Dress code takes sparkle out of students' smiles (Mouth Grills, Stretched-Out Earlobes Proscribed)

Dallas Morning News ^ | July 10, 2006 | Toya Lynn Stewart

[Arec Barrwin]

Dress code takes sparkle out of students' smiles

Arlington ISD: Officials limit mouth, ear jewelry

11:26 PM CDT on Sunday, July 9, 2006

By TOYA LYNN STEWART / The Dallas Morning News

Kayden Dorman BARBARA DAVIDSON/DMN Body piercer Kayden Dorman disagrees with the Arlington school district's new dress code: "If they're allowing people to wear earrings, they should allow them to wear bigger earrings."

Karrick Senegar says rapping and grills go together like cars and tires.

That's why the 16-year-old aspiring rapper and Arlington student spent $200 in April on the mouth jewelry known as a grill. But the Sam Houston High School junior won't be able to flash his six-tooth white-gold diamond-cut grill around campus come August.

The Arlington school district has changed its dress code to ban the trendy mouth jewelry. Also added to the unacceptable list are tall tees – oversized shirts that hang to the knees – and the practice of stretching out earlobes, sometimes called gauging.

[absolootezer0]

Wait until there isn't "Full employment"

i'm sorry, what exactly is that supposed to mean?

[az wildkitten]

An unemployment rate less than 5%.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Insofar as they are aware of it, they seem to think it a wrongful attempt to stifle their self-expression, or some such garbage.

When they all look like safe variations of the same thing, I'd day it's more an effort to NOT stand out through real self-exression, but rather to merely "blend".

[absolootezer0]

and what does that have to do with anything.. not that i have any fear of that low of an unemployment rate.. i'm in MI.

[TC Rider]

Grills sold at J's Grill cost $180 to $3,000, said Bob Cho

And remember, we are talking about the 'poor' in America!

[Amelia]

And, unfortunately, many of their parents agree.

I still haven't figured out why parents would let their 14 year old children get tattoos or these gauged earrings.

If an adult wants to get something permanent done to their body, fine, but a young teen?

I just wonder how many will regret it when they become young adults.

[Amelia]

Kids are just stupid.

And sometimes so are the parents.

[Mazda3Fan]

I got both of my ears pierced two years ago. My parents and wife were actually very excited. They are all veerrry liberal.

[brytlea]

That is exactly why I told my 3 boys they could not get a tattoo or piercing while they were living in my home. My oldest son got some piercings after college and still didn't want to tell me (he did, but he acted pretty embarrassed). He had them about a year and then let them grow back (fortunately it wasn't anything like those silly ear things, I bet THAT never grows back!). And, as far as I know, none of ever gotten a tattoo, altho I suppose it's possible they have one on a part of their body I don't ever see!
susie

[Dumpster Baby]

Note the cultural customs appropriated from savages: tattooing, piercing, earlobe stretching, dreadlocks, bones through the nose ... Speaks volumes about where our culture is headed, no?

Thanks! Saved me the trouble of typing that myself!"

[ViLaLuz]

I saw a large woman in a locker room with what I thought was a hot dog shape tatooed on her rear end. I asked her what it was supposed to be. She said it used to be a smiley face.

[DJ MacWoW]

I saw a large woman in a locker room with what I thought was a hot dog shape tatooed on her rear end. I asked her what it was supposed to be. She said it used to be a smiley face.

*snerk*

[dsc]

"more an effort to NOT stand out through real self-exression, but rather to merely "blend"."

As it ever was.

Back in the Haight Ashbury uniform regulations for "freaks" were as strict as they were for soldiers up on the Presidio.

[NoCurrentFreeperByThatName]

Whuth upth bebby?

[ViLaLuz]

I'll tell you, that cured me from ever wanting to get a tatoo. It was ugly.

[baker221990]

I know I am way behind in this article. I am a student at Merlo Station High School who ran across this article and could not keep my thoughts to myself.
Yes I do agree mouth grills are a little too much for school and hold no purpose but some students come to fancy them, I have no understanding why... I think they are the most ugly thing anyone cold wear.
Now this stretching of the ears... This is on a whole other level.Mouth grills are for style and I guess you could say stretching of the ear is too. But think of it this way it is also a practice in some Native American tribes, African American tribes, and the Mayans(or how ever you spell it).
For example I don’t only stretch my earlobes for the attention or because it has become a fad. I chose to stretch because my ancestors believed if you stretched your earlobe you could hear the spirits and the wisdom they spoke. I don’t thing your too “old” to find this strange, I just think people really don’t know what stretching of your earlobe originated from and I think personally everyone should, instead of thinking it is not proper.

[baker221990]

I know I am way behind in this article but I can’t help to find that people are so judge mental of people who may think or look slightly different. I too have tattoos and three piercings and have not had any problem getting a job, in fact a really good one. I have no problem starting a family and having a normal life.... it’s just shocking to me.

[absolootezer0]

you’ll find alot of that here, but there is a group of us that are tattooed and pierced and live quite normal lives, much to the chagrin of those who believe that any tattoo or piercing will relegate us to a life of working in fast food :)

welcome to FR.

[baker221990]

My god, you blame parents for children putting in grills and stretching their ears? I know I am way way behind on this article but I have sat at my computer and read over some of the stupid stuff you and the other adults had to say.... So what if the children of 2006-2008 have been getting grills , tattoos, and stretching their ears. But how dare you say that parents that leave their child at daycare was wrong to do so and this caused them to do these perfectly normal things... I am a parent yes a young one but a dame good parent. I listen to rock, rap, and hard metal. I have tattoos and piercings. But my lord I leave my child at daycare so I can work and bring food to the table... These different things that are being practiced by children are normal, didn’t you once in your life try to be different or do something new? Or maybe you followed a religion like it was no other was no other way to live life but through the religion. Did you even know some practices of stretching the ear is a cultural thing? My ancestors believed that the more you stretched the more you could hear the spirits, and I believe them.
And just because a child is raised around something dosn’t mean they will follow that... My parents grew up as druggies and as farmers not making anything and I am no way like them. I make really good money, I am sober of alcohol and drugs. I am no way follower their life style. Kids are their own people when are you and everyone else who judges ever going to get that. EVERYONE has done something to try to be different or to follow a crowd... Now let us, the generation of 2006-2008 continue to do the same thing.

[Tijeras_Slim]

aspiring rapper

2007's "Line most likely to appear in an obituary" Award Winner.