New Morehouse College Policy Bans Sagging

[NinjaPoodle]

Morehouse College Appropriate Attire Policy
October 2009


It is our expectation that students who select Morehouse do so because of the College’s outstanding legacy of producing leaders. On the campus and at College-sponsored events and activities, students at Morehouse College will be expected to dress neatly and appropriately at all times.

Students who choose not to abide by this policy will be denied admission into class and various functions and services of the College if their manner of attire is inappropriate. Examples of inappropriate attire and/or appearance include but are not limited to:

http://brooklynboyblues.blogspot.com...leges-new.html

• No caps, do-rags and/or hoods in classrooms, the cafeteria, or other indoor venues. This policy item does not apply to headgear considered as a part of religious or cultural dress.
  
• Sun glasses or “shades” are not to be work in class or at formal programs, unless medical documentation is provided to support use.
  
• Decorative orthodontic appliances (e.g. “grillz”) be they permanent or removable, shall not be worn on the campus or at College-sponsored events.
  
• Jeans at major programs such as, Opening Convocation, Commencement, Founder’s Day or other programs dictating professional, business casual attire, semi-formal or formal attire.
  
• Clothing with derogatory, offense and/or lewd messages either in words or pictures.
• Top and bottom coverings should be work at all times. No bare feet in public venues.
  
• No sagging—the wearing of one’s pants or shorts low enough to reveal undergarments or secondary layers of clothing.
  
• Pajamas, shall not be worn while in public or in common areas of the College.
  
• No wearing of clothing associated with women’s garb (dresses, tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the Morehouse campus or at College-sponsored events.
  
• Additional dress regulations may be imposed upon students participating in certain extracurricular activities that are sponsored or organized by the College (e.g. athletic teams, the band, Glee Club, etc).

The college reserves the right to modify this policy as deemed appropriate.
*All administrative, faculty, students and support staff members are asked to assist in enforcing this policy and may report disregard or violations to the Office of Student Conduct. "

[tld221]

Originally Posted by NinjaPoodle

Morehouse College Appropriate Attire Policy
October 2009


It is our expectation that students who select Morehouse do so because of the College’s outstanding legacy of producing leaders. On the campus and at College-sponsored events and activities, students at Morehouse College will be expected to dress neatly and appropriately at all times.

Students who choose not to abide by this policy will be denied admission into class and various functions and services of the College if their manner of attire is inappropriate. Examples of inappropriate attire and/or appearance include but are not limited to:

http://brooklynboyblues.blogspot.com...leges-new.html

• No caps, do-rags and/or hoods in classrooms, the cafeteria, or other indoor venues. This policy item does not apply to headgear considered as a part of religious or cultural dress.
  
• Sun glasses or “shades” are not to be work in class or at formal programs, unless medical documentation is provided to support use.
  
• Decorative orthodontic appliances (e.g. “grillz”) be they permanent or removable, shall not be worn on the campus or at College-sponsored events.
  
• Jeans at major programs such as, Opening Convocation, Commencement, Founder’s Day or other programs dictating professional, business casual attire, semi-formal or formal attire.
  
• Clothing with derogatory, offense and/or lewd messages either in words or pictures.
  
• Top and bottom coverings should be work at all times. No bare feet in public venues.
  
• No sagging—the wearing of one’s pants or shorts low enough to reveal undergarments or secondary layers of clothing.
  
• Pajamas, shall not be worn while in public or in common areas of the College.
  
• No wearing of clothing associated with women’s garb (dresses, tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the Morehouse campus or at College-sponsored events.
  
• Additional dress regulations may be imposed upon students participating in certain extracurricular activities that are sponsored or organized by the College (e.g. athletic teams, the band, Glee Club, etc).

The college reserves the right to modify this policy as deemed appropriate.
*All administrative, faculty, students and support staff members are asked to assist in enforcing this policy and may report disregard or violations to the Office of Student Conduct. "

I'm OK with all except the bolded - so theyre pretty much saying no crossdressing. Seems very "don't ask, don't tell" to me. or am i being a captain obvious?

i dunno, unless i'm missing something, im still OK with the dress code. i think college, in general, teaches you a thing or two about growing up and how to appropriately dress for the occasion. I think it's totally OK to set a code for classes, academic buildings (including the library) and official University events (where image is key and you represent a university standard, from the President down to the mailroom staff and security guards) but i think study areas, dining halls, and other casual campus venues could be a little more lax.

Does Spelman have a similar code, in particular, not wearing clothing associated with men's garb (fedoras, ties, etc)?

