At BSM, many are longtime Catholic school students who  grew up wearing uniforms. As for myself, I never had to wear them. I went to a public school, which gives me a vastly different viewpoint on the issue of school uniforms.

Overall, I believe that BSM would benefit greatly by having uniforms. BSM is the only private, Catholic school in the Twin Cities that doesn’t have uniforms, which the administration believes is a good thing because it makes us different from other Catholic schools. I, on the other hand, don’t think drawing unneeded attention to ourselves is necessary, and this is one thing that we could put in place and be like the rest of the Catholic schools in Minnesota.

A lot of girls I’ve talked to don’t want uniforms because they think that they are “ugly.” It’s true, some uniforms are not appealing, but if BSM got students’ input on what they would like, more students would be okay with the change. If the school sent out a survey at the end of the year with possible uniform options and had the student body vote on it, it would give more power to the students in choosing what uniforms they could choose.

One reason uniforms are popular among parents more than students is because it promotes equality. High school and junior high can be a hard time for students trying to find their way in the social ladder. A lot of times the clothing one wears has an affect on how popular they are.

BSM has already run into this problem once before. When my class, the class of 2015, was in Junior High, boots of all kinds were banned from being worn by students due to a parent calling saying that their child felt left out because they couldn’t afford the newest boots.

If BSM is promoting equality among students, it would be most important to implement a uniform. Everyone would look the same, which decreases the chance that students will be “looked down on” for owning or not owning certain clothing brands. Everyone fits in and their is no room for judgment.

Uniforms would allow BSM to appear more professional and fit in with the rest of the Catholic schools in the state. I also believe that by having uniforms it would stop students from being judged on their financial situation based on what they wear to school. And having students vote on what kind of uniform would make the students feel like they had some power in the decision.

My time here at BSM has been great, but as I look back upon it during my senior year, I can honestly say I wish that we had uniforms. I believe that we could remove the social stress that comes without uniforms, and be more focused on academics, making it a better environment for everyone.

* This story has been updated to correct a mistake. We previously said that BSM was the only high school in Minnesota without uniforms. BSM is the only school in the Twin Cities without uniforms.