JAY — Seventeen-year-old Shauna Gordon wrote an article in the high school newspaper, Phoenix Prophecies, about the school’s dress code she considers reasonable.

Gordon is the assembler of the paper put out by teacher Sue Stevenson’s journalism class at Spruce Mountain High School’s north campus in Jay.

Gordon, of Jay, is one of several students who write about different topics each quarter.

Gordon’s was the lead story above the fold in the paper this past fall. It was headlined “Dress Code: Is it really that unreasonable?”

There has always been a dress code, Gordon said, but last year students were not following it and it got out of hand.

During the first part of the 2010-11 school year, it appeared staff was being lenient toward the dress code. Then when it got hotter out, shorts became shorter and tops became smaller, she said.

At the beginning of this school year, Principal Gilbert Eaton drafted a more detailed version and put it in the student handbook for both Jay and the south campus high school in Livermore Falls.

Eaton has been enforcing it at his school and staff has as well.

Eaton told the school board in August 2011 that students need to understand that clothing should not distract from the educational process, he said.

He outlined the guidelines that include wearing clothing that must cover the full upper torso and must extend below fingertips fully extended at one’s side, he said. Cleavage should not be showing, he said.

Other guidelines are no underwear showing, no spandex, no torn or tattered clothing, no hats or other head wear, no outerwear jackets, hooded sweatshirts, coats and more, are to be worn during the academic day unless by teacher permission.

There are to be no logos or accessories that suggest drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sexual subjects, gang affiliations or illegal acts, according to the code.

Clothing deemed inappropriate includes revealing shirts, blouses or tank tops. Blouses or shirts must have shoulder straps at least 2 inches wide and must not reveal cleavage or midriff. Shorts and skirts must extend beyond fingertips extended at one one’s side.

“I don’t think the code is unreasonable at all,” Gordon said. “I don’t understand why students fight it, don’t follow it or complain about and don’t understand why they get in trouble.”

The code is simple, she said.

Students should not wear something to school that they wouldn’t wear to work, she said.

She also believes teachers should follow the dress code as well.

“They shouldn’t be getting us kids in trouble for it, if they don’t even follow it,” Gordon said.

Since her article was published a lot of kids said they liked the story but some still don’t agree with the code, she said.

“I think I probably got through to some people. Some people are on the fence,” she said. “There are still people against it. I’ve seen a little bit of difference. People are starting to dress better and less people are getting in trouble.”

There has been a lot of debate about the issue. Some still challenge it and the wording that is in the handbook.

But for the most part, Principal Eaton confirmed that he has to speak to less students and more students are complying with the code.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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