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by tld221

I'm OK with all except the bolded - so theyre pretty much saying no crossdressing. Seems very "don't ask, don't tell" to me. or am i being a captain obvious?

i dunno, unless i'm missing something, im still OK with the dress code. i think college, in general, teaches you a thing or two about growing up and how to appropriately dress for the occasion. I think it's totally OK to set a code for classes, academic buildings (including the library) and official University events (where image is key and you represent a university standard, from the President down to the mailroom staff and security guards) but i think study areas, dining halls, and other casual campus venues could be a little more lax.
Does Spelman have a similar code, in particular, not wearing clothing associated with men's garb (fedoras, ties, etc)?

Yes. That right there. Even when I was in undergrad, there were certain professors that had some 'unspoken rules' about how to come prepared for class. Some were even more outspoken and I even witnessed one dean in my freshman year have a student leave because he insisted on wearing his grillz to class.

Some things you should know to do in your spare time and some you should know to bring to a professional environment.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Yes. That right there. Even when I was in undergrad, there were certain professors that had some 'unspoken rules' about how to come prepared for class. Some were even more outspoken and I even witnessed one dean in my freshman year have a student leave because he insisted on wearing his grillz to class.

Some things you should know to do in your spare time and some you should know to bring to a professional environment.

Even jewelry wearing has a code - you wouldnt wear an iced out jesus piece to an interview or to church, right? Similarly, one wouldnt wear a string of pearls to the club.

Grillz (i love that its only spelled correctly with a "z") aren't ever appropriate, unless you have a cameo in a music video below the Mason-Dixon line.

I went to the hoodest of high schools and while im hardly the troublemaker, i got sent home once for a headscarf. My hair was a wreck that day, it just wasnt happening. His response?

"Is school not important enough to attempt to be presentable for your peers and teachers?"

My 16-year-old self argued, but the now-25-year-old me totally gets it. If you felt the need to take your braids out halfway, then come to class, your priorities are elsewhere. Handle that and come back.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by tld221

My 16-year-old self argued, but the now-25-year-old me totally gets it.

LOL

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by tld221

Even jewelry wearing has a code - you wouldnt wear an iced out jesus piece to an interview or to church, right? Similarly, one wouldnt wear a string of pearls to the club.

Grillz (i love that its only spelled correctly with a "z") aren't ever appropriate, unless you have a cameo in a music video below the Mason-Dixon line.

I went to the hoodest of high schools and while im hardly the troublemaker, i got sent home once for a headscarf. My hair was a wreck that day, it just wasnt happening. His response?

"Is school not important enough to attempt to be presentable for your peers and teachers?"

My 16-year-old self argued, but the now-25-year-old me totally gets it. If you felt the need to take your braids out halfway, then come to class, your priorities are elsewhere. Handle that and come back.

Heck, my public high school (back in the 80s...LOL) had more dress rules that we understood than most places now.

I also agree with the bolded.

Back to the saggy pants tho...I have just been one of many that is of the opinion that saggy jeans are one of the most inappropiate displays of dress that any person of any race could wear and come outside in.

It's bad when a law has to be passed to tell someone that no one else wants to see your boxers!!

Originally Posted by Little32

The infrastructure does not exist because in the past such codes have been unwritten and yet uniformally understood and enacted(and I am not just talking about dress codes here). Colleges are now having to devise the regulations to try to curtail behaviors that, very honestly, did not exist on such a broad scale even 10, 15 years ago.

This kind of comes back to what I was just saying. You more or less had 'unspoken' rules about what to do, where certain things were and weren't allowed on campus. But nowadays, people iinsist on having EVERYTHING in writing in order to know what is being said and done is legit and on the table, so my guess is these rules are being put into place because of that.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by tld221

you wouldnt wear an iced out jesus piece to an interview or to church, right?

I don't know about you, but I rock my Jesus piece at all times, son.

Bonus points if it's got black diamonds, to go with your "all black everything. "

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I don't know about you, but I rock my Jesus piece at all times, son.

Bonus points if it's got black diamonds, to go with your "all black everything. "

LOL. I actually have seen people with the blinged out Jesus pieces at church. The priest just gave them a dirty look during the sermon.

[JBaby1981]

After having read all of the articles, I have to say that I am for the dress code. I attended a private high school (over 10 years go) which of course had a strict dress code. While men in womens clothing was not something that ever occured on our campus, I'm quite sure it would have been deemed not acceptable. Not because of a homophobic administration, but because of the rules that each student simply has to abide. IMO, you cannot expect a group of 17 to 20 something males to truly understand why it would be important to leave your lax attire for the appropriate occasion. I truly believe that 10 years from now, they will all look back and appreciate that they were given direction and guidance that prepared them for awaited them beyond those walls. Self expression and individuality are perfectly acceptable (as previouisly mentioned) but there is a time and a place.

