I’m so fucking confused??? It’s COLLEGE! These kids pay over 20 grand to be there. As long as the nipples and privates are covered…then what does it matter?? These kids have their whole lives to wear business casual in white environments. Put those sweat pants on,wrap that buss down up, and go to class!
I'm a melanin challenged old chick of pallor. I teach at Title 1 schools. Most students do try - some of the schools even have uniforms. BUT, and this is important - sometimes life just doesn't flow well.. The water in the dorm or apartment cuts out half-way through the shower. For whatever reason, hair day gets postponed.. We had a young lady that was allowed to wear a hood (really not allowed in the school district for reasons) because Dad was out of town, and Mom wouldn't let her wear her cover (religious).... young lady was fine with the sentiment, but had not had time to have her hair done, so felt a right mess. One young man (not African American) was allowed a hood for a period of time because he had misbehaved in a way that prompted his parents to cut his long hair (long enough he actually did need to tie it back for science labs) into a buzz cut - and in his culture it involved shame (he didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't ask too many questions - some of his friends just told me it was hard to explain, but not to ask).
All of this to say, if the student is basically clean, and otherwise neatly presents, I think they can be given a pass. I spent 22 years in the Navy Reserves, and yes, I knew how to present myself in my uniform with everything in regs. I also wore suits to job interviews for jobs where no one wore suits, not even the supervisors (male or female), and dressed appropriately for symphony concerts or plays at the National or Ford's in DC. However, at ODU in my late 20s, I arrived on campus at 6:00AM to swim laps on the two days I was on campus, worked in the financial aid office before and between classes (10-15 hours a week), and then had a night class that went until 8 or 10 (depending on the semester) - full schedule in two days. My 'uniform' was jeans, with a t-shirt and sweatshirt, and sneakers, because sometimes I was literally running across campus. I get that I have privilege based on my skin tone, but I also worked with AFrican and African American students who dressed similarly. Even as a teacher, in my 60s, most days are sneaker days because: military knees and feet - and something comfortable - jeans and themed t-shirt or dress with leggings because as a middle school science teacher, I never know when I could end up on the floor (intentionally or not), or climbing on my counters to reach higher shelves, or the tops of said shelves. When the economy is what it is, students require so much financial aid (business attire donation closets or no), and debilitating student debt... maybe focusing on academics is more important than a business casual dress code.
Such an important article. Wishing all the best to these young students pursuing their education in such a troubling time 💝 Tuskegee University, listen to your students and do right by them!! Really all HBCUs need to get it together and remember their core mission which is to serve their students!!!
This is gross. I attended an ivy. There was no dress code or expectation of people having a suit. Heck I’m thankful of that because I couldn’t have afforded one. Schools should worry about building up and supporting their students. Not tearing them down.
It shouldn't be up to the administration to determine dress for students. They already know how to dress professionally. If a student showed up at my school in a suit, I'd call the counselor. Ridiculous. These are young people trying to educate themselves. Not there to win fashion awards. Administrators, sweep your own front porches.
I think this article shows that the students are MUCH smarter and more aware of things than many of the commenters and mainstream media covering this thinks they are!!! Just because they're young/Gen Z doesn't mean they have zero sense at all (which is what I'm seeing a lot of people thinking.) These students KNOW their school and its culture, they STILL can land internships and they KNOW how to dress for them regardless, and they can see right through their administration that this is a non-issue.
The one young lady also called out students not affording to get their hair done in order to NOT wear bonnets and durags, how there are existing campus initiatives to get students professional clothing, and also how the school is slipping into conservatism (i.e., giving the GOP senator an honorary degree). These revelations bring so much more context and nuance to the conversation! The kids are more intelligent than you think! Kudos to Phil for highlighting this. 👏🏾
This gave a lot more perspective compared to all the news and discourse I've seen online. It's nice to hear from the students themselves
Do they want students or not? Fuck 'em.
