ERHS Beautification

Rokhaya Niang
March 22, 2017

High school is a time of growth and preparation for adult life. Personality, style, and hobbies are all shaped continuously throughout the four years. Eleanor Roosevelt High School has students that express a diverse array of styles and beautification practices daily. Hair, makeup, and piercings, or lack of such, makes up a student’s personal style, in addition to the way they dress. Clothes, whether used as a means of self expression, comfort, or both, are something that are regulated by a countywide dress code. Even with these rules enforced, however, students still find ways to express themselves through what they wear. Different prints, patterns, and fabrics are put together to accommodate students’ distinct tastes. Some students dress to impress throughout the school year, while others take a more casual approach to clothing. Many students dress in various ways that differ from day to day. Regardless of the personal style, clothing choices often reflect a student’s mood or personality. Junior Shaun Brim said that he thinks, “a lot of Roose’s students care about their appearance because of their clothes and makeup.”
What students wear also offers clues to the activities they participate in within the school. ROTC students wear their uniforms every Thursday, while members of the Lady Raiders step squad dress professionally every Thursday. Similarly, some student athletic teams coordinate outfits on days of games or in celebration of victory after a match.
There is also great variety in the shoes that students wear to school. Although sandals are discouraged by administrators, they, along with everything from sneakers to heels, are worn to school by Roosevelt students.
“People are always shopping at thrift stores and flicking it up,” says Brim. “There’s a lot of individuality.”
Hair has fewer regulations, with the majority of hairstyles being allowed within county guidelines. Dyes, cuts, and extensions increase the number of possible hairstyles throughout the student body. The wide possibilities in variance of hair make it another outlet for self-expression. Students at Roose wear their hair in many different ways day-to-day, furthering the complex sense of style that the student body prides itself in.
According to various teen movies and memorable aspects of American culture, make-up has been part of the high school experience, and that translates to daily life at Roosevelt. For different reasons, many of both the male and female students at Roosevelt include makeup as an important part of their self expression and appearance. While some students wear makeup because it makes them feel they look better, others view it as an artistic outlet. Regarding her own interest in makeup, sophomore Betsy Barrett said it’s her, “art form.” Barret continues, saying she, “was always okay at drawing but with makeup it really clicked.”
Students’ styles in makeup vary from light everyday looks to spectacular spirit week makeup. Since makeup is not as heavily regulated as clothing, the range of makeup looks seen throughout the halls on the daily is virtually endless.
“I was too embarrassed in middle school to even wear it because I was worried people were going to point it out and think i was ‘insecure’,” said Barrett. “Last year I would wear makeup everyday because I wanted to look more put together than I am. I would wake up an hour earlier than I needed to to put on a beat face of makeup, but now it’s completely different. One day I’ll come in with a bright orange eye look and the next I’ll come in with no makeup at all, because for me, recently, it’s become more of a form of expression and how I feel on that day rather than a mask to cover my face up.”
It is clear that there is importance placed on image and appearance through superlatives like “Best Hair”, “Trendsetter,” and “Best Shoe Game”. Whether students choose to dress to impress, or opt for a more casual look, the freedom to control how you present yourself is an important part of daily life in high school.
The following photo collection and the supplementary quotes aim to capture the diversity of student beautification at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.