New School Rules are Shaping the Classroom for WGHS Students

Students from WGHS discuss their honest opinions on school policies like the dress code and cell phone rules. They then talk about what they would change to make the rules fair and reasonable for everyone.
by Brooks Conner and Sage Dickenson

​Every school year brings its own set of adjustments, but nothing gets high schoolers talking faster than updates to the student handbook. At Walnut Grove High School, recent campus conversations have been on two major parts of daily life: the dress code and the updated cell phone policy.

Administrators are tasked with a difficult job: creating a professional environment that limits classroom distractions. But on the flip side, many students are calling for a second look at how these rules play out in real life, asking for clearer guidelines and a bit more trust.

The Dress Code
For most students, the issue isn't the existence of a dress code itself, but rather the gray areas in how it gets enforced. Ellie Clower, a junior and athlete, pointed out that standard clothing restrictions can uniquely impact taller students. "Tall people, especially with shorts, and girls in general," Ellie said. "The shorts are definitely an issue; we should be able to wear something short and it not be a super big thing."

However, Ellie also noted that finding a balance is a two-way street. "But in the other way, girls can also take that to extremes and be a little too showy with outfits they wear." For her, daily comfort is key. "Mainly, I would just prefer to wear shorts every day because they are the most comfortable thing for me, especially because I'm an athlete. If I could make my own dress code, I would say we can wear whatever within reason, and punishments will be based on the violation."

Other students feel the current guidelines spotlight female students more than males. Freshman Kinslee Cragin noted a double standard in the hallways about clothing choices. "I feel like genders are definitely discriminated against because boys will wear very short shorts but nobody will say anything to them, but if a girl were to wear the same shorts, it's more obvious and pointed out," Kinslee said.

Kinslee also pointed to traditional rules, like measuring shoulder straps by a certain number of fingers. "The strap thing to me is confusing because they will say three fingers, but some people have thicker fingers and some have skinnier fingers, so I feel like they should just provide a set length."

Phones in Class
The new Georgia state-mandated cell phone rules are also a big debate among students. Sophomore Blake Banks wants a more laid-back approach. "Of course I don't like the cell phone policy; I can't stay in touch with my family," Blake said. "I think the rules should be specific to the teacher. Like, obviously, don't have it out in class, but other than that, the internet blockers are kind of useless; we need to stay in touch with people during school hours."

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School and state policies will always be a very debatable topic, but thankfully, students at WGHS are mature enough to see both sides of the argument.