December, in Illinois, is just the start of the freakishly cold weather. Snow starts to fall and the sun hardly shines. The average temperature ranges around 34 degrees. 

Cold weather means hoodies and large coats to help keep warm. Even just a couple seconds outside can lead to the shivers and red skin. In order to help avoid this, coats and hoodies have hoods to cover ears and faces. Hats are also super popular during the winter.

In the morning, the building is cold from all the doors opening and closing. Still, as soon as a student walks in the high school, the supervisors request that students take off hats and hoods. Why is that? 

“[As soon as] I come in from the bus, I get scolded to take off my winter hat even though it is just represents my hockey team and does not even cover my face,” sophomore Jackson Celosky said. 

Even though this rule is sought out to be changed by students, it has been around a long time. 

“It has been a rule since I can remember and no one has changed it,” Associate Principal for Operations Thomas Kempf said. 

During the winter, students should be allowed to wear hats and hoods. The classroom temperatures vary and sitting in those rooms are not always the most comfortable. Even though the administration has these rules for a reason, why can’t they be bent just the slightest to make students more comfortable?

Picture your life 20 years from now. Children are probably going to be in the picture. 

Obviously parents want what is best and safest for the young ones. Schools help provide this protection by having surveillance cameras. Administrators can notice if someone who looks suspicious is wandering the halls. 

If hats and hoods were allowed, no one would be able to tell the difference between kids and threats with the oversized hoods or flat brim hats. Of course, not all hats are big or brimmy, but why take that chance? Someone dangerous or who has bad intentions could be roaming around like a gypsy, and it would be unknown. 

How would people feel if the reason an innocent child or teen was hurt just because of a misunderstanding of a hoodie?

“[It’s] sign of respect to take off your hat when you enter the building,” Kempf said, “It is also a safety enforceability.” 

This reasoning should be put in the handbook. If students were able to understand the adult point of view, then they could do less protesting about wearing them.