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Utah Yearbook: Special Edition


The Human Torch
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Perhaps inspired by Lucas & Spielberg or the good old THT Edit, a Utah High School has Photoshopped their Yearbook to remove scandalous clothing. In a few reported cases they have also altered hair color and style, lip fullness and make-up. eg. Anything showing a shoulder is Teh Devil, Oh my![/takei] The source link has pictures that show examples. The school has a dress code and I can understand that, but from reports most of these kids were towing the line. The main issue for me however is yet another institution is trying to be some kid's parents, the school has come out insisting they have a righteous plan to teach children how not to dress like deviants. Granted many parents are as dumb as everyone else so maybe they need a Heroic! slapping by someone who totally knows better, but...

 

Thoughts?

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A real simple solution would have been on picture day and having an administrator tell each student in "dress code" violation too call home and change cloths and comeback and get your picture taken. Then again looking at the altered pictures I did not see a single dress code violation and its something I do all the time.

 

This was a pretty stupid move on the school. I wonder how much extra the yearbook cost to make these changes.

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A real simple solution would have been on picture day and having an administrator tell each student in "dress code" violation too call home and change cloths and comeback and get your picture taken. Then again looking at the altered pictures I did not see a single dress code violation and its something I do all the time.

 

This was a pretty stupid move on the school. I wonder how much extra the yearbook cost to make these changes.

 

It is true I didn't see anything shocking in the ones they showed unaltered. But who knows what the actual dress code is for this school.

 

But with the 'blame everyone else, it's not my fault or my precious angel's fault because we are never wrong' mentality most parents have these days I think there would have been a huge uproar if they had just done the violation the day of the pictures. I would have mailed/emailed the dress code policy to the parents 60 days prior to the pictures explaining that anyone not meeting the dress code would not have their picture made or they would have to sign a release stating they understood their clothes would be altered in photoshop due to the dress code violation.

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A real simple solution would have been on picture day and having an administrator tell each student in "dress code" violation too call home and change cloths and comeback and get your picture taken. Then again looking at the altered pictures I did not see a single dress code violation and its something I do all the time.

 

This was a pretty stupid move on the school. I wonder how much extra the yearbook cost to make these changes.

I don't know how your high school did it, but my senior photos (and those of all the rest of the students in my class) were taken by professional photographers on our own time and money, and then submitted to the school for publication in the yearbook. If this school did the same, then the students would not have had an opportunity to "redress" for the photos. Hence the need for retouching rather than redressing.

 

It's likely, in my mind, that these students knew they were violating their school dress codes when they were photographed and submitted their photos anyway. They tried to be sneaky and failed.

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And back in my day, we walked uphill to school both ways and it wasn't a big deal with the headmaster molested us.

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In the snow, uphill, both ways. We hadn't invented fire yet, either.

 

I'd be surprised if schools now spring for full-color yearbooks for freshmen to seniors. Have budgets increased over the last twenty years? Color still costs more than B&W.

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Something other than the Photoshopping that irks me is that Yearbooks are purchases, not freebies, as are getting those photos taken... at least in Anchorage's district. So given that here I'm paying then at that point I'd say my kid can wear any damn thing I allow them to, piss on any dress code. That's my money, my kid. At the same time I do understand and appreciate the need for a dress code. lol

 

Side Note: Almost a decade ago I got a call from my son's elementary school, there was a new dress policy about guns on clothing and stuff... which I didn't know. On this day my son, Ryan, was wearing a Star Wars T-Shirt which I believe had a clone trooper on it and a Jedi, definitely at least a Jedi. They demanded I bring another shirt or come get him. I told them to stop being idiots and I was not going to come in, that if they made him turn it inside out or took him out of class for stupidity like this again "these issues will be tirelessly raised at the next board meeting". After they told me they'd send Ryan back to class I hung up. Never heard about it again but I totally did raise it at the next meeting anyway.

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That was overkill on the star wars shirt.

 

That particular policy was put into place for older students like high school wannabe thugs who wore ak47 necklaces and rednecks wearing nra or having images of guns on them. They shouldn't have targeted your kid for wearing fictional weapons carried by fictional characters.

 

Ever since 2002 or so most yearbooks now are in full color. Black and white is dead. Of course the yearbooks cost about 20 dollars more today too.

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Guest El Chalupacabra

This idea that high school or lower grade students have "rights" is BS. They are minor children. They have no stinking rights. They are there for three functions: to receive an education, to learn how to follow direction, and how to respect authority. You can debate all day long when a school has a ridiculous policy. Fair enough. But in this case, while I had no problem with the original clothing personally, if that school told those teens not to wear sleeveless, cleavage showing shirts for picture day, that is NOT that an unreasonable request. And if the kids broke that rule, they are subject to the consequences.

 

The idea kids feel entitled and think they can wear whatever the f*ck they want to school and then get upset if a rule says otherwise is the kids' problem, not the school. If the parents don't like it, then well, take your f*cking kid out of that school and move to a school where you like the rules. Sure, you might have to drive your rug rat 50 miles one way out of your way, but that is the price you pay for treating your kid like a little prince or princess, and teaching them the value of whining to get your way, rather than conforming to rules and doing what you are supposed to.

 

I say good for the school district for photoshopping those pictures. I am no prude or anything, but the simple fact is the students knew they were violating dress code. Those students were lucky the school didn't just decide to not picture them at all, because that is what I think should have happened. They should be thankful for that, and the parents siding with their kids are a bunch of non-conformist, iconoclastic, Saul Alinsky hippie malcontents, and yes, there is such a thing as teaching your child to have too high a self esteem. These type of parents are the problem and the reason for the kids breaking protocol in the first place. I am so sick of parents acting like the rules apply to everyone else but their perfect, darling spoiled rotten little cherubs that can do no wrong.

