by Robin Gericke, Managing Editor
The dress code at Asbury may be changing. Last semester, Asbury Student Congress passed a proposal that would allow students to wear shorts to class. Pending the approval of President Sandra Gray, this new standard will be implemented in the future.
“The dress code proposal would allow both males and females to wear shorts to class, while still staying within Asbury’s purpose of the dress code to encourage our students to dress as young professionals,” said Sara Trapp, vice president of Student governance. Trapp and Student Body President Matthew Jackson wrote the proposal, along with contributions from the Community Life Faculty Committee and the Student Development Team.
The proposal states that “the intent of the Asbury University dress code is to prepare students as young professionals, while observing the community standards stated in the Asbury guidebook to respect one’s self, others, and God.” After considering student feedback, it was concluded that it is a fitting time to add shorts of an appropriate length to the dress code for class and chapel “as they model current trends in professional environments as well as uphold the aforementioned community standards.”
The proposal recommends that shorts of an appropriate length (mid-thigh) and material be allowed in class and chapel, but it would still be against the dress code to wear athletic shorts.
Senior Levi Simonton voted against the proposal and said that professionalism drops when people wear shorts. “You think about yourself differently,” Simonton said. “Most of why I opposed it is for the psychological things that go into it. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with shorts or that shorts couldn’t be professional. We just have it in our minds that shorts means casual and pants to some degree means professional.”
Others believe students should make their own decisions about how they dress, and that is why junior Johnathan Heffley supports the proposal. “We’re college students and we should be able to make our own decisions, and if we want to wear shorts to class, we should be able to,” he said.
Even if the proposal is approved and implemented, it won’t affect the way some students dress. “I voted for it, but I won’t wear shorts anyways because the classrooms are too cold throughout the year,” said junior Rachel VanLaningham.
