Photo by Isaac Myers ’18 – Students walk into Saint Francis Xavier Church wearing Mass dress. Mass dress keeps student uniform standard.

By Andrew Howard ’17
THE ROUNDUP

Mass dress is something we all have to go through.

It all starts the night before with a call from Dean Mr. Pat Higgins telling you what you’re allowed to wear.

Some people dread this call, but to me it is a relief.

Mass dress is helpful in many ways. It keeps everyone uniform, you know what to wear in the morning when you wake up and most of all it shows respect when we go to Mass.

I personally am not a morning person, I can struggle to find clothes that actually match, and I usually just end up putting on the first two things in my closet.

Mass dress prevents this issue, I know exactly what I am going to wear the next day.

Part of Mass dress is everyone looking relatively similar, which understandably bothers some people, but it shouldn’t. On Mass days, despite everyone’s different backgrounds, we all look the same, and that helps us to come together.

Understandably some people do not like the fancy dress and the strict rules and restrictions, but it could be worse.

We do get the option of what color shirt and what color pants; that’s four different options, just think of the possibilities.

If you really care that much about standing out in a crowd, you can always choose your shoes, as long as they are brown or black.

Sports teams have a special relationship with Mass dress, as many of the teams must wear it on game day. Their Mass dress is different in that it is any shirt and any tie, but just by being in Mass dress they separate themselves from the rest of the student body.

Without Mass dress we would look sloppy going into church, and no one would want that.

Sometimes rules about Mass dress can go overboard; having to keep your sleeves down on a hundred degree day can get a little sweaty.

But knowing what you are wearing in the morning and being respectful is more important than a little sweat.