Another Change to the Dress Code 

Until this school year, Gilman students have been allowed to wear crewnecks. However, students can no longer wear this beloved garment. Crewnecks, a type of sweater, are defined as “a close-fitting round neckline on a sweater.” They neither have a hood nor a zipper. So, what will students wear when the weather gets chilly? For now, Gilman Upper Schoolers are confined to quarter zips. According to the dean’s office, this was decided at the end of the 2024-2025 school year, as crew necks supposedly cover the view of students' ties, and thus the deans cannot be fully certain that ties are actually present underneath. The decision prompted distaste amongst many students, including Arveen Kazemnia '27, who initiated his own petition hoping to gather enough signatures from students to repeal this change to the uniform. The deans understood and heard about this petition, and Dean Eric Coles thought the nature of it was great. However, he remained consistent that crewnecks were not allowed, as they conceal ties. 

Arveeen understood the deans’ point about being unable to see the ties, while at the same time stressing the fact that they could simply ask to see someone’s tie. Another aspect of his conversation with the deans concerned the legitimacy of his petition. They were very honest when they explained that the petition was likely bound for failure in the long run. Arveen’s determination is admirable, but, at the end of the day, the likelihood that he will ultimately spark a significant impact on the unwavering Gilman Dean’s office is highly unlikely.

Undaunted, Arveen compiled a simple yet effective table that garnered signatures from students of each grade over the course of several weeks. He commented that he obtained 150 signatures out of approximately 440 students, which is over a quarter of the upper school population. The petition was quite simple, consisting of the student’s name, signature, and class. Some students went along and signed it in support of some classmates who felt more strongly, such as Tyler Linkinhoker ‘28, a diligent proponent of crewnecks. According to him, the ban was unnecessary, and it is simply not worth buying more quarter zips. He gladly signed the petition. Similarly, George Sifakis ‘28 felt that the dress code has gone through too many changes year by year, although he himself has not yet signed. Like many students, he will accept the ban; however, he will miss wearing crewnecks. 

Ultimately, it’s this process of protest and friendly discourse that empowers the student body to have a voice, but it seems we are stuck without our beloved crewnecks for now.