UP TO CODE: HOW FAR CAN STUDENTS PUSH SCHOOLS' DRESS CODES?

Nontraditional body piercing has become the latest craze among young people. Teen-agers are putting diamond studs, gold hoops and safety pins in their eyebrows, belly buttons, noses and even tongues, all in the name of fashion.

But while students call it a style, some school officials call it a distraction and safety hazard. In an effort to maintain order and safety, some school officials are stopping piercing at the door.

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education does not have a specific policy banning piercing, nor do Scott City or Jackson schools. However, the districts all have policies concerning student appearance that empower school principals at their discretion to disallow anything they believe might be disruptive to learning.

"Our discipline policy indicates that any conduct not included may result in disciplinary consequences, and that the building principal has the latitude to make decisions," said Bill Biggerstaff, Cape Girardeau schools associate superintendent.

Roger Tatum, Scott City schools superintendent, said: "Our basic philosophy is if it doesn't interfere with the classroom atmosphere we usually don't say too much. I don't think we've seen much of a problem" with body piercing.

There is a building-level policy against body piercing at Central Junior High School. The school's student handbook reads, "Also, body piercings, (i.e. nose rings, etc.) dog collars, and graffiti on clothing are not allowed."

Biggerstaff said the junior-high policy reflects the feelings of the community and underdeveloped behavior of young teens. "With our conservative community and that age group, it would be prejudicial to good order because it would be disruptive," he said.

The policy also protects students against possible physical injury, said Dr. Ferrell Ervin, Cape Girardeau school board president. Traditional piercing -- that is, ear piercing -- is allowed at all district schools. However, even students with pierced ears would have to remove their jewelry if it posed the risk of injury, he said.

"We're talking about the health and safety of the student," Ervin said. "If someone had some type of body piercing that could be torn out while they were doing some type of physical education activity, it would have to be modified."

Students said if parents allowed them to get body parts pierced, school officials should not say otherwise. "My momma said she liked it," said Sam Williams, 16, who has his left ear pierced. "I think (school officials) are just going off hearsay, making us take them out because they think it's gang related."

Michelle Fike, 17, has pierced her nose, navel, both ears and the cartilage of one ear in the past two years. She only wears her earrings now. She said students would lose their fascination with piercing if authority figures wouldn't harp on it.

"I just wanted to get it done, but after about a week I stopped wearing it because I didn't like the way it looked," she said of her nose ring. "We're not hurting anything with them. It just depends on how the authorities like you."

In the end, body piercing is really about fashion trends, said students. They said they enjoyed the attention they received for sporting jewelry in unusual places, However, if it became a problem at school, it is easier to just take it out, most said.

"It doesn't really matter what you do, they'll find something to pick about," said Aleisha Fryn, 17, who has both ears and her right eyebrow pierced. "That's just the way (school administrators) are."

Chris L. Johnson, 18, agreed, but said he remained a piercing faithful.

"I had just the left ear pierced, but then something new came along, so I got the right one done," said Johnson. He sports gold studs in both ears. "It's just the style," he said.

STUDENT DRESS CODE POLICY

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education expects student dress and grooming to be neat, clean and in good taste, so that each student may share in promoting a positive, healthy and safe atmosphere within the school district. The mode of dress should reflect a wholesome attitude toward school without creating offense or distraction, nor disrupting the school's learning environment.

while it is not possible to define or assess by written policy every possible attire or grooming issue which may confront the principal in the administration of this policy, the expecation of this policy is clear: student appearance and attire may not disrupt the school's learning environment, the educational process, or place in jeopardy the health or safety of any student employee of the district. The principal is empowered to reqquire such modifications to the appearance or attire as to render the appearance or attire no longer disruptive to the learning environment, the educational process or place in jeopardy the health and safety of the students and employees of the district.

If a student is judged to be in non-compliance with the spirit of this policy, such behavior is deemed inappropriate and subject to disciplinary action. The legitimate expressions of free speech and religious freedom are not to be impugned by the administration of this policy.

Following are some general guidelines for student appearance/attire:

*Students may not wear, possess, use, distribute, display or sell any clothing, jewelry, emblem, badge, symbol, sign, mark or item which evidences membership or affiliation in any gang, cult or hate group.

*Students may not wear clothing which illurstrates or represents with words or symbols the condoning of alcohol, tobacco or drug use,sexual representations or issues, violence, profanity or other provacative and inflammatory issues.

*Trousers, slacks, shorts and skirts are to be worn at the waste and securely fastened. Oversized clothing is to be secured with a belt, and clothing with shoulder straps with the straps secured and in place.

*Students are not permitted to wear clothing which exposes too much of the body due to see-through properties of the garment or inadequate coverage of the body.

*Students are not permitted to wear clothing which allows in the inapprorpriate revealing of body anatomy due to the tight fit and/or nature of the material or the garment.

*Personal grooming and attire will be maintained in clean, sanitary, safe and odor free condition.

*All students are to wear appropriate footwear except as directed for appropriate school activity. Unsafe footwear such as highly-elevated platform shoes are prohibited.

*Headwear other than appropriate uniform wear is prohibited in the school buildings.

*Grooming and attire may require additional and temporary adjustment and modification due to safety concerns in special classroom and extra-curricular activities.

FIRST OFFIENSE: Principal/student conference, in-school suspension, or 1-10 days out-of-school suspension.

SECOND OFFENSE; In-school suspension, 1-180 days out-of-school suspension.