I’m sure both Dan Haley and Ken Trainor remember back in junior high and high school when they might have been a little “nerdy” and didn’t fit in? I remember that myself. Those teenage years are very difficult for many young men, and it seems the young ladies grow up pretty fast and very independent. You add alcohol and drugs to the situation, and it becomes very combustible.
Ten years ago, my suggestion of a dress code at the high school received no support, even though the evidence is very clear about the problems that a dress code can eliminate. Now even Bobby Raymond suggests it. Both for security and for a feeling of being part of the group, not looking different could be a nice first response to the problem. Forget the Freedom to Dress as I Please Law that some children and parents will quote. It is happening everywhere and Oak Park and River Forest High School should wake up.
They have a conflagration in the basement of their house, and they don’t want to try water. Hopefully, they are considering some quick, short-term partial solutions. Perhaps even a dress code?
Jack Flynn
River Forest