By Erica Edman ’21, Staff Writer

One question, and one question only, has divided students and faculty for years. There have been hours and hours of debate and detentions, without any conclusive results.  Some who are punished wish to know the truth: what actually is a sweatshirt? Does the fabric change the fundamental reality of an object? And what about those zippers?

Before discussing both arguments, I must first define what a sweatshirt truly is. The faculty’s definition of a sweatshirt is any article of clothing, hooded or unhooded, with “sweatshirt” material. However, it can be difficult to distinguish whether an article of clothing is composed of “sweatshirt” material or not. The ban of sweatshirts is due to their lack of formality and disheveled appearance. Therefore, any type of sweater that appears disorderly can be considered a sweatshirt.

Many students believe that the faculty’s definition of a sweatshirt is a gray area, as the idea of looking disheveled can be subjective.  In the student handbook, the clothing that students are not allowed to wear is described as any clothing that is “Sloppy, baggy, dirty, frayed, torn, see-through, low-cut, revealing.” These guidelines for what breaks the dress code can be interpreted in different ways as it is hard to distinguish whether an article of clothing is unquestionably sloppy or baggy.

Students also make the argument that sweatshirts from the Newark Academy bookstore should be allowed during the school week in order to express school spirit. Sophomore Lizzie Schwartz believes strongly that all Newark Academy apparel should be wearable during the school week. She says: “If a school would ban even clothes that they create and sell, then aren’t they saying that they are selling us inappropriate clothes?” The student body has been pleading for the legalization of Newark Academy sweatshirts for many years, but with little success. Last year the voice proposal for allowing Newark Academy sweatshirts made it all the way to faculty deliberation, only to be turned down once again.

During the voice proposal process last year, the faculty brought up the argument that if students are allowed to wear Newark Academy sweatshirts, then they will complain about how the school wants to make money off of the students by forcing them to only wear Newark Academy sweatshirts. Faculty members suppose it would be cruel to only allow the students who have the money to buy the expensive sweatshirts from the school store to be able to wear sweatshirts during the week.

The faculty also believe that because the dress code is already quite relaxed, it would be crossing the line to allow sweatshirts. Ms. Galvin, the Dean of Students, says, “Sweatshirts are generally casual and belong on casual day… Because [the Newark Academy dress code] is already so relaxed, there is not a lot of will to make it an even looser dress code.” Faculty members believe that because Newark Academy already allows plain t-shirts, leggings, sneakers, and one casual day every week, it would be excessive to include sweatshirts.

It is hard to picture a reality where students and faculty come to a mutual understanding about sweatshirts. However, it is important to listen and comprehend the argument of the side you oppose in order to gain a better perspective on how others view the subject matter.