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The first day of school my junior year, the dean sent me home before I could find my locker. According to the rules of the school, I was illegal. Along with some other insults, I was told not to come back until I made a change to my personal appearance. Went to the Borics that day. Kept my eyes shut. 15 minutes later, my school's problem was solved. Mine had just started.
I was so pissed off, you know? All that time, all that growth, gone just like that. And for what good reason? As if short hair could somehow make me a better student. I didn't have it all shaved off, but it wasn't even close to the length I had it before the cut, which if I remember correctly was about chin length.
My hair kept growing though, much to their dismay. In retrospect, the bastards actually helped me avoid the mullet style, since I would have to trim the hair to keep it off the collar, and eventually it became all one length. During the regrowth, I did all sort of stealthy things to try and max the amount of length I could wear on my own time. I started out putting all sort gunk into my hair to keep it out of the way, and I curled the back end so it wouldn't touch my collar, even though it probably looked silly as hell. It took a very long time, but eventually I could tuck all the hair behind my ears, and loophole the 'above the eyebrows, above the ears' part of the draconian trio of school ruling on hair (above the collar being the other). Also, I would try and avoid being seen by the dean. Pesty teachers, though, would send notes to the dean, and thats the only time long hair actually interrupted my schooling, when I was called to the office for a good looking at, to determine whether I was legal. Basically, I was a fugitive in my own damn school. I would go to a public school for sure, but the one in my area is a hell hole, so I'm forced into going to the Catholic all male school. Talk about ironic, they have the ban on long haired kids, but who is the icon of Catholocism? Jesus Christ, thats who, and every artist portrays him as a longhair.
At any rate, it was not a very easy thing to keep up. But why should I be just another longhair casualty in the history of things? So what I did was, I wrote a letter about the discrimination going on, and I gave it to the principal. A meeting was set up, and we talked things over. On my way out of the office, some receptionist dude said to me, "Hey Jesus, get a haircut. Its gettin close."
The victory part of it all, is that acceptable hair length for next year has been changed to shoulder length. Its not a complete victory, and I am guessing my definition of shoulder length and theirs is different, but still, its better than nothing I suppose. As for my hair, it started out this summer well beyond the length it was that I had to cut at the first day of junior year, so I am in between chin and shoulder, mid neck.
I've already lost my job over my hair, too. I was a caddie at a golf course, and naturally the high class don't want any riff raff longhairs working for them. One time, when introducing myself at the beginning of the round to my golfer, the rich old codger wouldn't even shake my hand! I thought maybe he just hadn't seen it, but right after he ignored it, he told me hair was dirty and that I should take that round's pay and buy myself a haircut. What a world.
But anyway, I figured I'd type this out to show that if you try, maybe sometimes you can get things changed. I'd like to thank Bill Choisser for his website, particularly the Resources page, it was very helpful in writing that letter to the principal.
Have a happy summers growin everybody.
Peace
Well done, and good luck with the future. When I was at school, one of the students managed to grow his hair long enough to tuck under his collar, so it got several inches down his back and none of the teachers spotted it.
Haha! My school is a lot more liberal in way of thinking now. There are around 8 longhairs in 1000 people, I will probably be the ninth, but they don't mind guys growing their hair long. The only thing they comment on is beards, thick stubble is fine, but my friend tried growing his, when it reached 2 or 3 inches on his chin, and he got so much hassle from 1 or 2 teachers that he cut it. But not straight away, like 4 months later just to pee them off!:)
BTW I couldn't grow a beard to save my life, only scalp hair, so I have no choice but to conform.
They need to make all forms of discrimination illegal. As long as you are able to the school work or a job it shouldn't matter what hairstyle you have. As long as it is kept neat.
I agree completely but by adding as long as it is kept neat to your statement it kinda contradicts it because everyones opinion of what is considered "neat" is different.
I guess your right. As long as it is kept clean. I guess that would be more appopriate than neat.
