Have you ever asked yourself why we need uniforms in schools? Some may say that uniforms help increase a sense of belonging for students, or a sense of community. Some may say that uniforms reduce the forming of gangs. In my opinion students should have a right to their own freedom of expression.

One of the most important aspects of “free dress” in replacement of uniforms, is that it gives students an option to make their own decisions. “Having uniforms fails to allow students to learn to make good choices based on their own values,” says Sherry Bowen, a school media specialist, and mother of two. I do agree with her, students should have as many opportunities as they can to make decisions, preparing them for the future.

 Especially, young students through teenagers don’t have a lot of breathing room to make their own decisions. With parents and responsibilities, school, and maybe even a strenuous sport, how could you have time to make the choices of “What you want to do”? Often adults overlook the stress children are put through, as well as the stress they are putting on their own children.  Therefore, we should try to elevate stress level, instead of adding to it.

Another reason why uniforms shouldn’t be used in schools is that it expresses a sense of conformity, and understate the need for self expression. “In the 1980s, public schools were often compared unfavorably to Catholic schools. Noting the perceived benefit that uniforms conferred upon Catholic schools, some public schools decided to adopt a school uniform policy,” says Marian Wilde from GreatSchools.org In my opinion, Catholic Schools, Private Schools, etc., might want to increase conformity, and a religious standpoint on community; but when we start having no reason for how we are controlling our students’ small freedoms, there needs to be a change.

Now if some school officials would like to be in a sort of authority over student’s freedom of choice, then maybe a dress code would be an appropriate compromise. A regulated, and monitored dress code to remind students not to forget about authority, but also enforce the need for freedom. I think this would be just the enforcement schools need, instead of the extra over-control.

The movie starts out with a gloomy barn and starved, hardworking animals. Then Old Major, the pig, plants the idea of a revolt in the animals’ heads, right before he dies. Snowball and Napoleon, the main pigs, have made them the leaders of Animal Farm. The animals then plan their rebellion, and take over Jones’s farm. Everything is going well until the farmers strike back. The animals were injured in the fight, and even some had died; but victorious, the animals slump away.

After the drama of actually acquiring the farm for themselves, Snowball the pig, then has plans to create a windmill, but jealous Napoleon, summons his dogs to then murder Snowball and take credit for the idea of the windmill. After the windmill is built, the farmers take vengeance and blow it up. Boxer, the hardworking horse, injures his foot in efforts to rebuild the broken windmill; but cruel Napoleon sends a glue factory truck to collect him and take him to his death. Benjamin, Boxer’s companion, summons the animals all around the country to help with yet another rebellion against Napoleon, Who has become much like a human and has broken every commandment he put in place. It ends with the victory of the animals over the pigs. My rating was about a four, because it was an old movie and I really like old movies.

On June 3rd the Chinese approved for soldiers to take over Beijing’s Tiananmen Sqaure. Tiananmen Square had thousands of protestors. Protests had been going on for awhile, for their ideas on a democratic government. But on June 5th, troops and tanks stormed the place. Killing many people, including brave students, and other adults who were only fighting for what they believed in. After the massacre took place, there was an international response. Many countries in Europe, and North America criticized China for their wrongdoing. 

My hands grow into a deep, icy, cold… As if that is a conclusion, a result, to something. Yet, theses past months have given me anything but finality. Nothing physically has phased me. Gotten my attention, in a long time. My cheeks have been sucked of their rosy color. My eyes narrow. Goosebumps, creepily, appear on my limbs. As a shudder stings my spine.

It’s almost as if I have become someone else. Someone very unknown to me. Whatever has happened to me, I am definitely not myself. Where have I gone? That is the only question should be asking myself. Oh wherever have I gone to?

I am in an endless confusion. I live in a cloud high above the world, I know so well. A foggy tired, cloud of nothingness. That may be the only place I have gone to. Taken away upon the wind, dispersed amongst the waving hills of green. I miss what I used to be. Its only up to me now to find that.

It was a dreary day in late April. A usual, uneventful, Saturday. Rain streamed down, in changing, intricate, patterns along the the freshly cleaned glass window. Meanwhile, my mind ached for something ,it’s growing teeth, could happily chew on. Something of any interest, preferably mystery. Mystery, now that is a challenge, I thought.

My God what was I thinking. I couldn’t get away from what had already pursued my mind. What challenged my weaknesses. I couldn’t even try. What deep emotions strangled my every decision. Just as I would start to loose interest, something drags me right back into this mad, swirling, whirlpool.

But…it was not me choosing to spin out of control. Something else was spinning it for me. Whatever it was, that I was involved in, whatever mindset I was stuck in, certainly was not going to leave. Was definitely not going to disperse.

The day was on a Tuesday, no Friday. Yes, Friday the 27 of July. My eyes narrowed, and a shot of an icy cold paralyzed my body. Why? I asked myself out loud, with a sarcastic tone, that could be easily recognized. What had I done now, who had caught me? Too late now I suppose, to fix whatever I destroyed. I didn’t care anyways, my reputation had been ruined ever since my strict, proper, parents disowned me. They never cared anyways, all they did was suffocate me with restrictions that should “help” me. If they wanted to help me, I should have been free. Which is exactly what am now, what I fought for so long for, no matter what the cost.

I stood in a stark room of a blazing white, with one chair, and a shiny white tile that I knew would hold anything but warmth. I dragged my leather boots against the floor, creating a deafening screech, slightly impairing my hearing. My eyes were tired, and stung with every blink. I looked down at my hands, which were covered in dirt and blood. Oh no, I thought. Well that can’t be good. I usually don’t remember what bad things I do, which I should probably go get that checked. But… I always thought if I had done something really wrong I would remember.

Something told me I wasn’t going to get out of the one. Something in me was afraid. Afraid? Was that really what I was? All I have been through, and I was scared? Of what? What could this bleak room do to me. Well not exactly the room, but the people behind it. Authority was not my worry, it was disappointment. Disappointing the people who actually cared. After my parents, being so disappointed that they did not want me anymore, I decided to have no one care about me, not even myself.

The people behind that room did not know me, or care about me, so I had nothing to fear.