Hats were always prohibited in public schools, but why? The rule was enforced when ball caps were first created. Ball caps were made to shield the human eyes from the sun and were popular in baseball to block out the sun so people could play. The downside of ballcaps was they covered one’s face so people could not identify who was under the hat. So the rule was enforced in the school dress code to prevent a staff member from letting in a dangerous person, and also so the teachers could see the students and make sure they were paying attention.

Recently, beanie hats have become more and more popular each day. The high school and middle school students have worn many beanie hats in the past few months as a clothing style. Should they be allowed to wear these? Should the dress code only be enforced when it comes to ballcaps? According to the school handbook, page 43 and item 13, “Hats come off upon entering the building and must be kept in lockers. They cannot be worn in hallways or classrooms. They can be worn outside.”

Beanie hats can sometimes provide comfort for certain people. Some just like the way it looks on them. The hats were made to both warm the head and be seen as a style, depending on why one might wear them. Students nowadays wear them for the style to look “cool.” The issue is, why have teachers chosen to ignore the policy of no hats? If a student with a ballcap walked in, he’d be told to take it off almost immediately. Why should a student with a beanie be any different?  

“From what I’ve noticed, people neglect the hat rule,” said sophomore Jason Pierce stated. “So enforcing it would have little to no effect. If I recall, the rule was set in place so students could be identified easier, which was a pointless reason. So in my opinion, the rule should be lifted.”

The hat rule should be enforced, but only loosely; they should prohibit any ballcaps should be prevented to avoid danger and for identification purposes. Beanies do not hide facial recognition. Therefore these hats should not be allowed in the school dress code and not viewed as a violation.