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Opinions.

Editorial: Tatler responds to new uniform policy

1/30/2020

3 Comments

 
Art by Ella Benitone
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For years, St. Mary’s has prided itself on the fact that it is the only girls’ school in Memphis that does not have a required uniform for students. In training, student ambassadors and tour guides were even taught to emphasize that “St. Mary’s allows each girl to express her individuality while also modeling and teaching good decision-making,” in the spirit of the school handbook. But as announced in the now-infamous email sent to St. Mary’s parents on Jan. 9, St. Mary’s students will now be required to purchase and wear uniforms beginning in the 2020-21 school year. 

Some may view the student body’s backlash as a dramatic “first world” reaction. Yes, we’re fortunate to be able to think or care about something like what we get to wear to school, but that’s what we do at St. Mary’s — we think and care about it all. 

Mr. Throckmorton said uniforms will ultimately benefit the entire school, students and faculty. In his chapel talk, he stated that the “decision will accomplish a combination of goals that include clear, consistent and enforceable expectations, unity and school spirit.” 

But without question, uniforms will also homogenize the appearance of the student body. Having everyone dress uniformly will not help bring St. Mary’s students together. Our student body has been unified by the diversity of dress found in our halls and culture of respect for that display of individualism. Unity and uniformity are not one and the same. 

Mr. Throckmorton was correct when he said that there are other “meaningful ways” St. Mary’s girls will continue to express ourselves, such as “academics, athletics, and art.” However, the choice to ignore choice of dress as a “meaningful” form of expression is to suppress that part of a student’s creativity and, for some, identity. 

In our culture, like it or not, what people wear matters. We understand that the decision to require a uniform has everything to do with our administration recognizing that those outside of this school make judgments about who we are based on what they see. We regret that future St. Mary’s students will be denied the opportunity to present themselves authentically. 

We believe there is significance for many in wearing our favorite pair of striped pants or bright pink sweater; we feel good, but most importantly, we feel like us. We believe there is significance in the choice, and then just as much significance in being together at school, having all made the choice differently. It is the choice that creates unity and teaches us to accept each individual. 

We understand that the decision to institute uniforms is the culmination of more than a decade’s worth of disorganized debate about the dress code and how to enforce it. A uniform may be the easiest way to end a battle it seems the administration is tired of fighting. But what guarantee do we have that a uniform is any more enforceable? When the dress-code infraction we hear the most is “Your uniform skirt is too short,” it seems counter-intuitive to the goal of eliminating those “awkward teacher conversations” to keep the skirt as a “compatible uniform option.” 

The qualifier chosen for our mission wasn’t greatest or strongest; our school promised to “enable each student to reach her individual potential.” We’re not confused by the difference between individuality and individual potential. It’s simply contradictory to ignore the ways in which individuality is integral to this school’s ability to provide us a “superior education.” 

Seventy-three percent of private school students in the United States wear uniforms, and St. Mary’s takes pride in being in the minority of schools without a required uniform. Not having a uniform makes a bold statement for a bold student body: this school wants us to be ourselves, accept ourselves, love ourselves and have confidence in ourselves. That is the St. Mary’s we know. 
3 Comments
Elizabeth Harvey
2/1/2020 01:49:58 am

Class of ‘86. Very strong letter indeed, and I support every word in opposition to a new dress code requiring uniforms. I’ve watched with pride over the past few decades as SMS has expanded and the girls have thrived, and this is the first and only time I have experienced real disappointment in my alma mater. St Mary’s girls have always cherished their individuality: look no further than our beloved mascot, which SMSrs have defended despite numerous attempt to replace the Turkey with something more benign, more “normal.” And why now? As students across the globe are joining forces and voices in protest against climate change, gun violence, and discrimination, and showing the world that young people can be and are the leaders of the future, we should be doing everything we can to encourage their self-expression, not stifle it. We should be telling them to break molds and resist conformity, to question authority and challenge norms — because that’s what strong, educated, ambitious young women do. That’s what St. Mary’s girls do. So, keep it up, girls, and fight this decision!

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Lee
2/2/2020 10:04:26 pm

Bravo! An excellent and thoroughly thought out piece. I could not agree more. And, sadly, I will no longer be supporting the school with my donations if they choose to institute this new uniform policy. The St. Mary’s we all knew and loved will no longer be there.

Reply
Sarah
2/11/2020 05:38:45 pm

I feel that this entire situation has been handled extremely poorly by the administration, and in particular Albert Throckmorton. It's definitely a loss of identity for St. Mary's. I had looked forward to my daughter one day attending the same school I went to. But seeing how easily the administration has thrown away tradition, I'll now actually be giving Hutchison more than just token consideration. It seems St. Mary's is just wanting to copy them anyway.

And Throckmorton's letter with poorly written reasoning behind this change definitely makes me second guess his capabilities to lead the school. It was fraught with inaccuracies, half-truths and some downright lies. And good luck if he thinks having a uniform makes things easier on teachers. That's a fun fiction story.

I do agree with the above poster. My ongoing annual donation ends this year. It's not much, but I've been sending it for over a decade. And 2019 will be my last year.

Sarah

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