“I would just like to apologize to those who were unable to graduate with the class of 2015 because they were too distracted by my midriff and consequently failed all of their classes! xoxo,
This lovely quip is the yearbook quote in this year's San Mateo High School's yearbook is from a very smart young woman Chloe Cross. With all the recent diaries about dress codes and how they are inherently sexist, I just happen to run across this when I opened the Yahoo page and felt it worthy of a quick diary.
It seems that Ms. Cross (maybe a DKos reader??) was inspired to leave the fine statement above after being penalized, along with other female friends, for dressing in what the school officials deemed inappropriate clothing. In fact she had to leave class where she was learning (can't have women learning) to go home and change her clothes. Yet, she maintains that the guys can remove their shirts at lunch and /or wear shirts that revel their chest with no adverse consequences.
As she states in the article
“It was my one, last chance to ask them why they blame girls’ wardrobes [for] others' academic failures.”
“They’re literally saying that girls are responsible for wearing attire that makes it easy for people around them to learn, that they’re too distracting if they’re showing skin and they need to take time out of their day to cover up so everyone else can focus, because apparently they couldn’t before,”
There is no mention of how the school administration feels about her parting shot, but thankfully, the yearbook adviser was progressive enough to allow Ms. Cross her right to speak up. This shows that there are still teachers willing to buck the system.
It does not say what Ms. Cross is going to pursue in Loyola Marymount University, but she will definitely have a bright future with her intelligence and quick, slightly rebellious, wit.
“I hope it at least makes people think about it and makes girls more aware that it’s not because they’re a bad person or they look slutty, it’s because the school is just trying to protect these poor boys who can’t figure out how to look at their paper,” Cross said.