Dress code and homecoming have been the topics of campus controversy ever since the principals visited history classes last week to explain some new rules. Although intended to be helpful reminders, these explanations were quickly misinterpreted and spread throughout campus to create some false ideas. To help clarify, we’ve broken down some of the misconceptions and clarified what the administrators wanted to convey.

Misconception: “Oh my gosh, I can’t wear a strapless dress to homecoming?!”

Reality: This is not true. Girls can in fact wear strapless and spaghetti-strap dresses, provided no excessive cleavage is being shown.

Probable reason for the misinterpretation: Each of the administrators talked about regular school-day dress code as well as homecoming dress code, so students who may have been tuning in and out could have heard only part of the information, and attempted to piece it together themselves. Strapless and spaghetti-strap tops are not allowed to be worn during a normal school day. They are, however, allowed at homecoming.

Misconception: “My dress has to be to my knees?!”

Reality: No, your dress does not have to be past your knees. It does, however, have to be at mid-thigh. The administrators recall seeing far too many inappropriate dress-lengths in previous years and have deemed it necessary to employ a rule regarding length.

Probable reason for the misinterpretation: Social media. Upon hearing the new rules, students of all ages flocked to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to express their outrage. Plus, being teenagers, exaggeration and sarcasm are like second languages. The exaggerations could very likely have gotten out of hand and have been interpreted as fact.

Misconception: “We can’t grind at homecoming?!”

Reality: Sort of…

Probable reason for the misinterpretation: This one is an issue year after year, and the cold truth comes down to just this: a generational gap. The word ‘grinding’ itself has an entirely different meaning to adults as it does to teenagers. Although some would disagree, after speaking with many administrators and teachers on campus, most adults have a much more vulgar picture of grinding than what comes to students’ minds. In a nut-shell, what the administrators do not want is raunchiness of any kind. This means no hands on knees or on the floor, or for that matter any bending down at all. Students have a more social interpretation of grinding, where students dance in a small group with the girls facing each other and the boys behind them. This is still allowed. However, if the dancing turns inappropriate those students will be asked to stop, and a second warning will result in removal from the dance.

“Our dances are school functions,” Principal Gavan Goodrich said, “and regardless of the dance style of the day, the teachers and administration are in charge of making the school environment a safe and secure place.”