Underdressed and free-spirited students of Gen C
From uniforms to mini-skirts, the road to success is paved with all sorts of colours, textures and gadgets. But are students going too far with too little clothing and too much allowances? Or are strict guidelines killing the creativity of our future leaders? AUDREY VIJAINDREN knits through the boundaries of seam lines and flip-flops, wondering if there is room for common ground
PLUNGING necklines, bare-backed tops, exposed belly buttons and multi-coloured hairdos seem to be the “in” thing with young adults these days — not just in clubs but also in higher-learning institutions.
It is now impossible to tell apart students on their way to class and party-goers. This is apparent in many private colleges. Why is this happening and is it a matter of concern?
A student counsellor in a private here, believes the behavioural patterns of students in colleges is changing, as many now have better financial means.
“There is an increasing number of female students who dress more revealingly.”
“Students who go to private colleges generally come from better financial backgrounds, hence all the differences are reflected in their behaviour.”
“I studied at a public university in the early 1990s. I would say students then were a lot simpler. We ate at hawker centres or mamak stalls.”
“We wore T-shirts and jeans. Male students adhered strictly to the rule of not entering female dormitories.”
“Why? Because most of us were practically innocent. We only knew how to study and nothing else.”
She believes it’s not just college fashion that’s changed; it’s also the overall behaviour of students.
“Even the eating habits of college students have changed. More students are not taking proper meals nowadays as they have a distorted view of their bodies and fear being overweight.”
She says if the current student lifestyle continues, we’re in for trouble.
“If this escalates, society will pay the price. There will be more mental health issues, boy-girl relationship problems, sexually transmitted diseases, distant and disagreeable family relationships, violence, trauma, loneliness and suicide ideation.”
Although there is a difference in lifestyle between students from different educational institutions, she is certain they all have one thing in common.
“A lot of students’ studies are affected by their sleep patterns. Many refuse to sleep early; they normally go to bed between 2am to 5am.
“They have a lot of activities after midnight — clubbing, chatting, online games and so on. This results in many of them not being able to get up for morning classes.”
“Many are also deprived of the opportunity to learn to fend for themselves, to cope with adversities in life, stand on their own two feet and realise their inner resources.”
A student services executive of a private college is convinced that students today are determined to be “free-spirited”.
“They are more carefree in their attitudes, dressing, and language. It’s a Gen C (Generation Content) world out there. It’s all about having everything at their fingertips. No restrictions or boundaries, if possible.
“Dressing has become more edgy and even androgynous. Conversing with the Gen C is like having someone speaking to you in another language, as their slang and lingo are ever changing.”
There is a glaring difference in the attitude and behaviour of students, she says, from both private and public institutions.
“Public university students are a little more sombre, conservative and studious. Private college students are much more spirited and liberal in their ways.
“Students in public universities are more obliged to follow rules and regulations. They don’t really have a choice as it’s rather enforced on them.
“In comparison, you find it’s tougher to implement the same in private colleges as the students would be defiant, feeling like they have been stripped of their rights!
“I personally believe this is due to attitudes and mindset. They simply feel strongly about what they are entitled to. They feel that since they ‘pay hefty fees’ they have the right to behave and dress according to their whims and fancies.”
This should not be allowed, however. She says these students need to be taught to have a sense of self-respect.
“Each student is an ambassador for his institution. Students need to walk tall, dress right and have a sense of professionalism.
“You don’t dress like you’re going clubbing when you’re attending classes. Neither do you wear hot pants or shorts and slippers. It just does not suit the occasion.”
But there are problems in enforcing stricter rules in private colleges.
“Private colleges do not want to come across as being rigid by forcing strict dress codes on students. We do not have a disciplinary board to take on such cases. So these students get away with it.”
So, how can a private college enforce such policies?
“Well, they simply have to believe in the cause of the policy and go all out to implement it. Setting a dress code is not about being conservative, old-fashioned or to curb the rights of students.
“It’s the safety of the students which should be our concern and utmost priority. The world today is no longer as safe as it used to be.
“So, when we tell them to dress up moderately, it’s for their own good.
“We can’t guarantee their safety once they leave the campus premises. What happens if the cab driver or some stranger decides to take advantage of them?
“A learning institution should be a place that is conducive and professional.
