Wearing bandanas is becoming a trend with the rise of “street wear” in the mainstream media. It is a fun way to style yourself if you don’t want to wear a hat but also don’t want your hair in your face, but MCHS fears that bandanas are a sign of gang activity. Along with the signs of gang activity, the bandana policy is enforced on some kids, but not all. How is that fair?
MCHS’s dress code policy states, “Hoods, bandanas or any other head covering as determined by the school administration. The aforementioned head coverings must be removed and placed in the student’s locker upon entrance into any school building. This ban shall not apply to students who must wear head coverings for medical or religious reasons (documentation may be requested by administration) or to headbands that are used to hold hair back or as a fashion accessory.” But security only enforces that on some students.
At one point in MCHS’s history, hats in school were also not allowed because it was looked upon as if you were in a gang, depending on how you wore it. Now, hats are allowed but what is it about bandanas? In the dress code it states that the bandana should come off if it becomes a distraction, but how would a bandana be a distraction? That’s if it creates conflict or tension amongst students. A student can just wear it as a headband and that doesn’t have to mean anything. Even though MCHS allows some head coverings, more than 80 percent of districts ban them.
Bandanas are not a distraction, they’re a fashion statement. Many people wear them to cover their hair or tie their hair up. Even different colors have different meanings. A white bandana could symbolize cleanliness and perfection. A red bandana could mean that you are passionate and excited about life.
Why is it that some kids get in trouble for wearing one? A lot of schools have loosened the rules when it comes to wearing bandanas. You can’t discriminate against a group of individuals based on what they wear. The certain types of clothing people wear can be for religious and cultural reasons that can be out of their control, or they are more comfortable in specific clothes.
Sometimes the rules for the dress code are unevenly enforced. If there are rules in place for what can and can’t be worn, it should apply to everyone or no one. But not all teachers take care of the dress code violations. It isn’t fair to say you can wear something but others cannot. This is important at school because not being fair can send the wrong message to students.
The opposite opinion is that there could really be gangs in the school and that a bandana can mean that they are a member. “We see flare ups of gang related activity at McHenry High School,” said Jordan Deener, a Dean at MCHS.” Over the past four years, we have had graffiti, dress code violations, gang signs, and verbal statements on gang affiliation at school.”
Wearing bandanas is definitely a fashion statement as well as a cultural one. Some Hispanic women can wear a bandana as a top, obviously not in school but out and about. People can get offended by a woman that’s not of the Hispanic culture that’s wearing it as a top, because It’s a part of the Chicana/ Chicano culture.