Three years of hard work come to a head next Tuesday when Foothill College votes on the dress code.

Foothill College Student Body President Jon Buckley, who has spearheaded the effort to return the code to student government, pointed out the fact that the vote is vitally important to De Anza College. Since the dress code is District policy, any revisions made by the Board of Trustees affect both campuses.

PAST EFFORTS AT getting the dress code substantially changed have not met with success because, Buckley explained, their approach was an emotional, hysterical pitch which could not accomplish a thing.” Buckley emphasized his approach has been entirely different — “a calm, well-planned effort.”

The basic premise of those students leading the fight for a change in the dress code is to return the enactment and enforcement of any code to student government. (The original dress code was started by Foothill student government, and the enforcement of that code was taken over by the administration at the request of the students.)

The voting will be in the form of two referendums (the other is on Vietnam) held in conjunction with the regular Foothill class elections.

IT READS: “ Choice 1. That the enforcement of the present dress code should remain in the hands of the administration and that the code itself should remain in the hands of the Board of Trustees. Choice 2. That the code should be returned to the hands of student government from which it came and there be subject to enforcement, review, change or modification.”

The referendum needs a simple majority but Buckley is confident of an overwhelming vote that will leave no doubt as to where the Foothill student body stands.

The dress code is a policy of the Foothill Junior College District Board of Trustees, and so the voting next Tuesday will not automatically change anything. Leaders of the dress code revision movement hope, however, that a very strong vote against the dress code Tuesday will provide valuable ammunition for their meeting with the Board later this month.

BUCKLEY POINTED out that the dress code was instituted by student government at Foothill 10 years ago when the college campus was located in Mountain View, and since that time has gone through several modifications.

He admitted that the code hassle really is a “trivial” affair. Once it is taken care of, however, asserted Buckley, “we can push on to more important things.” Buckley termed Foothill’s administration as “very cooperative and eager to discuss any changes in the dress code.”

“We realize Foothill College is a mountain top of junior colleges,” explained Buckley. “ We feel the best way to continue and improve that ideal is to return to the students a voice in their own affairs.”

“I don’t think it’s unfair to ask.”

Archived from Volume 1, Issue 2.