Giving extra effort and getting that last rep in feels amazing. Getting asked to leave or change clothes because you’re in violation of dress code, not so much.  

While students do understand the need for having a dress code. There are some aspects of the policy those on campus feel need to be addressed. Starting with the enforcement of the rules.  

“If I come in looking a certain way then someone is going to say something to me. And be like oh can you put a shirt on but you didn’t ask that guy to put a shirt on and I can see his nipples. It’s unfair a little bit,” said senior Laya Maxwells.

America Minc is the director of facilities and fitness at the RAC. She says the policy and its enforcement is more concerned with the longevity of the equipment. 

“It’s not about what we think is appropriate, it is about safeness and cleanliness. So for example if you have on a crop top there’s going to be more surface area on your body that is going to be exposed to the upholstery on the machines,” says Minc.

While that is a practical reason for having the code in place. Students still feel like the application of the code is subjective. And up to the discretion of the employees. 

“If I’m in the fitness center and I’m spotting you on the olympic platform. And you’re in free weights or machine weights. I might not see it at that time. It’s kind of like speeding right. So you speed every now and again. Sometimes you get a ticket, sometimes you don’t but we do strive for consistency,” said Minc.

Some students like Carson White think that communication between the student body and the university would make policies like these more popular on campus. 

“Maybe having a lot more open connections and open conversations about this. Maybe get students, maybe more female students on this situation and maybe something could change,” said White.

We contacted the RAC to provide us with the data to look at the number of women who are caught in violation of the dress code compared to the number of men. Unfortunately they do not keep a record of dress code violations.