In the days before the end of the first quarter, JC changed the initial statement that all students, regardless of gender, will be required to tuck shirts into approved uniform bottoms. The initial statement had been made at the beginning of the month.

The first announcement received mixed feelings from students and parents alike, which may have influenced the administration to no longer move forward with the updated policy.

“There was a lot of commenting on the JC uniform not only within the JC community, but outside, too about the way [the current uniform] looked,” said Dean of Students Christina Presberry. She added that the administration was having a “discussion anyway about changing the uniforms” which prompted them “to move forward with a neater look” for the Patriot community.

Although discussions concerning the possibility of a new uniform have been in the works for a while now, some students were surprised by the timing of the announcement.

Junior Kinley Boyle commented, “When that change [with the uniforms] was brought on, it was a shock.”

Kinley, along with juniors Mia Snellenburg and Emily O’Steen, are members of a uniform committee created by the administration that works to plan and represent students.

This was not the intention of the administration, and Ms. Presberry said, “We are here to partner with the community, not to make them feel bad or indifferent.” She emphasized that requiring shirts to be tucked into skirts “was not a disciplinary thing” and was to simply “make the uniforms look more professional and appropriate.”

According to Kinley, “a lot of girls were concerned with how their uniform would look and did not want to come to school uncomfortable in their own clothing.”

Ms. Presberry added, “We are here to support the community, and the community at-large did not like the shirts being tucked into the skirts.”

She added that the administration “wanted the community to look and feel good in the uniforms.”

The role uniforms have in the school community is clearly important to both students and faculty.

Ms. Presberry commented, “As a community we prepare our students and develop their citizenship, and part of that is moving outside of the walls of JC, and the concept of a uniform is part of that.”

Even though the administration has decided to retract their decision to require shirts to be tucked into skirts, students should not assume the administration will relax the current dress code in place.

“We wanted to give students a transitional time to get everything in place including their uniforms,” said Ms. Presberry. “There is no trick, we just want everyone to live up to the policy and how the policies are written.”

Anyone who has questions regarding the student dress code and uniform policy can consult the student handbook on the official JC website for more information.

The winter uniform begins today, October 31.