 

To unreasonable parents everywhere: your kids aren't f*cking special! Learn to teach your kids to follow the rules like everyone else.

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Well Tinker v Des moines case gave students certain freedom of speech rights especially political speech.

 

I agree that students are in school to get an education is #1 and to treat school as a job.. #2 is learning good social skills.

 

However I do see a major increase of student/parent entitlement these days and I see a lot of appeasement. It is a constant balancing act. Education has become more "customer service based" and I do not agree with that.

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Guest El Chalupacabra

Well Tinker v Des moines case gave students certain freedom of speech rights especially political speech.

 

I agree that students are in school to get an education is #1 and to treat school as a job.. #2 is learning good social skills.

 

However I do see a major increase of student/parent entitlement these days and I see a lot of appeasement. It is a constant balancing act. Education has become more "customer service based" and I do not agree with that.

By the same token, schools are allowed to enforce dress code, as well. So, there you have it. It goes right back to the kids breaking the rules, and suffering the consequences.

 

This present situation in the educational system is a product of school administration worried too much about kissing parents' asses and appeasing them. As far as I am concerned, once kids enter middle school, they should be wearing professional or at least business casual attire. I wouldn't say uniforms per se, but if we are supposed to be training them to prepare for a professional career and preparing them for real life and treat school as a job, then business casual dress codes are not unreasonable to ask. If Johnny wants to wear his Slip Knot t-shirt and zipper pants and combat boots, fine. He can do it after school.

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We are in total agreement there but the reality of public education is that our hands are tied to make any true and meaningful reforms.

 

However you have some in the education field who say the following "kids need to figure out who they are blah blah blah"

 

My response has always been "great they can figure themselves out once they graduate and have a job making their own money to choose their lifestyle." Giving a hormone driven young person too much freedom is a one way ticket to having a difficult life.

 

At the end of the day all young people need the following.

 

1. Structure

 

2. Classes and teachers that make them think for themselves and think outside the box using students talents.

 

3. Keep young people from getting bored! Have them in sports,clubs and other actitivites to teach them time managment,social skills, and keep them out of trouble.

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I think you can do everything RM suggests up there and not be a puritan about clothing.

 

Also part of being a child, growing up, is finding yourself. Learning expression, finding your place within societal bounds. One of the easiest ways for youth to do that is with clothing. That doesn't mean kids can go to school wearing fishnets and floss. Working within the boundaries is the key.

 

With that said I think that expression can be found even with a uniform code, you just have to design the uniform with variation.

 

eg.

 

White Button Up

* short sleeves or long

White undershirt

* v-neck or regular

* sleeves or sleeveless

Navy Blue, plain, blazer

Navy Blue, plain, hoodie

Navy Blue skirt

Navy Blue dress

Navy Blue slacks

Navy Blue shorts

Khakis

Khaki shorts

 

You can ensemble that with variation, still holding a uniform scheme. The white button up being the only constant between the options.

 

Being a stickler for make-up, hair style, jewelry, shoes, belts, is a bit much. Demanding things be perfectly tucked in, also a bit much. These are kids, they need to move with the limitations. That's extremely important to growing up.

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Guest El Chalupacabra

Torch, since when is business casual puritanical? And I don't know about you, but for most people who work in an office setting, that is a daily practice. Why can't middle school kids follow that practice, as well? School is kids' F*cking job, until they have a job and make money in their own. So this crap about letting kids find themselves and express themselves is just that, crap. Until they are bringing money in themselves and actually contributing to the money pool, I say F*ck that, they are a net drain on society, and need to shut the f*ck up about feeling stifled because some school photoshopped their jailbait cleavage out of a yearbook.

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^ I couldn't disagree with you more chalup. It's not just a "****ing job" going to school. I don't want to get into the whole education system as a whole, as it is a long discussion that requires a lot more effort than time or energy affords on the internet, all I can say is it is extremely flawed.

 

That said, tailoring an education to an individual's strengths rather than weaknesses is paramount in my veiw. Which is just not done (for the most part) in society. kids learning about identity is very good and helpful and nurturing and SHOULD be taught in schools. And Uniforms do NOTHING to harm that. In fact I think uniforms strengthen the concept of individuality, (or at least they did with me) as while existing as part of a greater whole (all looking the same), students have to look beyond the physical, sensory and shallow identifiers to see the individual for who they really are. Their personality, opinions as informing their identity. Not what they choose to wear. It also eliminates most discrimination based on socio economic status.

 

That said, I think education is a little fucked in that most kids are forced through a sausage machine ( and depending on the school) where it would be better like I said earlier, to recognise strengths rather than weaknesses. For example when I was at school I sucked at maths. However I'm very talented artistically and creatively (no cockiness intended as they are my strengths), and subsequently was forced into lower grade classes for all subjects based on my maths score, as if that was some measure of intelligence. I was not allowed to study Latin, nor French nor music, because I was not "bright" enough. I have now since my late teens played in 3 bands, worked drawing for film and speak (enough to be understood and get around) of German, French, Spanish and Norwegian.

 

Point is, kids need to learn about their individuality (in terms of strengths and weaknesses, and identity etc). They should not be there just to regurgitate facts. Identity is essential to learning.

 

The fact that no one really is an individual and has their own identity (etc.) is a more existential notion that kids can live without and only really bears thinking about until the rudimentary emotional intelligence of the 20's kicks in. Even then sometimes not.

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