1973

1974

SOUTHWORDS
November 1973

Dresses to jeans
by Barb

   Girls wore dresses--not slacks, culottes, or shorts. Boys' hair was kept short and neatly trimmed, certainly not touching their shoulders. Their shirts had collars, which were buttoned to the second button, and tennis shoes were simply not allowed. These were the main regulations of the old dress code which was in effect until January of 1970.
   "Maine South's past dress code was tremendous," said Mr. Smith, Dean of Students. He said that the students were well-groomed and that this type of discipline is still needed today if the school is to maintain its high standards of education.
   The past rules, such as not allowing beards and mustaches for boys, may sound strict and unconstitutional to students today, but both Miss Iliff, dean of girls, and Mr. Smith agreed that it wasn't a major issue in the sixties, because these trends were not in style.
   Miss Montgomery, who has been teaching English at South since it opened in 1964, feels the relaxation in the dress code was sensible. She also thinks that students are beginning to dress better. Miss Montgomery stated, "The pendulum is now starting to swing in its former direction. The students seem to feel better about themselves when they dress better, and in turn, they act better in school."
Mr. Beatty, an English teacher since 1964, is also glad that the sloppy clothes era is ending. He said that after the code was changed, students seemed to be involved in an old clothes movement by wearing worn-out jeans and T-shirts....