NDB prides itself on empowering young women. But, before this year, I had come to the understanding that each young student’s “general appearance should be appropriate to the business of school.” In order to produce professional work, we had to dress the part.

Now, the Administration has relaxed the uniform policy. Polos are no longer required, leggings can be worn on modified-dress days, and each student is permitted one nose piercing if desired.

This was the result of a majority of students breaking the dress code in previous years. Students who chose to ignore the contract they had signed and disregard the requests of authority simply got what they wanted.

This choice to “give in” to the students has altered the way I choose to look at the school. If, in past years, NDB insisted on dressing to prepare for our successful and professional futures, where do they hold their expectations now? As a college-prep school, are they losing sight of their mission to prepare us?

Many argue that allowing more freedom in the way we dress is, in turn, permitting self-expression.

I would disagree. Even with the previous uniform policy, students had a variety of choices. Skirts and polos came in two colors, any NDB hoodie could be worn, and students had freedom in the shoes and socks they wore in the dress code. Simple jewelry was a method of expression.

So, this change in policy was not to encourage self-expression. However, if it were to encourage anything it would be encouraging rebellion and disobeying school-authority.

NDB should go back to the original school uniform policy because it would better prepare young students for a professional career and the ideas that you cannot get away with anything and you won’t always get what you want.