“We don’t want it to be a place of vice and under-dressed students.”
She says what most private institutions are asking for is not much different from public universities.
“All we are saying is, dress decently and moderately. How hard is it going to be to put on T-shirts, jeans, pants, shirts and proper shoes?
“But many private institutions do not want to offend their students and abide by the simple phrase, ‘the customer is king’ — they can do whatever they want.”
Kenneth Phun, the senior lecturer at the Department of Psychology at HELP University College, believes there are several reasons why most private colleges are more relaxed when it comes to student attire.
“Some private tertiary institutions may feel that students should be given some freedom to decide as they are no longer in school and should be encouraged to practise some form of personal responsibility.
“Secondly, the vagueness of what is deemed acceptable or non-acceptable attire would pose a hindrance to the strict enforcement of this policy.
“For instance, some people may even deem the display of the arms as being indecent. To another, tank tops and mini-skirts may be acceptable as long everything that should be covered is covered .
“But what about low-cut jeans that allow the sight of briefs to peek through when the student bends down?
“And would it be acceptable to be fully covered yet sport a tight-fitting T-shirt that hugs the curves like a second skin and cuts through the imagination like a serrated knife?
“To what lengths are we willing to go to enforce such controls? Does this include a class-to-class search, like how spot checks are done by prefects in some schools?
“And thirdly, it’s not good business sense to antagonise your ‘customers’. Shouldn’t this be an issue for the parents and students to decide between themselves?
“Should this even be an issue to be dealt with at this level of education?”
To the question of whether it is time private colleges were more serious about a dress code, Phun says it is not a novel idea.
Many private institutions of higher learning already have this as part of the student handbook and student rules. They only differ in implementation.
As much as it is necessary to discourage over-exposure and maintain the boundaries of common decency, an over-zealously enforced dress code would may reduce the need for the student to practise self-regulation and personal judgment.
The harder you try to control a person, the higher will the tendency be to rebel as he or she would want to assert his or her own identity and concept of personal choice.
What they say:
Carol Michelle Aralis, 21, Multimedia University (MMU)
“The guards send you back to change if you are not dressed appropriately, but I’ve never got caught before. The lecturers don’t mind so much.
“It is nice to be comfortable in class and the dress code ensures just that. Guys won’t be able to concentrate and girls will be uncomfortable if things are too open.
“The only code I’m not really happy about is that I can’t wear spaghetti straps. It’s really hot walking to class and it would be nice to get there not too sweaty and uncomfortable.”
Mahev, 24, MMU
“The rules are fine, although totally different from Yemen. The boys dress about the same, but the girls are more open. I’ve already adjusted to it though.
“When I first came to Malaysia it was a complete shock. The girls are more open and it was a surprise. But now I know how Malaysian people think and feel.”
Jonathan David, 21, University of Nottingham (Malaysian campus)
“The college is not really strict. I suppose it depends on the institution.
“We do see girls around the campus dressed up like they are going for a party. It doesn’t bother us, but many guys wonder why they are wearing this or that for class.”
Lim Eu Joon Navin, 21, MMU
“I’m very comfortable with the dress code at my university. I’ve only been fined RM20 once for wearing shorts into campus. But after a while, I noticed that many guys were wearing shorts, so I started wearing it again.”
Danielle Tong, 21, Inti University College
“The dress code is not that strict. The security guards are mainly concerned if we wear flip-flops.
“I wouldn’t want stricter rules. After all, we’ve had to wear uniforms all through school.”
Abdul Qader Ahmed, 24, MMU
“I’ve been in Malaysia for five years and am very accustomed to the college life here. It’s different from Yemen. Things here are more relaxed. The dress code and rules here are comfortable.”
Syazana Razuki, 21, Management and Science University
“The dress code is not very specific. I can wear anything decent. Not too sexy, but casual wear is best unless it’s for exams which is when we have to dress more formal.
“Certain faculties have their own dress codes for certain days.”
Adrian Allan Ajit Singh, 18, Sunway College (Johor Baru campus)
“I am very happy with the dress code at my college.
“I definitely would not be able to adjust to dress code at a public university. I wouldn’t be able to learn and study in comfort. I think the dress code in public universities is definitely a drawback to students.”
by Audrey Vijaindren.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/26avdress-2/Article/index_html
