Sarah Kinzler

Senior Michael Hoherchak (left) and Economics Teacher Mr. White (right)

When considering the diverse fashion within our school, it isn’t right to strictly think about our student body. A majority of our teaching staff has the same problem when it comes to dressing “appropriately” in the work place. You are more likely to see a teacher wearing jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt than a suit and tie just as us kids like to sag our pants and wear close to nothing.

One of the teachers that come to mind when discussing casual dress is Mr. White. We all know and love him for his amazing humor, but I decided it would be intriguing to make him slightly uncomfortable by asking if he has a specific strategy for dressing for school. He explained how he gets dressed in the dark every morning because his wife is still sleeping and she should not be disturbed. Whatever can be seen is what gets thrown on and he further explained that “it’s not a strategy, it’s survival.” As I questioned further about whether or not he agrees with teachers being able to dress casually in an educational environment, he said yes, but that a part of him says, “Give me a dress code and then I’ll abide by it.” This draws attention to the fact that though there is an expected way for teachers to dress, there are no exact guidelines behind it.

The unofficial standard for most “formal” male teachers is to wear khakis, dress shoes, a nice shirt, and a tie. This led me to questioning White about whether or not he would wear what he was wearing today (a U-Knight t-shirt, khakis, and black sneakers) to our school open house. Immediately he let out a nervous giggle as he admits: “No, I will wear the teacher uniform of khakis and a blazer.”

A very common division in the staff’s dress code occurs between coaches or health/ gym teachers and normal academic teachers. The coaches are constantly sporting school spirited t-shirts and athletic-wear down to the newest Nike sneakers. White is the new coach of the girls’ soccer team and has had many years of coaching experience, so I thought it appropriate to ask if he feels that since he coaches a team he has more right to wear athletic clothing than others. He replied that he should be the only teacher allowed to get away with it due to the fact that he “works the hardest.” He further explained that he has a personal right to wear what he does since he gets to school before six every morning to work with athletic students.

When discussing all the judgment that is aimed towards White and many other teachers in this school for their lax style choices, I asked for one final comment to all of the kids who have a problem with the matter. Mr. White smiled and simply answered: “Pull your pants up and then we can talk.”

So there you have it kids. Next time you go to make fun of White for his “casual” attire, make sure your pants are pulled up to your waist and keep in mind all of the other teachers in the school that don’t care just as much!