Great story, congratulations on your success.
Congratulations !!!!!
Man, it's 2004, you would think it's 1964. Yes I was around then !! and even then I never had trouble. I grew up and still live in the USA - New Jersey and we had all different styles in the 1960's/70's in school, even today I see young long hairs.
It's soo stupid that anyone should care how long your hair is. As long as the hair is clean, combed, don't look like a rats net, that all..... I work in the IT field and have my hair past my shoulders and I never lost a job. For interviews, I wear a suit and put the hair in a ponytail. If I don't get hired - to hell with them, somebody will !! and I always had a job !! Plus I would never want to work for some a@@ that is biased.
Keep it long....
Bob
Golf and long hair dosen't mix too well. I get the most hastle, by far, when I go golfing with my old friends from where I grew up. And I don't think there is a single golfer on the PGA Tour with anything close to long hair.
This is all very weird to me... Out here in the Netherlands, I dont know any school which has any kind of dress/hair rules. On my school we have guys with long hair, pink hair, Mohawk haircuts... Girls as well (with the last two things) by the way, haha. Sounds ridiculus to me those stories, can't imagine it being so at my school.
I want to commend you for how you have dealt with this, and for your incredible show of responsibility and humanity. I will tell you that years ago I was the Dean of Students in a Catholic High School. I had not yet grown my hair out (now mid back length), but I did sport a beard. So did the principal. As you might know, male students were forbidden to have a beard. I worked hard to get the rules changed, and they were, though most of the administration was dubious at letting go of this control of students. And this IS what it is, you know.
A year later, we had several male students who took advantage of the new rules and grew their beards. We had one student (ONE STUDENT!!) who not only grew his beard, but made no attempt and grooming and neatness. His parents complained that it was our fault, and that was all the administration needed to reverse the rule.
I tell you all this to say: when you and your classmates begin to take advantage of the new rules, police yourselves. Keep your hair neat and clean and try and think of what it is about hair that will send parents and teachers over the edge--beside just the length. Because, they will react, and you may just find the rules changed again.
You handled yourselve like a competent, human person. Too bad the adults in school leadership so often do not.
Robert
Hi PF,
I can really relate to what you are talking about, British Schools tend to have pretty strict dress code policies, particularly the private schools, though unlike in the US, even the state schools have school uniforms.
NB: American's call state schools "public schools" to a Brit a "public" school is actually a very posh private school like Eton. (go figure!)
I was one of those model pupils at school, maybe even a little geeky, but I was also one of the "hair rebels" I was once hauled out by the headmaster along with two other lads and told to get a hair cut or be suspended.
My Head of Year, was really sympathetic, cos he was a Rocker at heart, aparently he'd being asked to get a haircut by the headmaster a few weeks earlier. He'd complied against his wishes, but urged us to do the same for the sake of peace and quiet. He actually suggested we get a trim now, and in six weeks time it would be summer and we'd have 12 weeks to enjoy our hair the way we wanted.
Of course September came around again and we were all hauled back in front of the headmaster, with even longer hair and told to get it cut again. Though this time around we were in year 10 studying for exams so the headmaster had decided not to suspend us as if we missed schoold it would likely affect the overall grade point average seen as two of the three of us were straight A students... hmm... its amazing what you can get away with in school if you're going to make someone else look good. :-)
Sorted
I never had trouble over hair length in school, and it was a long time ago. I guess it was about 30 years ago. I think they may have been unfair on pupils with lower grades, though. I remember someone being reprimanded for having long hair by the deputy head, and he was really the bottom of the class. I was near the top of the class, and was never bothered! I wouldn't be surprised if that still happens. Come to think of it, our chemistry teacher's hair was as long as that of the boy who was told off.
Awesome it helped! Thanks for the feedback on that. Good for you, for standing up for yourself. You made a difference not just for yourself but all the other longhairs in your school. That's great.
Celebrate it long!
Bill
