I wake up, button down my dress shirt, pick out a colorful tie and fasten it to my neck, and then I slip into my school jacket. Some students dread wearing the jacket-tie uniform in the winter and anxiously wait for the time to change to the spring uniforms. Rumors have been buzzing around the Malvern community regarding a proposed change in the dress code for the 2013-14 Malvern Prep school year. Will we finally be able to delete the “how to tie a tie” memory from our brains

Mr. Dougherty was able to confirm some definite information about next year’s dress code.  There will be a slight change, but nothing as drastic as what was originally proposed.  All year, every Friday, for every student, the casual dress code will be in order. That means every Friday throughout the year, all students will be able to free themselves of the strangling necktie and be more comfortable in a mere blue or white collared shirt. The senior superiority will still be in place, as the “Casual Fridays” for seniors will not be removed. They will still be able to wear any collared shirt, not just the Malvern Prep collared shirts.

Why did the authorities make this change? There was a lot of feedback from parents and faculty members. The belief is that the average student is more comfortable in the casual dress code than in the jacket and tie dress code. With more comfort throughout the day comes presumably better self-discipline and a better work ethic. Data will be collected and more changes may be made in the future. As we progress through next year, we will see how it works – if it affects the behavior and work ethic of the student body (on Fridays)…