It’s about the shoes

It’s about the shoes

EDITOR:

“School go be so dope dis year. We get to rock any shoes we want. I’ma be fresh!”

— A motivated student

Yup! Another enthusiastic school year is approaching for Youngstown City Schools and the students are so eager to fling open the doors to the freshly waxed and buffed floors to show off their brand new colorful shoes. Last year school had to be so uneventful because students were only allowed to wear all black or white shoes. How in the world are they supposed to learn like that? I mean next to the outdated text books, the type of shoe you wear is essential to the learning process.

Instead of school personnel cracking down and enforcing a student dress code, they crack under the steady and blatant disrespect and breaking of it. The student dress code was enacted to promote uniformity and alleviate the pressures of parents and students to have to compete and participate in some sort of fashion show. To help the student focus more on the educational aspects of school, I mean that is what they are there for, right? To be educated.

Of course though, there are always two sides to a coin. Being able to express yourself is a very important part in a student’s development. Fashion is now an art form that showcases individuality and creativity. The confidence these kids obtain from being able to be themselves could translate into more confidence in the classroom. The fashion world rakes in billions of dollars a year and by the way some of these kids “express” themselves, they may have futures in fashion design, or as models.

The only thing is that our school system is antiquated. Instead of evolving into performing arts and technological epicenters or schools where are kids learn valuable trades and real world mathematics (currency and credit), we are stuck with unmotivated teachers teaching from the same lesson plan year in and year out. Teachers used to innovate and inspire and students, used to aspire and invent. State governments pumping millions of dollars into a failing school system instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. Why?

Well at least this year students have something to look forward to. Glow n the dark Air Yeezys, the freshest Nike Dunks with the rarest color schemes and of course the ageless Jordan collection will have these kids rejuvenated and the teachers motivated. I’m sure the class of 2010 will breed the greatest minds to ever walk across Stambaugh Auditorium’s stage. If not, oh well at least they’ll have on fresh kicks. And next year we can work on really inspiring our students to be the greatest ever by ditching the student dress code all together.

DERRICK BENSON

Youngstown