WHHS is known as one of America’s top public high schools. Many students agree that Walnut focuses more on the education, safety, and success of their students and less on other aspects, like a strict dress code policy.
WHHS’ dress code explains that nothing that is violent or could offend any faculty member or student should under no circumstances ever be worn.
“They’re not restricting what you can wear, just what the things can say,” Karisma Lewis, ‘25, said. “Having your legs or shoulders out isn’t affecting if I’m able to learn five plus five.”
Many students agree that these policies make them feel like they can focus more on their education, and less on if they’re going to get in trouble for something they wear.
Effies, who are new to the school, already feel comfortable in this environment.
“Part of Walnut’s goal is diversity and a lot of people express themselves through what they wear,” Miriam Monroe, ‘30, said.” So I think they want students to be able to wear what they want and be themselves.”
When asked if people truly pay attention to what you’re wearing, most students said not really. Many students agree that no outfit has ever distracted them from doing what they have to do in school, which is to learn.
“To be honest, I feel like nobody really pays attention to what you wear, it’s more about what you bring to the table in terms of personality than the clothes you wear,” Sanya Joshi, ‘27, said. “I feel like they try to encourage people to focus on non-materialistic things and that it doesn’t really matter what you wear as long as you’re a good human.”
English teacher Francesca Bownas-Rayburn, who has experienced both private and public school dress codes, agrees with our school’s policy and students.
“I feel that one policy is broad enough to allow Walnut students to be comfortable to express themselves- to present themselves in a way that they best want to present themselves- but still having a line that prevents the learning environment from turning into a circus,” Rayburn said. “The only concern is that the disruption to the learning environment is very subjective and what one teacher or faculty member might consider disruptive might not be the same thing that another faculty member considers disruptive.”
Just like multiple students, she agrees that the dress code rules are good as is and should go “no farther than they currently are.”
“I was very grateful that Walnut allows the students to make those decisions for themselves,” Rayburn said.
A sentence in this article was edited for clarity after the print issue was released.