In eighth grade, I took Dr. Joe Grantham’s morning algebra I class at STA. Every morning after class, I waited in the entryway of Donnelly Hall for my carpool to pick me up. Naturally, I couldn’t help gawking at all the older high school girls. However, during these intense gawking sessions, I noticed one thing – while I was dressed in my St. Peter’s School plaid shirt, polo and v-neck sweater, some STA students were not. I often wondered how so many girls got away with blatant dress code violations. Unfortunately, three years later, I still wonder this same thing.

Styles have changed, and now, most girls prefer wearing yoga pants rather than the approved skirt or black uniform dress pant. However, this is a uniform violation. The student handbook clearly states that “pants may not be: capri, cut at bottom, jeans material, sweat or flannel.” It also states that “administration reserves right to determine acceptance of pant,” which they have done multiple times.

According to principal for academic affairs Barbara McCormick, yoga pants are not allowed because they’re not uniform and they’re not professional.

“Maybe [yoga pants would be acceptable] if [STA] was a gym or if I was a yoga teacher, but we are not all that,” McCormick said.

In all honesty, I’d have to agree. STA prepares us for our future: it’s a college-preparatory high school. Most of our futures will involve colleges and professional fields, which require professional dress, and for a reason. What message would a lawyer send if she showed up to court dressed in sweat pants? Most people would think she didn’t take her job seriously. Adjectives like “lazy” and “unprepared” might be thrown around. STA students send this same message when they show up to school dressed in yoga pants.

According to McCormick, STA students and their uniforms send messages even when they are off campus. Students also send messages to visitors who come onto the STA campus.

“People draw their own conclusions based on the images they see,” McCormick said.

This couldn’t be more true. When students go to work or run errands after school, they send messages to society at large. A properly dressed student tells others that STA is a respectable and professional establishment. A student in yoga pants tells others that STA students don’t take school seriously. Is this really how you want to represent your own alma mater?

Our school–and for that matter, the nature of any school–is a unified establishment. All STA students attend the same school, play sports for the same school and should wear the same school uniform.

However, students didn’t convey this image to McCormick when she came onto the STA campus for the first time.

“I wasn’t sure what the dress pant was when I came [to STA],” McCormick said.

At one point, one of our own administrators couldn’t tell what the uniform was because of such widespread dress code violations. It’s ridiculous. All students should follow the dress code in order to convey a unified image.

Girls, lose the yoga pants and support the Academy.

Final say: nix the yoga pants.