Dress Code Dilema

By: Jarrica Speidel

Most college recreation centers that offer areas in which to work out each have their own dress code. How they vary has become a controversial issue among various campuses. There has been a shift in recreation centers caring more for health and safety while students are concerned with being able to express themselves.


For most college students, the last time they had to worry about a dress code was high school. Now the only dress code many follow other than their jobs is the recreation center’s dress code. Although this is standard procedure, college recreation centers hold different standards for what a “dress code” really is.


The aspects of having a dress code are promoting a safe and healthy environment. From an online source- Gym Hygiene:Science Behind Dress Code, the article states recreation centers want to improve hygiene. This also talks about when more fabric is covering the body, it reduces the spread of disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the clothing barrier. Athletes have an especially high-risk factor. One disease that is in concern for the spread is staph, an infection of the skin or nose that is commonly found in athletic facilities. The surfaces are perfect for the warm, damp, and sweaty environments in the centers. Other diseases come from air contact such as the common cold or flu.

From another article about California State University Northridge RecreationCenter, these issues about health and safety are promoted.

An Associate Executive Director of the USU, Jimmy Francis, says “There are studies that show the amount of skin and the contact of the equipment can be problematic just in [terms of] the transmission of bodily fluids,” Francis said. “So the less skin you have in contact with the equipment, the better off we all are.”

In an effort to prove his point, Francis has decided to display a range of signs and images throughout the facility. At the front desk, a poster shows what kind of apparel is allowed for men and women. He said these signs are done differently each year. However, there are students who have reacted to the dress code display.

Amber Ruelas, a junior at CSUN, went to Twitter to express her frustration with the guidelines. “When I first saw the dress code I was really upset because yes, we’re all adults,” Ruelas explained. “Not only that, we pay so much money towards this school and the SRC, and they feel they can dress code us? That’s not right.” Others showed their frustration as well.

Francis responded, “We’re not trying to be the fun police, but we do have to set some standards so that we can continue to maintain a place where people want to come,”.

Closer to home, a glance at Iowa’s three public universities shows drastically different standards.  This information comes from both their websites and individuals who have been to the centers.

Starting with the University of Iowa, they display directly on their recreation website that the only requirement for apparel is having non-marking athletic shoes that cover the entire foot that must be worn at all times. They also have on their website that “appropriate attire” should be worn according to specific activity areas.

U of I senior, Chelsey Mier, remarked, “Girls can wear sports bras and guys can wear cutoffs but guys can’t be completely shirtless. I think you should be able to wear whatever you want.”  She adds she feels comfortable working out in the environment with a lenient dress code due to that it is well kept for cleanliness. Mier also said that there is no display or sign showing what is not allowed.

At Iowa State University, the website, clearly states what the dress code is for the facility. ISU also requires closed toe, non-marking athletic shoes. For each of the activities or sports that can be played in their recreation center, they have the requirements for each of those displayed as well. Below  is a diagram that ISU has for the dress code on their site: 

ISU Senior Kelsey Maize takes issue about some of the requirements of the dress code, “I can understand that they don’t want people to just be walking around in sports bras, totally reasonable. But when they make me change because two inches of my stomach is showing in a crop tank top or I am wearing a cutoff that is a bit absurd. I work so hard for the body that I have, and to be told what to do about my own body makes me so upset. “  She explains “When I asked them why I had to change, their response was because it’s offensive to other people and can make others feel insecure. Okay so I’m sorry my hard work and dedication is offensive to you?? Work harder then. They won’t let any guys wear tank tops/cut-offs for the exact same reason. And it’s like… we’re all in the gym to better ourselves and make ourselves feel confident, that’s the whole point. So what you’re wearing while you’re doing that should be no one’s concern except your own.”  

The smallest of the three schools, the University of Northern Iowa has no dress code listed or displayed on their website. They do however, do have a poster of the dress code displayed near the stairs on the way to the upstairs gym.

         
UNI junior, Tess Leuck, had an encounter last year with the manager of the recreation center about her apparel. Leuck said, “I went to work out at the WRC with a shirt with an opening in the back. I had worn this shirt a numerous amount of times and never have gotten questioned about it. I was approached in the middle of my workout and told by a worker that I either had to change or leave. I asked if I could continue my workout then leave, but I was told no. They claimed that it had to do with the spread of bacteria due to my open back shirt. Not only did they not have their dress code posted anywhere in the upstairs gym, but it was also embarrassing being approached in the middle of my workout.” After this incident, Leuck does not use the university gym. She said there are no cut offs, holes in shirts, no see-through apparel, no crop tops, and no razor back tank tops allowed.

Sara Baumgartner has been the Facility Manager for about a year at the UNI recreation center. When asking her opinion about the dress code safety, Baumgartner replied: “The dress code is to prevent the spread of any sort of diseases such as MRSA or staph.” In her time being at the center, Baumgartner said there has not been any issue with the dress code.

Reaching out of state, to the University of Platteville, Wisconsin, junior Katie Isbell had some thoughts about their recreation center. Isbell said that the rec center does not allow tank tops or spandex. “A lot of girls just wear leggings to avoid getting in trouble for having their shorts too short. I think it’s a good idea to have a dress code to keep the environment welcoming to those who may not be as comfortable with themselves as others. But as for guys they can pretty much wear whatever they want besides cut-offs and that’s not really fair I think.”

Isbell’s comment that it seemed that girls had more of a dress code than guys, is also the subject of an article on the website called Campus Rec Magazine, it had a story just like Isbell claimed, when a girl was approached because of her apparel but the guy, however, was not.

In early November 2015, Nicole Mastrocinque, a senior at Stony Brook University was working out at the campus recreation center. Mastrocinque was wearing a T-shirt that she cut the sleeves off, low enough to show skin just past her sports bra. She was told what she was wearing was inappropriate and told to leave or cover up. Like her, another girl was asked to leave or cover up due to her cut off T-shirt. Mastrocinque was allowed to finish her workout since she had another shirt. As she was leaving, she asked a male who was working out in a cut-off T-shirt if a staff member had said anything to him. He said no.

After this incident, Mastrocinque contacted Jay Souza, the campus recreation director, about a detailed discrepancy in the dress code policy she noticed at the facility. Souza responded, thanking her for her feedback and let her know that the department enforces the policy equally and consistently with both men and women. From Isbell’s experience and that of many others, it’s apparent the dress code is not being enforced equally.

Although dress codes are important at college campus recreation centers, especially when it concerns safety and health, there are also issues concerning letting students express themselves when getting active or feel comfortable in the environment.

                                                                             
Recreation centers have the right to enforce their dress code policies, but they need to display these policies and make them known.  That way, all users of the facility can understand and appreciate an environment that is a healthy, safe, and judgment-free zone.

Photo Credits:

Pexels

Iowa State University