You Are What You Wear, or Are You?

In an attempt to curb gangs on campuses, many school districts have established school clothing policies. Some schools have enacted dress codes; others, such as Santa Ana Unified, have made uniforms mandatory in elementary and intermediate schools. Long Beach, a pioneer in the use of uniforms in elementary schools, this year made them mandatory for its newly established high-academic high school, Wilson Classical. Should uniforms be required in public schools? Do they keep gang activity out of schools? ANNA MARIE STOLLEY asked students and parents their views.

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MARK MURPHY

15, ninth grade, Wilson Classical High School, Long Beach

I just came from a private school in Orange County where we had uniforms, but there were a lot of colors to choose from. There were so many colors that it didn’t even make our school look put together. But here we all have to wear the same color pants--khaki--and we can choose from only two colors--cardinal red or white--for our shirts.

Uniforms are a good idea. They get rid of gang emblems. The only emblem we can wear says our school name on it. Actually, I’ve never even seen gang emblems in class, but I heard a kid here had to take his belt off because it had one on it. The school’s right; everybody should have to wear the uniform.

If we had gangs in our school, it might cause fights. School is to get educated, and when you don’t all get along, it makes learning more difficult. Wearing a uniform can be a little boring, but it keeps school spirit going. And people can’t show off as much.

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JONATHAN VERDIALES

14, ninth grade, Wilson Classical High School, Long Beach

My school’s uniform policy is mandatory, unfortunately. They force you to all wear the same clothes.

I don’t really like it because I don’t like seeing myself with the same clothes every day. With your clothes, you can show your personality. I like bright colors, even if some people stare at me like I’m weird or something.

They have us wear uniforms so we won’t be involved in gangs. But you know what? People in gangs are older now, already graduated or they drop out. So what difference does it make what you wear in school?

I like to show who I am with my clothes, and I’ve found a way to do that even with a uniform like this. I do little things to make me different, like I put my Happy Face key chain hanging out of my pocket. I wear colorful bracelets and sometimes I wear a big necklace with cartoon characters.

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CANDICE CLAIBORNE

10, fifth grade, Saturn Street School, West Los Angeles

We’ve had uniforms in our school for about two years. You don’t have to wear one if you don’t want to; I don’t.

It’s OK with me that I don’t wear a uniform while some of my friends do. I don’t feel bad and I don’t feel proud. I just want to be able to wear my regular, comfortable clothes. If you want to look like all the other kids, then you wear a uniform. But I don’t want to look like they do--all the same.

I know the school wants us to wear uniforms to keep us from wearing gang clothes. And yes, it works. But when I wear my regular clothes, I’m careful about the colors. I don’t wear gang colors or gang clothes.

My mom and dad think it’s OK for me to wear what I want, and they say that with the money they would spend on just one uniform, they can buy me two outfits and school supplies too.

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SARA GUILLEN

43, mother of six, West Los Angeles

My fifth-grade daughter wears her uniform, and it’s important. It looks formal for school and it keep her from wearing gang colors.

Uniform makes the students look like they have discipline. My daughter feels good wearing it. I’d like it if the policy was changed to make uniform wearing mandatory.

We bought four uniforms for our daughter. The price was high, but it’s worth it. It’s more economical in the long run because she doesn’t wear out her play clothes. I like how she looks in her uniform: proper and clean, like a real student.

I grew up in Mexico and finished second grade, no further, although I’m going to night school now. I want my daughter to finish school so that she has more opportunities.

By wearing her uniform, my daughter is sending out the message that she will work hard. I am proud because she is a good student.

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TRACY KITTINGER

53, mother of two daughters, Long Beach

I have a daughter starting the Wilson Classical High School this year. I’m thrilled she is going into the new program, but that doesn’t mean she loves uniforms.

But this isn’t a typical school uniform. Although the outfits are color coordinated, the students can pick out the brand and style, so long as there are no logos on the shirts. So, if a student wants extra pockets or different lengths, they can, so long as a girl’s skirt is not over four inches above her knee.

Students need rules. When they were in elementary school, they learned to line up. This taught them discipline.

Uniforms get rid of any way for them to communicate that they are members of anything, including gangs. Or, you could say a uniform communicates that they are all members of a well-mannered gang of academic students.

A uniform eliminates pressure about social and economic status. When I was growing up, my parents couldn’t afford as many outfits as some other girls had. I remember some girls had a different skirt each day and you felt bad if you didn’t have the same. Caption: Times file photo It’s back to school and back to the uniform debate. Stephanie Ochoa, a first grader in Oxnard, models her school’s uniform.