In reference to Dr. King and his statement regarding Men (or people) being judged by there content/character rather than skin color, I hardly think he was referring to sagging jeans or anything of the sort. He was speaking specfically regarding the racisim that he and other African Americans were experiencing at that time.

Cross dressing, while I do not support any type of discrimination on any levels I have to say that I also believe it is inappropriate for class. If a transgender woman is seeking or planning to have gender reassignment then they obviously would not be a candidate for Morehouse College. Otherwise I have to say that I'd support it whole heartedly. Just my opinion....

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by JBaby1981

In reference to Dr. King and his statement regarding Men (or people) being judged by there content/character rather than skin color, I hardly think he was referring to sagging jeans or anything of the sort. He was speaking specfically regarding the racisim that he and other African Americans were experiencing at that time.

Yes, but what is racism if not judging a person or discriminating against them just because of their outward appearance. I don't know what the term would be, but judging somebody by what subculture they follow seems little different to me.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by tld221

I'm OK with all except the bolded - so theyre pretty much saying no crossdressing. Seems very "don't ask, don't tell" to me. or am i being a captain obvious?

I disagree. "Don't ask, don't tell" deals with sexual orientation. Sexual orientation and crossdressing (or transgenderism and transsexualism, for that matter) are not the same thing. Therefore, asking young men not to wear women's clothes isn't regulating who they are attracted to.

I agree with the rest of your post, except that the dresscode should pertain to everywhere on campus except maybe inside the residence halls. Laxing the dresscode beyond that will make it impossible to enforce without security measures that will be blasted in the media.

I think the real conflict is that people see college campuses as places of free expression and self-exploration. Most private and public institutions have always found ways, perhaps more subtle than a dresscode, to keep the more "distracting" modes of expression in control.

Morehouse's policy may just have bad timing and come as a surprise to those who enjoyed an all-male atmosphere where they could wear really baggy clothes or a woman's tunic. Advertising the assistance of an 11 year old didn't calm the naysayers, either. Hampton Univ. and other institutions didn't wait for shit to hit the fan to take a critical look at its policies. Give Morehouse's dresscode a few years and it will become ingrained in the college culture with much less hooplah.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I disagree. "Don't ask, don't tell" deals with sexual orientation. Sexual orientation and crossdressing (or transgenderism and transsexualism, for that matter) are not the same thing. Therefore, asking young men not to wear women's clothes isn't regulating who they are attracted to.

Ok, point taken. To me, i read that particular rule as "you need to present yourself the way society expects a heterosexual male to dress." im not trying to box anyone in on the basis of their clothes, as i know lots of straight dudes who carry purses/totebags and IMO, wear what looks good on you. It just seems to me that if a student decided to wear a tunic and ballet flats, regardless of how he thinks it defines his masculinity or orientation, the institution is within bounds to disagree and enforce otherwise.

[33girl]

I don't think they should have put the no crossdressing part in with the "dress professionally, no saggy jeans" part - IMO they are two very different issues and people are doing them for two very different reasons. Plopping them all in the same code just muddies the waters about why this is being done.

DS - you asked about men's-style clothing. I don't know how Spelman could say no to it since it's become pretty culturally accepted. Vogue and other magazines have featured women in suits and fedoras - or grungy flannel & Docs - but I've never seen GQ do a housedress layout.

And FWIW, I would totally wear a strand of pearls to a club with beat up jeans and motorcycle boots, because I'm a punk like that.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by 33girl

DS - you asked about men's-style clothing. I don't know how Spelman could say no to it since it's become pretty culturally accepted. Vogue and other magazines have featured women in suits and fedoras - or grungy flannel & Docs - but I've never seen GQ do a housedress layout.

Point taken but I think there is still a large part of of society where saggy jeans is not considered appropiate.

And while yes, certain styles may be seen in magazines, doesn't always translate into being a professional in the workforce, not unless that is what your job calls for.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Point taken but I think there is still a large part of of society where saggy jeans is not considered appropiate.

And while yes, certain styles may be seen in magazines, doesn't always translate into being a professional in the workforce, not unless that is what your job calls for.

This is what I meant about not mixing the two together. You just did it. Spelman could hardly ban something like this as I think it would be acceptable in most workplaces. But it's definitely on the "menswear" tip.

I think the guys wearing dresses to class have ZERO to do with the guys wearing XXXXXXXXXXXL white t shirts and saggy jeans to class. It's two completely different matters and should have been addressed as such. Because, theoretically, a transvestite can be in full dress and look perfectly appropriate in an office situation. As long as you don't know she's got some junk under that Tahari suit.