even had to be a specific color to wear! We must petition again as a group to be allowed to wear whatever we want.