Dress Down Day

Dress Down Day at Noble Street College Prep

January 24 was the first dress down day of the second semester at Noble. So what is dress down day? Well in order to understand dress down day, one needs to know the dress code at Noble for a normal day. Students are required to wear a school uniform shirt, khaki pants, a black belt and black dress shoes. When a student chooses not to wear the appropriate attire, he/she receives four demerits and is therefore required to attend a Friday afternoon detention for three hours. (Students are also required to tuck in their shirts.) Staff dress similarly.

So what is dress down day? It is a day where students pay $3.00 (or $4.00 if they pay the day of) to be able to wear clothing other than their school uniform. But there are limitations. They may not wear t-shirts with inappropriate slogans such as beer advertisements. They may not wear shirts that show too much skin. And they may not wear gang colors. Teachers may participate in dress down day as well.

Why dress down day? Dress down day is designed to help students (juniors and seniors) obtain money for prom. All the money goes to help subsidize the cost of prom.

This time around I finally caved and "supported" the students. Actually I made an effort to remember to support them. I usually forget and am one of the only staff members in regular uniform.

Three dollars--that seems like an awful lot to just be able to wear clothes that I want to wear. In the past it was $5 and most of the time I chose not to participate because of the cost. Three dollars seems like a bargain, but what am I supporting? Prom. This doesn't seem like a good idea. Prom is a time for young people to frolic. So why am I supporting it? I guess I am hopefully showing the students that I support them, not necessarily prom.

Three dollars. I can't believe I spent $3 for something so silly. Why does this bother me? I spend $2 on a cup of coffee and yet it bothers me to spend three dollars to show students that I support them. Plus I get to wear whatever I want to to work.

This type of gross exploitation could only happy at a school that requires students to wear uniforms. Does administration like dress down day? Heck no. Deans complain about it and many demerits are issued to students who choose to wear things that are iffy. But year after year the juniors and seniors are allowed to take advantage of the staff and themselves for about $1200 per dress down day. It is a clear winner for them. There is nothing to buy (except bracelets for those that participate) and no overhead. All is profit.

And that is dress down day at Noble. No, it is not as cheap as casual Friday at a business but then again--I am helping to allow young people to engage in merrymaking.

:)