Of course Phil provides the much needed nuance that the mainstream media and social media completely lack. Thank you for your REAL journalism, Phil!
I’m so fucking confused??? It’s COLLEGE! These kids pay over 20 grand to be there. As long as the nipples and privates are covered…then what does it matter?? These kids have their whole lives to wear business casual in white environments. Put those sweat pants on,wrap that buss down up, and go to class!
I'm a melanin challenged old chick of pallor. I teach at Title 1 schools. Most students do try - some of the schools even have uniforms. BUT, and this is important - sometimes life just doesn't flow well.. The water in the dorm or apartment cuts out half-way through the shower. For whatever reason, hair day gets postponed.. We had a young lady that was allowed to wear a hood (really not allowed in the school district for reasons) because Dad was out of town, and Mom wouldn't let her wear her cover (religious).... young lady was fine with the sentiment, but had not had time to have her hair done, so felt a right mess. One young man (not African American) was allowed a hood for a period of time because he had misbehaved in a way that prompted his parents to cut his long hair (long enough he actually did need to tie it back for science labs) into a buzz cut - and in his culture it involved shame (he didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't ask too many questions - some of his friends just told me it was hard to explain, but not to ask).
All of this to say, if the student is basically clean, and otherwise neatly presents, I think they can be given a pass. I spent 22 years in the Navy Reserves, and yes, I knew how to present myself in my uniform with everything in regs. I also wore suits to job interviews for jobs where no one wore suits, not even the supervisors (male or female), and dressed appropriately for symphony concerts or plays at the National or Ford's in DC. However, at ODU in my late 20s, I arrived on campus at 6:00AM to swim laps on the two days I was on campus, worked in the financial aid office before and between classes (10-15 hours a week), and then had a night class that went until 8 or 10 (depending on the semester) - full schedule in two days. My 'uniform' was jeans, with a t-shirt and sweatshirt, and sneakers, because sometimes I was literally running across campus. I get that I have privilege based on my skin tone, but I also worked with AFrican and African American students who dressed similarly. Even as a teacher, in my 60s, most days are sneaker days because: military knees and feet - and something comfortable - jeans and themed t-shirt or dress with leggings because as a middle school science teacher, I never know when I could end up on the floor (intentionally or not), or climbing on my counters to reach higher shelves, or the tops of said shelves. When the economy is what it is, students require so much financial aid (business attire donation closets or no), and debilitating student debt... maybe focusing on academics is more important than a business casual dress code.
Such an important article. Wishing all the best to these young students pursuing their education in such a troubling time 💝 Tuskegee University, listen to your students and do right by them!! Really all HBCUs need to get it together and remember their core mission which is to serve their students!!!
This is gross. I attended an ivy. There was no dress code or expectation of people having a suit. Heck I’m thankful of that because I couldn’t have afforded one. Schools should worry about building up and supporting their students. Not tearing them down.
It shouldn't be up to the administration to determine dress for students. They already know how to dress professionally. If a student showed up at my school in a suit, I'd call the counselor. Ridiculous. These are young people trying to educate themselves. Not there to win fashion awards. Administrators, sweep your own front porches.
Thank you for hearing our POV Phil it means more than you know!
I think this article shows that the students are MUCH smarter and more aware of things than many of the commenters and mainstream media covering this thinks they are!!! Just because they're young/Gen Z doesn't mean they have zero sense at all (which is what I'm seeing a lot of people thinking.) These students KNOW their school and its culture, they STILL can land internships and they KNOW how to dress for them regardless, and they can see right through their administration that this is a non-issue.
The one young lady also called out students not affording to get their hair done in order to NOT wear bonnets and durags, how there are existing campus initiatives to get students professional clothing, and also how the school is slipping into conservatism (i.e., giving the GOP senator an honorary degree). These revelations bring so much more context and nuance to the conversation! The kids are more intelligent than you think! Kudos to Phil for highlighting this. 👏🏾
Great read! A reminder that the ones most affected and forgotten in the discourse are the current students.