By Nick Zalle ’23
THE ROUNDUP
There have been a few updates to the student-parent handbook, on the Brophy campus. One of the biggest changes that we have seen has been regarding the policy on hair, and how students are allowed to wear it around campus.
In years past, the handbook has stated: “Hair must be cut above the collar in the back and above the eyebrows in the front and above the earlobes on the sides. Hair must remain its natural color.”
This policy has limited student’s ability to adequately present themselves. “This new policy has been long overdue. I think that it is a testament to Brophy’s lack of interest in how students choose to present themselves,” said Brophy Sophomore, Ben Para ’23.
However, coming into the 2021-22 school year, this policy has been updated to better allow students to best represent themselves with their hair.
According to the dean’s office, the updated policy strives to “allow students to wear hairstyles that are authentic expressions of one’s self and identity (religious, cultural, ethnic, familial).”
While not being as strict as previous years, the dean’s office states that students who are found to be “challenging the spirit” of the updated policy will be asked to have their hair cut or restyled. Mr. Pidgeon will have the final say about what is and is not “challenging the spirit” of the new policy.
The updated policy does not mandate that hair is cut above the collar, allowing students to grow their hair longer than previously allowed. The new policy still does not allow students to color their hair. Although students are allowed to grow out their hair, the updated policy still mandates that students’ “hair should be kept neat, clean and combed at all times.”
Brophy Dean Mr. Austin Pidgeon ’08 also specified that hair must remain out of the student’s face, for security reasons.
The new policy goes as far as to encourage hairstyles that were not previously allowed to be worn on campus, saying, “Braids, twists, locks, rows, lines, simple designs and ornamentation are welcomed.”