In response to last month’s article on athlete dress codes, I wholeheartedly agree that MHS has taken an enormous step backward compared to other area high schools. Even at Castlewood State Park, other local high schools such as Parkway South have been seen to maintain the male dress code that MHS once had, while also having a much more progressive female dress code. As a cross country runner, I was accustomed to the option of running shirtless, especially in the hot summer practices prior to the start of the school year as it was just that: an option. Many fellow runners have had similar complaints that MHS’s conservative stance on athletic dress is ironic, being one of the newest high schools in the area. Additionally, as athletics are after school programs, athletes should be able to exercise a greater degree of choice and freedom during these activities, considering that they don’t directly affect the “learning environment” of the normal school day and that most athletes should be mature enough to choose appropriate apparel without being micromanaged by their coaches. Unfortunately, the newly enforced dress code for athletes has greatly restricted the options of male athletes without any significant change to the female dress code, so while MHS can claim to have gender equality, in reality, the new rules are a wash for both male and female athletes.