Dress up day stereotypes

Isabela Diaz | Staff Writer

What’s the first picture that comes to mind when thinking of a ‘nerd’: go. Glasses, maybe tape around the middle of them, overalls, books in hand. Even schools go to the extent of stereotyping when it comes to dress-up days.

In the past, Scottsburg hosted a “Cowboy and Indian” day. This day included dressing up with feathers in hair, faces painted, cowboy hats and boots, and much more. Many were offended by these typical stereotypes, and Scottsburg decided to take it away.

“There’s a limit of how far they can go. Things like race, for example, are too far and can hurt people’s feelings and carry stereotypes farther than they should go,” Lily Walsh (10) said.

While dress up days can be fun, many students suggested that schools need to be mindful of stereotyping. Schools, including Scottsburg, have kept these accidental stereotypes in mind and have even gotten rid of some dress up days. Not only “Cowboy and Indian” day, but “nerd day” is no longer included.

“Some people might take offense to these stereotyped days because they might dress like that on a daily basis, and when we categorize them into a distinctive group, they might feel as though they are targeted,” Mella Neace (10) said.

While there were a lot of precautions to these planned days, many believe it is still a great way to show off school spirit.