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Ties and Skirts: Addressing the Issue

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Click Photo to Enlarge Amanda Ball (left) and Rachel Mullikin, both sophomores, love the new dress code that allows them to choose pants or skirts in the morning. "There are some days you just don't feel like wearing a skirt," Mullikin said.

Click Photo to Enlarge This day, Adam Rabe, a junior, chose to wear a dress shirt, dress pants, and hard-soled shoes--with no tie--and that's just the way he likes it. "I'll probably do the 'grunge' look with a tie occasionally, but it's nice to have the choice."

In a surprise announcement at the Aug. 19 State of the University address, President Richard Roberts revealed the result of many months of prayer and deliberation concerning the ORU dress code for men and women.

"I feel it in my heart that a change is necessary," President Roberts said. "Following the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law, is what counts."

Using student models in various outfits, he demonstrated the new dress code, to the excited cheers of students.

For men, ties are no longer mandatory, if they choose to wear khakis or dress pants and hard-soled, non-sneaker shoes with a polo shirt or dress shirt. If they choose to wear jeans and sneakers ("the grunge look," as President Roberts called it), ties are still necessary.

For women, dress slacks and pants will be acceptable class="text" all year long, not just between Thanksgiving and spring break.

"I want you to dress this campus up," President Roberts said. "This will give you the choices to do that."

Students were enthusiastically supportive across the board.

"I love it!" sophomores Amanda Ball and Rachel Mullikin said simultaneously when asked about the change.

"It makes getting dressed so much easier," Ball continued. "It's just great."

Adam Rabe, a junior, agreed. "I really like being able to choose what to wear. In talking with my friends, we all think it's a fair compromise. It's making us hold ourselves to a higher standard. If we want to 'grunge out,' a tie is worth it. But the rest of the time, we make the choice and we can be proud of what we decide to wear."