Cheerleaders – an exception to the dress code?

By: Caitlin Simopoulos, Staff writer

** Please note… this is NOT cheerleader bashing!! ** 

We all know and recognize those perky girls dressed in matching uniforms. They show spirit, represent our school, and, when given the opportunity, are ready to cheer on any one of Hazel’s teams. But have you ever thought about what those outfits represent to the rest of the school population? 

The typical cheerleading uniform, and the one the team has ordered, consists of a tight “sweater” and a mini skirt. Yes, you guessed it! Those mini skirts, the ones that typically have a short hem line and the ones that reveal a lot of leg are coming back. However, one problem…Mini skirts are against school rules.  As quoted from our school’s agenda this year:

“Students are expected to dress in a manner that demonstrates self-respect for themselves… -no short shorts or skirts.”  

Now, if we are expected to follow and honour the rules of the school,  then why is our school now selling and encouraging the selected few who can “jump, kick, toss, catch, stunt, tumble and fly!” to strut their stuff in their new personalized short skirt outfits. Confused, are you? Welcome to the feelings of most of the non cheerleading population. 

This exception to the rule is just like the school permitting the baseball team (that is, if we had one), to wear their baseball hats in school, while the rest of us suffer a bad hair day without one.  This decision is a form of discrimination. In a way this rule indirectly favours a selected few and discriminates against others.

As mentioned previously, this yawp is not directed against any of the cheerleaders nor is it a form of bashing the cheerleading team. On the contrary, this yawp is all about treating everyone in the school with the same courtesy and consideration. The bottom line is that if there is going to be a rule against short skirts, it should apply to EVERYONE, or no one.