OUR VIEW: Hold on to your hats

AT ISSUE: Two Alaskan high schools ban hats because of students wearing Ball State headgear

We all remember high school dress codes—those chaffingrestrictions of which college freshmen are so glad to be free. Someschools, though, are worse than others.

According to the Anchorage Daily News, two Alaska high schoolsrecently banned students from wearing any hats in school. Accordingto the principals, students were abusing the privilege and wearingoffensive headgear.

Like Ball State hats.

Of course, it wasn't entirely our fault. The principal alsomentioned the South Carolina Fighting Gamecocks, and no doubtMorehead University would also have raised his ire.

But the fact remains--Rick Volk of Chugiak High School and hiscounterpart at Bartlett High School found the name "Ball State" soobscene that they saw fit to banish all hats from theirbuildings.

This sort of censorship is patently absurd. Of course highschools have a right to ban offensive clothing in their buildings,but as some of you may have noticed, Ball State is a REALuniversity. Surely our name isn't that offensive.

And, by forbidding certain college apparel, all the school hasdone is make it crystal clear to students what would be "cool" towear, if only they could. Much like "parental advisory" notices onCDs, all this will do is make young people want the forbidden fruiteven more.

And it won't be that hard for students to get around the newrule. After all, no one has forbidden Ball State t-shirts,sweatshirts, shorts, bumperstickers, binders...

So—Ball U, Anchorage.


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