As the heat rages outside, some of the classrooms at Northmont High School become unbearably hot. With that heat, dress code violations return.

“Tank tops and shorts should be allowed, it’s too hot for pants,” said sophomore Tayler Bowling.

While “tank tops” and “shorts” are allowed, there are limitations. The dress code at the high school states a student has to have 3″ wide straps on their tops as well as no rips in  jeans above mid thigh (even by design). The dress code also calls for shorts to be fingertip-length while standing, while also banning bare midriffs, as with crop tops, for example. Many of these banned items, however, also keep students cooler.

“Now for the shorts, there should be a limit, but [fingertips aren’t an accurate measurement],” said sophomore Brianna Brown. “I always have issues finding shorts to match that rule because I have slightly longer arms.”

Other students feel as though there is nothing wrong with wearing shorts not meeting the fingertip-length requirement as long as they are not revealing.

“If the shorts are just a tiny bit too short, it should barely even be addressed,” said Brown. “I think after about the second or third time, something should be done to let the student know that it isn’t okay to wear that.”

Shorts are not the only issue, however.

“Girls should be able to show their shoulders,” said freshman Hunter Renner. She also believes there should be no restrictions regarding ripped jeans.

To complicate matters further, the extreme temperatures many students carry water bottles or request to leave class to get a drink of water. According to the student handbook, students are not allowed to carry water around without a doctor’s note. However, some feel students wearing shorts and tank tops may help alleviate the need to be out of the classroom to get a drink of water.

“If the dress code were actually enforced as it is written, and I was dressing like they want me to, I’d be passing out from heat exhaustion….at least being able to drink water cools me down, and I don’t sweat as much or get overheated,” said senior Nikki Demtraides.

With many violations brought on by the heat, the new building will alleviate some of the issues caused by the dress code.