A dress code is a set of both written and unwritten rules regarding clothing. Many schools implement a written dress code deeming what is appropriate for wear during the school day. If a student does not comply with the rules of the dress code they will be punished and/or sent home from school. But, these rules are not neutral and often target girls. Dress codes are often enforced by calling things such as shoulders, a distraction. They are targeted towards clothing items that are more likely worn by women. Dress codes also promote body shaming. Dress codes are inherently sexist.

Dress codes are targeted towards women’s clothing. Including things such as the length of a skirt or dresses, v-neck tops, strappy tank tops, jewelry, and even make-up restrictions. Of course, it is 2019 and anybody can wear whatever they want! No clothing should ever be restricted to just one gender- but, these clothing items are still geared towards and mainly sold to girls.

Dress codes do not seek to give girls an education, they seek to keep girls from being a distraction. Many dress codes enforce their policies such as “no off the shoulder tops” with the reasoning being that it is distracting to boys. This promotes body shaming and reinforces the idea to girls that they are basically meant only for the male gaze.

Dress codes are inherently sexist. They are geared towards women’s clothing, they promote body shaming and value boys education over girls. There is no reason for the dress codes to enforce covering shoulders or knees except for the reason of sexualizing young girls! Dress codes do have their place when it comes to things such as offensive graphic tees or maybe a full-on clown costume ( now that’s a real distraction, unlike that of a shoulder!). Schools need to stop sexualizing girls who are just trying to get an education.

I am of Scottish/Irish background and I have been influenced greatly from those cultures such as the traditions my family follows or some of the foods we eat. But, because I am a Canadian I have the privilege to be exposed to a diverse amount of cultural influences when it comes to food, fashion, architecture, leisure activities, and even entertainment. I live on Manitoulin Island and there are many Indigenous communities located here. I feel like Indigenous culture has been the biggest influence for me apart from my own heritage.

Before I started taking online courses I attended a regular high school called Manitoulin Secondary School. Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS) is located in M’chigeeng First Nation. This school was very involved in educating us (the students) on Indigenous culture and traditions. There was an annual pow-wow day, a day off school to go explore the Indigenous fall festival that was full of drum circles, beading workshops, and even moose stew! In the warmer months, there would be a Tipi outside the school where we occasionally listened to stories, I learned just how important stories are to Indigenous culture as it includes a lot of oral traditions. These stories about creation have influenced my own creative writing and the way I view the world. I love to hear and read other cultures creation stories because of these experiences, I watch videos on YouTube sometimes in my free-time for entertainment. Some mornings in my high school there was even a smudging ceremony in the Indigenous center called “Three Fires”.

Although being at Manitoulin Secondary School did expose me to many Indigenous traditions, Indigenous culture has always been a main cultural influence in my life. I have memories of cooking Bannock- a traditional over indigenous flatbread, over a campfire at summer-camp and I remember going to my local art gallery pretty frequently when I was younger and always admiring these large colourful paintings. As I grew up I learned that these were by the artist Daphne Odjig and that she was a Canadian First Nations artist of Odawa-Potawatomi-English heritage, from Manitoulin Island. Her painting style is usually referred to as “Woodland” style. This style of art has definitely influenced my own art as well as my personal fashion sense- I love to wear bright, bold, funky patterns and jewelry.

Gore Bay is a town located on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada. The town has quite a small population of only 850 with quite an equal distribution of both males and females. The town of Gore Bay rests on the edge of Gore Bay, a bay of Lake Huron’s North Channel. The town’s quaint and scenic location makes it a popular retirement area. Gore Bay’s popularity for retiring seniors has increased as shown in the median age increase in the 2011 census to the 2016 census. In order to adjust to this demand in the community, there have been several adjustments and buildings constructed including a new seniors center and 2 new senior housing buildings.

Welcome to Gore Bay! A video all about my town:

https://youtu.be/zLO8QdqEIPs 

The demographics of Gore Bay as recorded in the Stats Canada 2011 and 2016 censuses show an 8.7% increase in the median age number. The median age increased from 51.6 to 56.1, with the average retirement age being around 63 in all of Canada. The growing number of seniors has been very prevalent in the community. Due to 87% of Gore Bay’s population being over the age of 14, the local public school faced closure because of low student numbers. In order to keep the public school open, in 2017 a portion of the elementary school (C.C.McLean Public School) was transformed into a brand new senior’s center. The aging population of the town has also resulted in two 4-plex condo buildings being constructed in the past few years due to high demand for senior housing. The condos are geared towards seniors with main floor flats, wheelchair accessible entrances, and bathrooms.

The town of Gore Bay has faced the challenge of an increasing retired population. The median age has risen 8.7% in just 5 years. In order to adjust to this demand in the community, there have been several adjustments and buildings constructed including a new seniors center and 2 new senior housing buildings. A part of the elementary school has been adjusted to be a seniors center for some recreational activities for seniors as well as allowing the local school to remain open. There has been more senior housing built as well to accommodate the aging population. Gore Bay is a strong and tight-knit community and has adjusted very well to the changes thrown at them.

Sources:

Sasvari, T. (2017, October 05). Gore Bay seniors’ centre celebrates grand opening. Retrieved from https://www.manitoulin.ca/gore-bay-seniors-centre-celebrates-grand-opening/

https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3551026&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Gore%20Bay&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=3551026&TABID=1