I had to write a summary for my Eng 102 class, for the article, "No More Mr. Saggypants", by Andy Guess. You can find the original article here . This is my finished product ...
In “No More Mr.
Saggypants” by Andy Guess, B.A. of Information Science from Cornell University,
documents universities and colleges enforcing a dress code for students while
on campus and the reaction it gave. Some students can be regarded as fairly
ignorant to how they should dress in certain circumstances often mimicking the popular
culture of hip-hop and its counterparts (pants so low, underwear is shown) or
they’re just plain lazy (wearing their pajamas) . “I don’t think they know how
to dress”, said Richard Holland, President of the University of West Alabama.
Therefore, it becomes relevant that a dress code become enforced to ensure that
the students know what’s appropriate to wear in any given environment. Practice
of such dress codes will give students more confidence when they begin their
journey as a post-grad and later as a career-minded individual.
Guess goes on to
prove how the President at Paul Quinn College in southern Dallas, enlisted a
dress code policy everyday of the week with the exception of Fridays; ISU’s College
of Business made it a requirement to wear “business casual” in specific
business majors. These policies were met with luke-warm-to-warm reception from
the students who had to adhere to them. Richard Holland continues by saying, “We’re
not trying to be punitive at all, we’re trying to give them guidance.”
However, if there’s
going to be a dress policy that the students are expected to stick to then
there must be authority on campus to enforce the rules also. But according to
Donmonique Gracie, vice president of the student government of West Alabama, “the
professors haven’t really been enforcing [the dress code].” Therefore it stands that the professors who
see the students daily should be held accountable also by their superiors in
making sure the dress code is enforced.
In conclusion, students
are not always directed properly on how they should dress. Therefore, dress codes
within the campus, so long as they’re consistently enforced, can give students
the ability to learn that how they dress can affect their overall success,
whether in a classroom environment or a professional one. These policies will
give them a better understanding of what’s appropriate and save them from
future embarrassment.
