We are about a month into the 2018-2019 school year, and students are still dressing the part. New clothes. New attitud. New backpack. New hair. Self expression through outward appearance gives students confidence. Yet, some schools hold their students back, especially in allowing their students to dye their hair crazy colors. Seems silly, right? At Lafayette, we are lucky that we have the freedom to color and damage our hair to our hearts’ content.

Some schools in Kentucky, like private schools or schools in more rural areas, do not allow students to color their hair. Why? A common argument is that bright or strangely colored hair is a distraction in the learning environment. This statement is obviously taking the definition of “distraction” too literally. If hair color is such a distraction, then who is to say that hair in general isn’t a distraction? In this case, we may as well shave all our heads bald!

Sure, maybe bright hair is a “distraction”, but only in the sense that it might lead to a compliment or a discussion, at most. If you see someone with cool blue hair and you think to yourself , “Gee, their hair sure is nice”, that could technically be considered a disruption of your thoughts. If that’s the case, is being distracted really a bad thing? Maybe not.

A student with awesome colored hair, Moe Wheat, states why she likes having dyed hair,

“I feel like it helps me show more of who I am, and it’s easy to do. I’d like to show myself through fashion and clothes and stuff, but since its usually so expensive, I like to do it through hair. It also helps you make friends with other people who have dyed hair.”

All schools should let their students dye their hair any color they want. It encourages confidence and individuality, which are important qualities to have in life. If someone is distracted for just a second to think about how cool their peer’s hair looks, then what’s the harm? Distractions are destined to happen, and no one can police another person’s thoughts. So instead of worrying what kind of disruption colorful hair could cause, schools should advocate for their students and their unique personalities.