Dear Wahlert Student Body,

Many times this year you, the student body, have asked me about wearing our hooded Wahlert sweatshirts during the school day. This question has been an ongoing debate between the administration and students. As your student body president, I want you to know that I hear what you are asking, and I fully understand you because I, too, would also love to wear my Wahlert sweatshirts everyday of the week. 

However, this isn’t a possibility with our current dress code. We can only have a certain number of dress coded items, and adding 20 sweatshirts, all with a different design, would surpass this limit. We have had a uniform at Wahlert Catholic since the school opened. Although it has changed many times, the goal of the uniform has stayed the same: to look unified as a school. So adding 20 sweatshirts to the mix won’t make Wahlert look unified. 

We did, however, implement Spirit Days on Fridays for a reason. I understood that everyone wanted to wear their Wahlert apparel, so I met the administration halfway. Being able to wear Wahlert apparel on Fridays is a privilege we have been granted, and it can easily be taken away from us. Therefore, I highly advise you to follow the few rules we have for Spirit Days. For example, stop wearing those non-Wahlert sweatshirts and t-shirts. If students continue to do this, the administration will take it away, and we will have to wear our uniforms. The point of Spirit Days is to show school spirit, so we have to make sure we are doing this. 

Our dress code is decided by the Wahlert Student Services Committee. This committee is made up of parents, teachers and administration, and governs the elementary, middle and high school levels. The members are appointed by the Chief Administratrator, Mr. Phil Bormann. If we want something to be changed or added regarding the dress code, we can bring it up to a member of the committee, who will then bring it up at a meeting. Included on this committee is Mr. Meyers, Mr. Bormann, Mr. Varley and Tina Perry. 

Although uniforms can sometimes be uncomfortable, there is a purpose for them. The Spirit Days are something that we are lucky to have once a week, so be thankful that we have the ability to wear our hooded sweatshirts at least once a week. 

-Ashley Steele, ‘20