Women’s fashion is constantly changing, and this year, for the first time in decades, the school’s dress code is also changing to reflect fashion trends and address inequities in how the old code was enforced. 

After seeing and hearing about students’ bad experiences with the dress code, such as girls getting called to the front of the class to get cited for their attire, senior Surina Naran decided to do something about it. As part of the Superintendent Student Advisory Council Naran started with sending students surveys and asking what they would like to change about the dress-code along with personal experiences with teachers or staff dress coding them.

Among the most significant changes, girls can wear tops with spaghetti straps and running shorts–even though the length doesn’t reach a girl’s fingertips with her arms at her side. 

“I got to wear spaghetti straps to school and this was the first day of school that I’ve ever been able to do that without worrying about being dress-coded,” said Naran.

Later sending out the survey, the Superintendent student advisory council received 4,494 responses from students. That only made Naran want to push harder for change.

“Seeing the responses made me know that we needed to continue to move forward, even if people were against it,” she said. 

Throughout the process, Naran had to make compromises. 

“I think it’s hard to find a middle ground into how to write rules as personal as what you wear because everyone has a different way of expressing themselves,” said Naran. 

School administrators say they will review the new dress code later in the year. One area that will need to be looked at is the prohibition of the display of weapons. Vice Principal Jennifer Keith said officials have already discussed that this rule would ban clothing with the school logo, which features the face of a raider and two swords. 

Though Rio has sent out flyers for the new dress-code, the code has not officially changed district-wide. VPs have shared that they will start dress coding students after word gets out about the new changes.

With all the progress of the new dress code Naran is proud of how far she’s come. 

“The most motivating thing about this process was knowing that it was really wanted by many,” she said. “It was also all my incredible friends, peers, and teachers who celebrated the little victories with me.”