Classroom Crusaders

Barbara Dunne never had a problem with her high school’s dress code. She’d followed similar guidelines for years. No big deal. 

Last spring, though, Barbara—then 14 and a freshman at Montclair High School in New Jersey—noticed something that bugged her. Girls at her school got punished for violating the code much more often than boys did— and were sometimes called out publicly for infractions. Some girls were forced to stand up in class so their shorts could be measured to ensure they met the required length. 

“At first it was just a few people, then it escalated,” says Barbara, who was never punished for an infraction herself. “The way the policy was being carried out didn’t seem fair.” Concerned about the pattern, she soon found herself in an online chat with other girls from her school, venting about the code.

The group thought the enforcement was sexist, but that wasn’t their only beef. They also found the language of the policy—which stated that clothing must not be too “distracting”—offensive. That wording “suggests that it is [girls’] responsibility to dress modestly to keep from ‘distracting’ their male counterparts,” students wrote in an online petition.

After a talk with school officials yielded no results, the group held a protest after school. But only about 20 people came—and no one brought posters or even chanted. 

So Barbara started  a Facebook page to help them organize. Another student came up with a hashtag (#Iamnotmydress) to attract attention on social media. And they got megaphones. 

Several other rallies drew crowds of supporters as well as local news crews. Still, nothing changed.

Finally, the group scored a victory. The principal agreed to remove the objectionable language from the code and speak to staff about respecting students’ privacy. 

 “It made me feel empowered,” says Barbara. “What we were saying was heard.”

Inspired, Ashlyn decided to organize a protest at her school. “I wanted to make a really big impact,” she says. 

She spread the word to classmates and set up a Facebook page with details. Still, Ashlyn was nervous. What if no one joined her?

But on the day of the event, about 1,000 kids—half the student body—gathered in front of the school where Ashlyn waited. “I was so happy, I almost cried,” she recalls. Together they marched for hours, carrying signs reading “Don’t Make History a Mystery” and “Teach Us the Truth!” 

Their efforts paid off. A few weeks later—after students at other schools also demonstrated—the school board dropped the plan. “They could change their minds,” Ashlyn admits. But, she says, “I don’t think that will happen. Now they know we’re watching.”

After brainstorming with others on the council, Alex proposed installing a salad bar in the cafeteria. But school officials said they’d opened salad bars in the past, only to have them close because few students ever purchased the healthy meals. 

Officials made a deal with Alex. They agreed to make space on the lunch line for build-your-own salads and stock it with proteins, veggies, and grains. Alex’s role? Convincing students to buy them.

That wasn’t easy. A survey conducted by the district dietitian found that 17 percent of the student body didn’t eat any vegetables. (Experts recommend that teens eat between 2 and 3 cups of veggies daily.)

So Alex handed out flyers and spoke to classes to promote the new offering. After months of hard work, the salads debuted in January 2015. Within weeks, salad sales jumped from 4 a day to 30.

That wasn’t Alex’s only success—he’s also lost 127 pounds. He now advises other students who want to be healthier. “You can do anything,” he says, “as long as you’re determined.”

—With reporting by Jamie Primeau