Posted on 07/30/2002 7:35:53 PM PDT by marshmallow
The days of just rolling out of bed and rolling into class are coming to an end.
Pajamas, the preferred attire of some sleepy and study-weary students, are no longer allowed in Hillsborough County schools.
"I think as long as you don't look like a hootchy mama, you should be able to wear whatever," said Nevena Novakovic, 17, a junior at Robinson High School in Tampa.
The opening of Tampa Bay area schools this year will bring a variety of changes in the way students are supposed to look and act. Skate shoes, or athletic shoes with skates built inside, are strictly forbidden. Cell phones, on the other hand, are okay if turned off during school.
In Pinellas, the prohibition on "disruptive" hairstyles and colors has been dropped. And while pajamas are not specifically banned, they are not allowed.
"Pajamas are absolutely not acceptable, but at this point our principals didn't feel we needed to specify that," said Nancy Zambito, director of school operations.
In Hillsborough, the forbidden list includes flip-flop shoes, tube tops, miniskirts and clothes with sexual, violent or gang-related images. But the Hillsborough prohibition on pajamas is causing the greatest fuss.
"There's no need to wear pajamas to school," said James Ammirati, assistant principal at Stewart Middle School and a member of the student handbook revision committee that brought about the changes. "Pajamas are for at home."
Sleepwear is popular school attire during cold weather and on exam days, students say. Seniors often wear their bed clothes to school near the end of the school year as senioritis takes over.
"It's not inappropriate, just comfortable," said Nichole Clark, a Leto High School junior.
Some students said they believe the crackdown on pajamas will encourage the entire student body to look better and pay more attention to their appearance. Others called the new rule silly, since pajamas are typically just sloppy, not offensive.
Mallory Mooser, a 15-year-old Plant High student, said she doesn't think students should wear pajamas to school, but she's crossing her fingers that not all comfortable-looking clothing will be deemed out-of-line.
"You want to wear clothes you feel comfortable in,"t she said. "You don't want to get dressed up every day."
When asked whether she had ever worn pajamas to class, Mooser said: "No, I don't usually wear stuff I've slept in. But it is stuff I would wear to bed."
So what happens to students who stumble into school clad in their favorite jammies?
First-time offenders are required to call Mom and Dad and change clothes. The consequences for repeat offenders range from in-school detention to suspension.
It's called being a slacker slob. There is a time and place for everything.
I can't imagine students walking into class in a pair of striped flanellettes, although less and less surprises me these days.
I think what is being referred to as "pajama fashion" are lightweight, (often plaid) flannel or soft cotton draw string, elastic waist pants. Unlike sweat pants, they have no elastic at he cuff and are cut loose in the legs. I know college kids that wear them to classes with regular t-shirts. Big deal: at least they aren't showing the cracks of their a$$es! Geeesh..I remember the late 60's early 70's: We had to organize an entire school movement to be able to wear JEANS in the winter months. We were told if we wore blue jeans to school we would be suspended. So we organized the entire student body to wear jeans on a certain day: it worked. Who cares...as long as the clothing is decent and doesn't pose any safety hazards---
"I think as long as you don't look like a hootchy mama, you should be able to wear whatever," said Nevena Novakovic, 17,
Believe me girl, in PJs, you can't help but look like a hootchy mama, especially to high school age boys. Even you wear the heaviest flannel PJs I've ever seen, and I doubt that many do.
You can be just as comfortable, and not quite so distracting, in sweat pants and shirts. Light weight T-shirts do require an undergarment of some sort to avoid "printing" and at least some amount of jiggle. I'm an old man, but I still find "printing" and jiggle to be quite incompatible with concentrating on the matter under study. Of course in my day, I found just above the knee length skirts combined with nylon hose and garters to be distracting also. To the point of moving desks about just to improve the opportunities for distraction. :)
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