West is brimming with students, hot-blooded and determined to make a difference in the lives of others. Junior Madeline Groves has spearheaded the movement to alter the school dress code with her campaign, “The Right to Bare Arms and Shoulders.”  Groves was spurred to take action after being dress coded on multiple occasions.

“Ever since middle school, I have been dress coded along with other girls for something most places in America deem appropriate: shoulders,” Groves said. “This year, when I was rounded up with two other girls for our shoulders showing and one had to go to In-School Suspension (ISS), I decided that was enough.”

During the third week of school, Groves began to approach students on campus in the hallways and during lunch, collecting signatures to bring about change.

“I’ve made a petition that has 420 signatures,” Groves said. “I only collected them from West for one week and frequently ran out of paper. The handful of people who did not sign were concerned about getting in trouble with student organizations.”

Junior Nishtha Prasad is an open and avid advocate of the campaign. Prasad argues that the success of students shares a direct correlation with their comfort level in the classroom.

“Education is the main purpose of school and it remains important that the student is comfortable in the learning environment,” Prasad said. “I’m not saying that I’ll fail all my classes if I’m forced to wear long sleeves every day, but my mind tends to focus more when I’m wearing garments I perceive to be more comfortable.”

Additionally, Prasad wants to make policies, such as the fingertip rule for shorts, less restrictive so that clothing, which is deemed socially acceptable outside of school, would be considered appropriate on campus as well.

“I am in full support of Madeline Groves’s campaign,” Prasad said. “I’m glad someone has finally taken a stand about this, because I’ve always thought of it as unreasonable for the school to stop us from wearing garments that are not even revealing and that not only students but much of society wears in daily life.”

Junior Alex Simms, unlike Prasad, is hesitant to make too many alterations to the dress code rules, taking into account their practical value.

“Dress code is a way to establish decency, but it seems to restrict how people truly express themselves on campus,” Simms said. “ It attempts to give us generalized attire requirements such as dress codes within the workplace. Maybe this could possibly prepare us for the future.”

Simms also reminds advocates of dress code reform to adopt a rational and respectful approach when confronting the problem.

“It’s great that people are speaking out against dress code, but they have to remember not to disrespect the people that dedicate their lives to giving them an education,” Simms said.

Groves agrees with Simms on the fact that cooperation with the faculty is vital to her cause. She has gone out of her way to collaborate with the school staff in order to come to a plausible solution.

“The admins have been quite responsive as well,” Groves said. “They discussed it at one of their administrative meetings.”

The administration were unable to revise the school dress code due to the fact that it is a district policy rather than merely a school-wide policy. However, Dr. Camica Davis, the Sub-School Principal of Lobos, encouraged Groves to persevere through this setback.

“I am supportive of students being agents of change,” Dr. Davis said.

Groves now plans to propose her ideas for a revision.

“I am going to get on the agenda for a school board meeting and present my suggestion for one and a half inch straps,” Groves said. “I’m not going to stop until this is fixed.”