Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 14, 1990 TAG: 9003143262
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: YOLETTE NICHOLSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The issue involves whether students should be allowed to wear shorts to school, particularly when the temperature hits the 80s. School policy prohibits shorts. The kids disagree and banded together this week to express their dissatisfaction.
"They made an announcement at the end of the day [Tuesday] that you weren't to wear shorts, so everybody came to school wearing shorts, a bunch of people did anyway," Jason Roberts, 14, said. "I mean, everybody's got them now. I got mine.
"They've just got to say yes because if they don't, everybody's just going to fly off the handle."
Chris Bradley, 14, said most of the students don't agree with the administration's reasons for not allowing shorts.
"They say we're not mature enough to wear them, but they let the high schoolers wear them and they have air conditioning too," Bradley said. "But what I really don't understand is that they let the elementary schools wear them."
Student Cooperative Association Vice President Stephanie James, 15, said the student government met this morning to discuss the issue.
"I think we should wear them because it doesn't affect the way we learn and I think if we get what we want we'll stop disobeying the rules."
James said the situation reached a peak Tuesday.
"Everybody started beating on the tables yelling `we want shorts,' " she said. "I think if we get what we want, we'll stop trying to cause so much trouble."
"It was more like a revolution," Bradley said.
Northside Junior High Principal James Wood said he tried to reason with the students.
"The students yesterday [Tuesday] decided that they didn't appreciate or like the shorts policy, so I talked with them in the cafeteria and also on the PA to explain that there was a rule and they needed to abide by it until such time as change is made. I also told them about the channels to use to make such change."
Wood said he told them he wanted to work with the student government, the PTA and the staff to get the shorts policy changed.
"I asked them to be cooperative and work with us because change happens better and more effective when we work through processes."
Despite Wood's request, approximately 25 students arrived at school this morning wearing shorts.
The bare-legged rebels were confined to a room together to do their work and wait for a decision.
The students said they decided to break the rules because they thought it was the only way they would be heard.
"I've been here for three years and every year they say the same thing and everything always stays the same way," Christopher Page, 14, said.
The students also claimed that they had been led to believe that their efforts to go through the proper channels would not work.
"I was signing a petition and the assistant principal Mr. [Dick] Miley said I was wasting my time . . . that nothing would get done," Brian Cedney, 14, said.
Other students said teachers had threatened to confiscate their petitions and throw them away.
Wood said he had not heard about these incidents but that he would look into it. He said the students' chances of accomplishing their goal was looking positive.
"I know the times are a lot more informal than they used to be with the adult world as well as with students, and personally I feel that this is a good time to re-look at things."
Wood said he would probably have an answer to the students' demand by the end of the school day.
by CNB