Short-wearing students, breathe a collective sigh of relief: Liberty’s administration has no intention of trespassing on your right to don the fashion-forward, warm-weather garment.

Every year, the administration issues a gentle reminder to students that even as the sun comes out, the dress code needs to be maintained, and every year, students take this warning as an attack on their freedom to dress however they please. But this isn’t the case. The administration has bigger things to worry about than the kinds of clothes students wear, and as long as the students keep it reasonable, no conflict will occur.

When asked to define “reasonable” shortness, the administrative staff said that shorts should not be any higher than a girl’s fingertips. But this is not a one-size-fits-all guideline: some girls’ arms are shorter than others, allowing them to “get away” with shorter shorts, and the whims of fashion have made shorts fitting these requirements almost impossible to find. Not wanting our female students to become overheated during the last months of the school year, our administration accepts shorts that don’t quite fit these requirements as a fact of life.

Even so, shorts are a privilege, not a right. Students need to be respectful of others when dressing themselves, and their choices need to ensure the comfort of both themselves and those around them. When female students choose to wear shorts that expose more than just their thighs, staff and students alike feel uncomfortable. This choice is disrespectful because it goes beyond the obvious boundaries of what most people are comfortable with, and in a school environment, that’s not acceptable. This isn’t an attack on the female body—if a male student were to wear such scandalous shorts, the general public would be equally put off.

Most students who choose to cross this line return to respecting the dress code—and their peers’ comfort zones—after a short, awkward talk with the administration. While this may be in part caused by a natural desire to avoid future trouble, it also stems from an understanding that they went beyond what is appropriate for school. Students don’t need to be told how short is too short; they already know. As long as girls and guys alike keep their clothes classy, all awkward administrative conversations concerning clothes can be avoided, and the positive atmosphere of our school will be upheld.