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October 6, 2009
Victoria Grieshammer and Allison Jackson
As seen through the ever-popular Mum Day, tradition is a vital part of life at Hoban. The oldest tradition at the school is one of constant criticism and change – the dress code. Before the dress code of colorful polos and khaki pants was introduced, a different school uniform was in place at Hoban. This set of rules has morphed as much as society itself through the 50’s, 60’s 70’s, and beyond.
In Hoban’s early years as an all boys school, the dress code was significantly more formal than now.
“When it [Hoban] was all boys, the dress code consisted basically of casual pants or dockers with a dress shirt, tie and suit jacket,” Chemistry teacher Brother Edward Libbers said.
History teacher and 1966 Hoban graduate Robert Yanko agrees.
“All of us (all boys) wore sport coats and ties,” Yanko said.
With the introduction of girls that ensued in 1974, the rules began to give a little slack. Boys were still expected to wear docker style pants, but rather than the formerly mandatory dress shirts, ties and jackets, they were permitted to wear any kind of Hoban t-shirts (any day) and any shirt with a collar.
“We wore a dress top and dress pants. No jeans or tennis shoes,” 1978 Hoban graduate Colette Libertin said. “My brothers, who went to Hoban from 1970-1974, had to wear suit coats.”
The 80′s were different.
“I wore a dress shirt or golf shirt and dress pants,” 1986 Hoban graduate Tom Bauer said.
The transition to the Hoban polos, which rule the hallways today, came about as a result of immodesty.
“Modesty was a very big problem with the girls,” Libbers said. “Sometimes it was just plain embarrassing the things they would wear to school.”
“I never remember challenging it like sometimes my kids do today. The dress was not as provocative as it is now. For instance, no low rise pants anywhere. It was strict business attire,” Libertin said.
Mary Bulgrin, a 1983 graduate of Hoban and current Hoban religion teacher, agrees.
“I think they [the changes] are a sign of the times,” Bulgrin said. “If you walk around on a college campus today, you will see that young people do not think it is necessary to wear much clothing.”
The Hoban dress code has also changed in the way of how strictly enforced it is.
“The dress code was way more strictly enforced in the 60’s,” Yanko said.
Another difference between the Hoban dress code of today and years past is the absence of dress down days.
“Dress down days? No… never,” Yanko said. “But some days, when I felt rebellious, I didn’t wear undergarments.”
However, in the 80’s the dress code was altered once again with the inclusion of dress down days.
“We had dress down days, so we could wear jeans every once in a while,” Bauer said.
Bauer also recalls a different tradition in dress for football players on the day of a game.
“We wore our football jerseys to school on Friday before a game.”
This is opposed to the dress shirt and tie worn by football players today.
When asked if they would rather wear the Hoban polos of today or the old Hoban uniform, all alumni would rather wear the polos.
“The polos make it easier. It keeps everyone in the same and uniform,” Libertin said.
“The collared shirts take all the competing for who dresses nicer out of the equation,” Bauer said.
“Well, I guess the polos would be better, because girls wouldn’t look very good in gross sport coats that hadn’t been washed in four years, with four years of lunch food stains on their ties,” Yanko said.
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