News

Students Respond to Restrictions on Grinding and Dance Attire

A recent administration decision to explicitly ban students who are grinding or “not adequately clothed” from school dances elicited widespread controversy across campus, with 82 percent of surveyed students in opposition to the decision, according to a survey sent to students by The Phillipian earlier this week.

Read more about the rule changes in the article [here](http://www.phillipian.net/articles/2013/10/10/administration-enforces-restrictions-grinding-and-attire-dances).

As of last Saturday, students grinding will be asked to leave and have a conversation with their Cluster Dean, House Counselor or Advisor. Those wearing inadequate clothing will be turned away or sent home to “cover up,” said an e-mail Paul Murphy, Dean of Students, sent on Saturday morning.


 

**Students Respond**

**Isabel Jaregui ’17:**  “As long as it’s not making other people really uncomfortable, as long as both parties are willing to take part in the activity, I think it’s fine…I think that’s good, that they should be sent back. We are in a school environment, and I think that people should respect that.”

**Armaan Singh ’14:**  “I think he’s doing it with the intention of having kids demonstrate more respect towards themselves and their bodies if they don’t grind…I never thought of grinding really as a problem on campus, it definitely didn’t happen more than it did happen, so I don’t think it was necessary to highlight it and make such a big deal out of a very normal American activity.”

**Paulina Munn ’15: “** I understand that the school cannot support grinding, I just think that they shouldn’t go to this extent to stop it. They could encourage us not to do it, but people can basically make that decision for themselves, if they want to or don’t want to do that. I agree with it a little bit, I think that there were some outfits that were too revealing, and with really really youngly. I get that people want to dress nicely and provocatively, but I think that sometimes it’s a little bit past taste.”

**Jaleel Williams ’15** : “Especially because that’s what a lot of Andover’s hook up and dance culture has formed around, instead of trying to solve the problems that have formed from it, which is the way students treat sexuality instead of sexuality itself…As someone who does dress in that traditionally female “promiscuous” way, I’m curious to see if I would be affected by this, whether the administration would look the other way because, even though my shorts are just as short as hers, or probably shorter, they are not as likely to see me in that sexual light because it’s not associated with my gender role.”

 

 

**Megan Gatton ’17:**”I think it’s respect for the comfortability level of those around you, and yes, people may be judging you based on your appearance, which I think is just something you have to accept in our culture today, but I think it’s the right place and the right time, being in an environment that’s not necessarily appropriate. “

**Emma Khan’14: “** I think it gives the impression that the administration thinks that we’re “bad kids,” and even if that wasn’t what they meant. It’s like their saying that we don’t can’t make the right decisions for that kind of stuff, and we can do that, we go to boarding school.”

**Kai Kornegay ’14:**  “I think it’s important to note that a lot of what is considered “provocative” dancing is rooted in Afro and Carribean and Latino culture, and to say that “that’s not okay,” is erasing a lot of culture that students on campus have…And I think this is yet another decision this year that has been made to affect the students that has been done without our consultation.”

**Kory Stuer ’15:”** I think less people will go because they want to hook up, and if they can’t hook up, if they can’t leave from a dance to hook up, they’ll just hook up anyways. If less people go, it’ll hurt a lot of clubs, because clubs do fundraisers, like Latin Arts Weekend or Black Arts Weekend, they do dances and admission to raise money for their clubs.”

 

 

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> [@phillipian](https://twitter.com/phillipian) Should say “inadequately clothed *girls” because that’s who will bear the brunt of this shaming rule.
>
> — Diondra D. Peck (@whutdapeck) [October 5, 2013](https://twitter.com/whutdapeck/statuses/386521519683543040)> — Leah Tamar (@leahshres) [October 5, 2013](https://twitter.com/leahshres/statuses/386501723428093952)> Who’s up for a social experiment where I wear the same shorts as a girl & we see who has to leave the dance [#callingyourbluffadministration](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23callingyourbluffadministration&src=hash)
>
> — Jaleel D Williams (@JaleelDProblems) [October 5, 2013](https://twitter.com/JaleelDProblems/statuses/386545965836279808)> And we can’t stop… The administration from trying to control our bodies [#whatareyoudoing](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23whatareyoudoing&src=hash)
>
> — Jaleel D Williams (@JaleelDProblems) [October 5, 2013](https://twitter.com/JaleelDProblems/statuses/386534370607390720)> Next up: girl wearing feminist Tshirt kicked out of a dance for showing too much arm
>
> — charlie (@charliej33) [October 5, 2013](https://twitter.com/charliej33/statuses/386508104319651841)> And on the fourth weekend pmurph said: No Touching.
>
> — Leah Tamar (@leahshres) [October 5, 2013](https://twitter.com/leahshres/statuses/386503102016147458)> Lol goodbye gelb
>
> — Mihika (@Mihikzz) [October 5, 2013](https://twitter.com/Mihikzz/statuses/386504271719841792)>  >