Dress code whites out old-school styles

While some things about school remain familiar, such as eating a slice of pizza and spending lunch outside with friends, students at Gallup Junior High School also have something new this year -- a uniform dress code that began Monday on the first day of the new school year for McKinley County schools. [Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent]

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — It was a sea of white as students returned to school at Gallup Junior High on Monday.

The first day of school meant getting used to a new uniform policy in which the administration spelled out what could be worn and what couldn't be worn.

About 90 percent of the students came dressed appropriately, said John Chiapetti, the school's principal.

For most that meant white polo shirts and brown or black pants, although there were a few greens and a couple of pinks mixed in.

And almost universally, the students said they didn't like the new policy at all.

"None of my friends like (the new policy)," said Talaya Lee, a ninth grader. "It makes everyone look the same," said Israel Castello, another ninth grader.

Well, not everyone because there was some variety among those who wore the appropriate colors and clothing on Monday.

Lee said she thought the new color schemes were too bright, which is one of the reasons Sara Maynerich, an eight grader at the school likes it. "It gets rid of all of the black," she said.

Black was a popular color in the past and on Monday, one could still see someone in a black shirt or a T-shirt with a message, but that won't be for long.

Chiapetti said that students who came in black shirts or some other inappropriate attire received a warning in their home room and were told to dress appropriately on Tuesday or face the consequences.

Those consequences include a more formal warning from the principal, and Chiapetti said that if the student still refuses to get in line with the new policy, it could lead to suspension and a meeting between the principal and the parents.

For the most part, Chiapetti said, while most of the students aren't happy about the new policy, their parents are and they have told school officials as much over the past three months, when the school district was putting out information about the new policy.

Not only are the new clothes allowed under the policy cheaper to buy than what their children were wearing in the past, but wearing muted colors without messages will hopefully tone down the tensions in the schools.

Jonathan Flannery agrees with this.

He was the president of the school's advisory committee last year and said that one of the big reasons he and other adults supported the idea was in the hopes that it would bring unity to the student body.

Since it was announced three months ago, he has received a number of responses from other parents of junior high students.

Most, he said, have been favorable. "It's about time," was one remark he received from one of the parents. There have been a few who disagreed with the policy as well.

Flannery has a daughter going to the school this year and he said she didn't have a problem with it. In fact, he said, "she enjoyed the shopping for the clothes and the variety in colors." Chiapetti said he is already seeing a calmer school than he has on previous opening days and he's hoping that continues as students get used to the new policy.

Eventually, as students get used to wearing the new colors and clothes, school officials are hoping that the students go around to the same feeling that Katie McMullin has about the new clothes, "It's comfortable."

County School Superintendent Karen White said at Monday's school board meeting that when she first saw the sea of whites and greens and a few pinks, all she could say was "awesome."

She pointed out that, for some reason, most of the kids chose white shirts to wear on their first day but she noticed that a few boys were wearing pink "probably to make a statement."