By, Megan Tran 

Staff Writer

Students at Gabrielino High School have continuously been pulled into the Student Center for violation of the dress code. However, discrepancies between the printed information in the Student Handbook and the information explained during the class level meetings at the beginning of the year leave students confused.

is vague and leaves room for interpretation, causing students In other words, there are no definite rules, thereby leaving enforcement of the dress code to individual staff and faculty judgment.

Huffington Post contributor Many dress codes are so vague that it is nearly impossible for a teacher to cite someone for a dress code violation and be able to back up ” This is true at Gabrielino, as the
specific clothing items listed as violations during the class level meetings are never mentioned in s version of the dress code.

Students are expected to simply remember what was said at the meeting and adhere to those guidelines. According to the Professional Development Service for Teachers, teachers should teach
by both speaking and writing down what they have said so that students have something to refer back to after the lecture or discussion. However, this is not how the dress code is addressed at Gabrielino. Students who were absent or
distracted by other students during the class level meetings did not hear the additional restrictions given to the dress code.

They cannot know that they are in violation. The administration may argue that students can refer to the dress code listed on the Gabri-
elino website under the Students tab. However, that version is exactly the same as the one in the Student Handbook. It does not mention all of the specific cloth-
ing items discussed at the class level meetings. Cynthia Leung, writer for The Lowell, believes that school districts should include images of dress code violations in order
to create a comprehensive set of rules that is understood by both students and staff.

This is an ideal solution for the confusion in s dress code. Visuals and explanations should be printed in both the Student Handbook and on the school website, then reiterated during the class level meetings, in order to insure that all students understand what is expected of them in terms of appropriate school attire.

The ambiguity of the dress code causes students to continuously violate the school dress code unknowingly. Without specific rules that are accessible by all students, the school dress code cannot be fairly enforced.