With Cathedral Catholic High School’s uniforms, and the dress code specifically, being brought into question, it must be recognized that uniforms bring a sense of ease into students’ busy schedules.

“You don’t have worry too much about what to wear,” Gabriel de Andrade ‘17 said, “It’s so much easier in the morning.”

According to a study by David Gullatt of Ashland University, implementing uniforms caused peer pressure and student competition to decrease by 87 percent. The same study found that, “school uniforms help students concentrate.”

Rather than spending precious time in the morning to pick out an outfit, students can throw on their uniform and be out the door. This provides more time to focus on studies. Also, without branding influence, bullying regarding a student’s choice of attire has been shown to decrease.

A point often emphasized against dress code policies such as CCHS’ policy is that they prevent individual expression. However, there are many options provided to students that allow for self-expression.

“I see kids wearing wierd socks all the time, I wear them myself,” Celeste Williams ‘18 said.

Besides socks, students can express themselves through unique shoes, jewelry, hairstyles, and more. Though all additions to the uniform should be within reason of the CCHS student handbook, personal style being unachievable is an absurd idea.

Even public schools require dress code restrictions to enforce modesty. CCHS’ neighbor, Torrey Pines High School, expects “modesty regarding student’s dress and grooming,” as written on the school’s webpage. As CCHS is private Catholic high school, it is not without reason that the dress code requires modesty.

Alongside the ease that a uniform brings, socioeconomic benefits are also brought to our campus. While the cost of a complete uniform set is expensive upfront, the value over four years of school is much cheaper than purchasing new styles every year.

For girls, the cost of five skirts, five polos, a Mass shirt from Dennis Uniforms, a jacket and a spirit shirt from the Student Store costs $416.25, but just $104.06 per year. For boys, swapping skirts for shorts, the overall cost comes to $317, which is $79.25 per year.

When the price is broken down over four years, uniforms are shown to be much more valuable. Yet for low income families, there are more resources available. Every summer CCHS holds annual used uniform swaps. For the same clothing, girls would spend $94.50, $23.63 each year, and boys would spend the exact same amount. The used uniform sale invalidates the notion that girls must spend more, as they would at Dennis, as it creates price equality.

With such benefits, including a sense of ease regarding social pressures, leftover opportunities for individuality, and cost effectiveness, uniforms do serve a valuable purpose for the CCHS community.