Opinion: Wearing hats in school creates unneeded distractions

Grahm Staib, Writer
January 3, 2020

It is a common occurrence at Fenton High for a teacher to have to remind a student of the school dress code. By far the most frequent violation of Fenton’s dress code is the wearing of hats. Despite the repeated efforts of staff members to curb this trend, it is still commonplace to see kids roaming the halls, or sitting in a classroom with a hat on. The question remains, why do some students continue to break the school’s no-hat policy?

While it could be said that wearing hats can protect students from insecurities such as hair loss, or allow students to express themselves fashion-wise, the real reason behind the students wearing hats, whether they recognize it or not, is that it is a form of rebellion. According to Psychology Today, high school teens rebel against adult authority as an act to break away from “childhood dependency.” Even though wearing hats is a minor offense, it still falls under the category of rebellion.

Understandably, a counter-argument would be that allowing students to wear hats would quell this rebellious nature. Fenton High allows students many freedoms, such as phone usage. The school does not want students to get careless and forget who runs the school. This sounds extreme, but having rules (such as no hats) helps the administration maintain control over the students.

The school has chosen this method as well to strengthen the school’s security. Hats can be used by intruders to hide their identity, which can put students in danger. Following the Parkland shooting, FHS has taken the proper methods, including active shooter drills, to prepare students for an active shooter was on school grounds. Being able to identify intruders would allow staff to prevent this situation from occurring.

I might be one of the lone students that agrees with the school here, but I believe that it is a rule that keeps students compliant. Many private schools make their students wear uniforms for this reason; wearing hats is a minuscule issue to get worked up over.