An Ugg-ly Shoe Ban in Pennsylvania
Photo Credit: UggBoy<3UggGirl
Maya Kuipers, Green and Art editor
March 3, 2012
Filed under News, Student Life
If you weren’t allowed to wear your favourite pair of shoes to school, would you be outraged? Students as well as many parents at a Pennsylvania school are, now that Ugg boots have been banned.
After many complaints by teachers of cell phones being hidden in Ugg boots, a Pennsylvania school decided to ban them during class hours. Students may wear their boots during breaks, but during classes, they must put them in their lockers. One teacher compared the ban to teachers asking students to take off hats during class, a reasonable request. These, however, may not be as similar as the teachers think. One can simply take off a hat, set it aside, and put it back on, but with boots, students must bring an additional pair of shoes to wear.
According to the Pottstown Mercury, principal Gail Cooper wrote in a letter to parents, “Students may continue to wear outdoor boots to and from school to protect them from cold, snow and ice but need to change into a pair of sneakers or shoes before entering homeroom. Students may also continue to wear lace up, tight at the ankle, boots, shoes and high top sneakers.”
Cooper also wrote in the letter,“We have been experiencing problems with some students wearing open top boots and carrying items in their boots that are prohibited in school. Following several problems with these items, I have banned the outdoor, open top boots from our classrooms.”
This ban may make more sense, if there weren’t several other places to put cellphones. Emily Ann Miller, a student from Pennsylvania, stated in an interview with the Pottstown Mercury, “I know most girls hide them in their bra, or their waist band, It’s ineffective because they will just keep finding other places. Plus, my phone fits in my sneaker.”
One woman wrote on the Los Angeles Times fan page, “Crazytown!!! Ban their clothes and make them go to school naked!” Woodside student Ane Hunt-Dusse agrees with this statement, saying, “we have pockets in jeans to hold our phones, so if they ban Uggs they might as well ban pants.”
What if the same thing happened at Woodside? Is cell phone use a big enough problem to get Uggs banned here? Ms. Campbell, an administrator at Woodside stated, “Cell phone abuse is not too much of a problem here. Our policy is very clear. There seems to be some inconsistency among teachers about enforcing the policy in the classroom, but the administration is very consistent about enforcing the policy when it comes to our attention.”
Aimee Lynch, a freshman at Woodside explained how she would react if Woodside banned Uggs. “I wouldn’t like it because I don’t think anybody would stop wearing them, and I don’t think it would affect the phone problems that go on.”
Caitlin Christin, also a freshman, stated, “I would not like it at all because I think we should be able to have our phones.” Christin believes students should be able to have their phones with them at all times, “because there could be an emergency.”
Fortunately for Woodside, however, the Ugg ban is remaining in Pennsylvania. Luckily, students at Woodside properly follow cell phone guidelines, and will be able to keep the beloved shoe.
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