In middle school, you’re realizing who you are since there’s more freedom than in elementary. You’re figuring out what you like and who you want to be. You’re blossoming into your own person. As you undergo this change, you’re encouraged to reveal to the world what you discover about yourself.

One way to express yourself is in how you dress. The dress code at Canyon Vista is mostly the same as last year with one major inclusion: you are now allowed to have an unnatural hair color.

A current trend in fashion is to “dip-dye.” Many girls experiment with their hair over the summer and dye it vibrant, unnatural colors. 8th grader Zandra C. said, “I guess during the summer I dyed my hair teal. When I got my haircut, I dyed it a blackish purple color. Then, right before school I dyed it a brownish red-purple.”

What defines an unnatural hair color? Unnatural hair color isn’t a color you would be born with, for example, babies aren’t born with purple hair. Before this dress code rule, or lack thereof, it was hard to distinguish between an unnatural jetblack and a rich, natural dark brown. The decision makers of this policy change realized the struggle.

“The way it works is a committee was made by the assistant principals of the district to compare the dress codes, due to them being outdated for about 10 years! The school board made the final decision on a majority votes rule,” said Assistant Principal Mrs. King-Knowles.

“I think it gives students a little more flexibility and weight. The focus should be on the inside with your emotions and intelligences,” said King-Knowles.  “It’s more lenient how students have more freedom to express themselves. Unnatural hair color, ear piercings only on girls, no facial hair on boys, and boys hair can’t pass the collar was some of the dress code policies when I was in middle school. It didn’t change until i was in high school.”

From the days of putting rollers in before you go to bed, to straightening your hair with an iron, to creating a helmet of hairspray to keep not just the flyaways but every strand in place, over time, women have always gone to extra lengths to be stylish. Canyon Vista is not only helping students express themselves in more creative ways but the school is ushering in a new wave of hairstyle.