As winter transitioned into full-swing with the Solstice on Dec. 22, the freezing weather indicates high school students need one, universal item: a coat.
As the sun finishes rising on a winter morning, students flood into this school as fast as they can in an attempt to avoid the chill in the air outside. In recent years, wearing a coat on exceedingly cold days has vanished. But, why? The answer students tend to provide their parents with is either embarrassment, hassle or the overall look. “It’s really annoying to have to hold a coat all day since I don’t use a locker so it’s not worth the hassle to wear one,” sophomore Ashlyn Roberts said.
Although they’re seen as a staple in fashionable cities with a low temperature, jackets can be what makes or breaks an outfit for a high school student. Coats cover what, to the student, is a carefully planned out, fashionable outfit. Large and bulky, a coat’s cover hides a student’s deeply thought through outfit and goes against preferences. As for coats ruining her outfits, sophomore Arya Subramanian said it depends on the coat. “Some are cute, some styles are just not,” Subramanian said.
There is also a fear of standing out or looking uncool that is turning students away from the warmth devices. Students don’t want to look different or negatively stand out from their peers. If most students don’t wear coats, wearing one can feel like drawing attention to oneself.
These roadblocks stopping students from wearing coats are fading out this winter season. When navigating the hallways between classes, students are bound to spot at least two students wearing coats periodically. What changed or overruled the fears of embarrassment or annoyance? “Coats keep you warm and help you not get sick. That’s personally why I wear one,” sophomore Reed Gottesman said.
As maturity falls upon high school students, they are bound to let go of fears of judgement and favor their personal preferences over societal views. At the end of the day, no high schooler cares enough to be judging or commenting on others wearing a coat.
This school is notorious for its inconsistent temperature in comparison with the temperature outside. According to a study conducted by ScienceDirect, students respond to unpleasant weather conditions by substituting focus with fidgeting, meaning that mitigating this with weather appropriate leisure is essential. Sitting cold in class is not worth the lost time of learning. “Being at school is already bad enough so having a little extra comfort gives me a little bit more hope and motivation to get through the day,” sophomore Johnathan Henderson said.
Overall, comfort matters more than appearance to the average student. The chance of being judged is too slim for students to feel enough pressure to go against the necessity of a coat. In addition, coats have risen as a current fashion statement of their own as well as being a form of self-expression.
