Gothic culture grew up in the 1990s and took on a life of its own. from crow arrive craft(“I restrain you, Nancy, don’t hurt you!
In my town, they were just “goth kids.” They were all hanging out under the gazebo in our town’s central park. Generally speaking, they are nice people and don’t bother anyone. However, they have gotten a bad rap due to their (to some people) jarring appearance.
It seems like not much has changed in 30 years, as the “goth” look (or just the idea of wearing all black) is still considered a negative or a change worth “for the better”.
An El Paso school has instituted a new dress code for the 2024-25 school year, banning students from wearing head-to-toe black because the look “has been linked to depression and mental health issues,” according to administrators.
According to KFOX14, Charles Middle School Principal Nick DeSantis sent a letter to parents this year explaining the new school uniform dress code.
“We are…eliminating a popular black-on-black-on-black-on-black-on-black-on-black-on-student look on campus that is more associated with depression, mental health issues, and/or criminal behavior than with happy, healthy readiness to learn,” the letter reads. children are more closely connected.
“They don’t allow students to wear black from top to bottom,” Norma De La Rosa, president of the El Paso Teachers Association, told CBSTexas. “They can wear black shorts to gym class. They It’s OK to wear it on dress-down day, but they just can’t wear it from top to bottom.
Despite supporting the new dress code, de la Rosa acknowledged that the new rules would not address mental health issues among young people.
“These colors are not intended to prevent or deter mental health issues,” she told the outlet. “You can wear the most colorful clothes and still have depression.”
Indeed! For someone who recently experienced depression when my daughter was born, you can wear flowers, curl your hair perfectly, and have a huge smile on your face and still feel severely depressed. So why ban all-black clothing?
The El Paso Independent School District, which created the policy, told KFOX14 that the change to the school uniform policy was intended to “enhance student well-being and pride.”
This decision was carefully considered and approved by a campus improvement team comprised of parents, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders, and is intended to foster a positive self-image among students and more effectively demonstrate school colors and pride.
“The changes to the dress code are in response to concerns and suggestions raised by Charles Middle School stakeholders. The school appreciates the community’s feedback and cooperation in making these changes.
So, wearing all black means you take less pride in yourself? Someone tell Posh Spice about this!
“Remember, student safety is our top priority, so any time concerns are raised about student safety, we must take them seriously,” El Paso Independent School District Executive Superintendent Sarah Venegas, told KVIA7 .
She added that the school has also removed black pants from the list of allowed clothing, allowing only khakis or blue jeans.
“Wearing uniforms is part of the rules on every campus,” she told the outlet. “If they breach the uniform policy it could be a disciplinary offence, but that’s up to each administrator.”
If you want your students to all dress a certain way, wear a school uniform. Why are only a small number of kids being singled out here? First, let’s find some evidence that black clothing real Causing the child to be depressed. Are you telling me that my child’s mood changes based on the color of her clothes? Are other kids hurt because a classmate decided to wear black jeans with a black top?
Even so, if black clothes are a sign of depression in kids, do these administrators really think forcing them to wear bright yellow or pink clothes will change their chemical imbalance? Sounds like a school that treats the symptoms rather than the root cause. Why aren’t we getting to the root causes of our children’s mental health issues?
After facing (well-deserved) backlash, the school admitted they may have added a new dress code policy prematurely. The district said in a new statement that Charles Middle School adopted the “proposed modifications” without district approval. The backlash led the district to clarify that the policy change at the middle school had not yet been approved and was only a “suggestion.”
“Unfortunately, the campus communicated the dress code change prematurely and as a final decision rather than a recommendation,” a statement from the school district read. “We regret the poor communication, specifically the intent behind the change.”
El Paso Teachers Association President Norma De La Rosa previously told local media that the new dress code now allows students to wear some black or all-black clothing on select free dress days.
