Hats, hoodies should be allowed indoors at school

by Isaiah P.

On a regular basis in my Journalism class, Dr. R. is always fussing about kids wearing hats. It seems like she should have a lot more important things to worry about. In many schools in the United States there is one rule that students hate more than the no phone rule and that is the no hat or hoodie rule. This rule has been around for about 20+ years, based on what I can tell from interviews with the older adults in my life, and according to Medium.com , it was originally created as a rule to help prevent the schools from intruders and invaders. Intruders or kids up to no good can hide their identity on surveillance cameras if a hat or hoodie is worn, claim the anti-hat constituency. Throughout my ten years of school, this rule has always been enforced by the teachers in my schools ad nauseum, and many students I am friends with have even gotten referrals for violating this nonsensical rule. Hats and hoodies shouldn't be enforced in school mainly because it’s just another way for adults in the building to try to assert their authority over teenagers, rather than earning their respect in other ways, although there are several other reasons that hats and hoodies should be allowed as well.

The first reason why hats or hoodies should be able to be worn is that students learn better in a more comfortable environment, which includes wearing what feels best for them. According to an article similar to the one I am writing found at WildCatVoice.org, the student-run newspaper of Mayfield Middle School, located in Ohio, “Comfort leads to better focus, productivity, and learning. There is a portion of students who wear hoods without the tent being disrespectful.” Echoing this other student journalist’s voice, I agree; students learn best when they feel secured and safe. A lot of kids have anxiety and very little things can set off major reactions for that reason. This can cause stress for some students and they can't learn properly. According to an article written by a student at yet another high school, this one available at SHSNews.org, “Some students wear hoods because it makes them feel more comfortable in class. A hood can act as a security blanket in this way.” Just let the kids be comfortable, feel less stress, and wear a hat or hoodie if it makes them feel safe.

Secondly, most schools in the United States do not let individual teachers control their A/C units in the schools. Such is the case at AHS. Only the district office can control that. At Airport High School, most of the time the classrooms are very cold and that alone can make students not want to learn because it's so cold they cannot even focus on anything else except being cold. Allowing students to wear hoodies will make them feel more comfortable and warm' During the winter time at Airport they still have cold AC units and many students get sick. Even I myself have gotten sick many times because of that. Maybe I would not have gotten sick had I been allowed to cover my head, which is where most of the heat in one’s body escapes.

Last but not least, who are the hats and hoods hurting? Kids wearing hats and hoods are not being disrespectful and they're not disturbing anyone. Most teachers enforce this rule a lot and some teachers don't even like the rule. Most teachers who enforce this rule think that hats and hoods being worn are a sign of a student being disrespectful. Some even feel that hats and hoodies will affect the administration's ability to identify students if needed. Many students don’t wear the hats and hoods to be disrespectful, they wear them in a sense of their own needs.

With all the reasons that I have given for hats and hoodies being something we should be able to wear in school, some people might say wearing hats and hoodies in school can make it harder to identify intruders and identify students. Even though that may be true, many school shootings have still occurred even with this rule being enforced. Another reason people may say is that hoods and hats can be disrespectful in a way. And my question is how? Students wear hoodies and hats for the comfort of themselves and make them feel safe. Many people who wear hoods in school wear them because of reasons like them being antisocial and not wanting to be bothered by anyone. They aren't hurting themselves or anyone else or distracting anyone from learning so it shouldn't matter.

I interviewed two students at AHS and this is what they had to say about the matter. A sophomore named Daniel J. proclaimed, “The rule doesn't make a difference at all because everyday students still wear the hoods and hats after being told numerous times throughout the year to take them off. They usually put them back on after being out of the eye of the teacher who told them to take it off.” Another sophomore student named Machi B. stated that “The rule should not be really forced on the hoodies, but I can see why they force it on hats because of the safety issues. I think hoodies should be an exception.”

In conclusion, I think you should be able to wear hats and hoodies because at the end of the day they benefit you. You're not disturbing, interrupting, or causing trouble to anyone. It can also be a less rule teachers wouldn't have to enforce. And as said in my reasons it can help kids learn better when they're comfortable. If you feel like this rule should be changed, do as I did and write something stating evidence on why we as the students want it changed.