The Anchorage School District has a strict dress code that is enforced differently at every school. For as long as this dress code has existed, it has been consistently challenged and West Anchorage High School recently decided to make a few important reforms per request of the student body. These changes included the ability to wear hats at teacher’s discretion and gave girls the privilege to wear tank tops and shirts that expose their shoulders.

But even with these changes, there seems to be a much larger portion of the rules limiting girls’ wardrobes in comparison with the boys.

Some staff members seem to think these new changes have allowed girls and boys the same rights when it comes to clothing. Students, however, tend to disagree.

As far as the enforcement of the dress code goes, Stanley Engel is the go to man. As a West High security guard, he has given more detentions and office referrals for sagging pants or exposed midriffs than any other staff member at West.

When asked about which gender generally has more dress code infractions, Engel responded, “It’s usually girls, but that’s because there are more dress codes for them to break.”

One student, generally known for her feminist attitude is Brianna Williams, a West junior. When asked about the dress code she said, “They are totally sexist! The new rules are good though, I think anything else could become a problem…” She believes that the dress code should be well enforced, but that male students should be able to focus less on what the girls wear and more on their academic endeavors while at school.

Another student who is always outspoken, and known for being sophomore class vice president, is Nicole Zelener. Zelener is never afraid to voice her opinion on matters that she feels strongly about.

In Zelener’s eyes, “Students like to wear things that staff might not get…but that’s just personal style. We are different generations and I don’t really expect them to get it, but I think we should be allowed to chose what we wear.”

She believes that personal style shouldn’t be restricted to what the school deems “appropriate” for a learning environment and that, “Girls shouldn’t have to change for guys to focus… it is our learning environment too and being sent home for a brightly colored bra strap detracts from our education a lot more than the guys’ that would have seen it in the first place.”

Overall, it seems that the views on this dress code will always vary based on age, position in the school, and background in life; as long as one exists, someone will be asking for change.