Daniella Tebib
News Editor
dtebib@murraystate.edu
Flyers enforcing a dress code in the Wellness Center were hung up, prompting negative reactions from many students.
Hannah Tomblinson, a Murray State student, tweeted a photo of a flyer and expressed her dissatisfaction and confusion about the dress code. Her tweet received 362 likes and 38 retweets from others in agreement, as well as several comments.
Jordyn Krueger, sophomore from LaRue County, Kentucky, was one of the several commenters who agreed with Tomblinson’s tweet. Krueger thinks dress codes in general encourage negative implications about the body.
“They imply that bodies are to be hidden, which in and of itself leads to monstrous ideas over body image, etc.,” Krueger said. “Dress codes that specifically target women also serve as an unfriendly reminder that they are meant to hide themselves to make others’ lives easier.”
Krueger also said she understands women are not the only ones being targeted by the dress code.
“I never said that men weren’t affected by the dress code,” Krueger said. “I think the reason women are more open and upset about it is because we are so used to being targeted by dress codes that when we see a new and arguably ridiculous one, we feel we have to be the ones to speak up about it.”
Travis Rawe, director of campus recreation and wellness, said the flyers were distributed to combat increasing dress code violations as many were unaware of the existing dress code.
“When staff would approach a member in violation of the dress code, the member would state they were unaware of a dress code,” Rawe said. “This led us to believe that members were not viewing the dress code policy online. To make members aware of the policy and to give our staff a reference when they needed to address dress code violations, we decided to post flyers.”
The flyers consist of a graphic instructing men and women what they are allowed to wear and what they are not allowed to wear. However, the flyers were quickly taken down after causing confusion among many students as the flyers contradicted the dress code policy stated on Murray State’s Campus Recreation and Wellness’s website. The graphic shows a few variations of tank tops which are prohibited, but the policy online states tank tops are allowed and does not specify types that are not.
Rawe explained the confusion about which tank tops are permitted and which are not.
“Some members wear modified tank tops that allow for more exposure of skin—back, abdomen, oblique, etc.,” Rawe said. “These areas tend to produce more sweat and come into contact with free weight benches, making the risk of infection higher. The flyer would allow for members to be able to see what the recommended tank top is for the Wellness Center.”
Rawe also said while the flyers are new, the dress code is not. A dress code was implemented and has been enforced since the Wellness Center opened to help prevent the spread of illnesses and infections. The staff also routinely cleans the equipment and provides wipes for members to wipe the machines after use to prevent illnesses.
“The reason for having a dress code in fitness centers is not to make members feel uncomfortable, but to help reduce the risk of infection and disease/illness being spread,” Rawe said. “Skin-to-skin contact and skin-to-equipment contact increases the likelihood of these diseases being spread, especially staph infections. There was a recent study that showed that free weight equipment can contain 362 times more germs than a toilet seat. By having a dress code, we can limit our members’ exposure to those germs.”
Krueger recognizes the intention of the dress code, but she doesn’t think it was conveyed well enough.
“While I understand that may have been their intentions, I don’t really understand the idea,” Krueger said. “I don’t understand how women wearing tank tops showing their backs or men wearing cut-offs showing their sides could potentially spread illness, as well as the flyer did not say anything about that being the reason for it. [It] just said ‘to ensure a welcoming and safe environment.’”
The full dress code policy for the Wellness Center can be found on Murray State’s Campus Recreation and Wellness’s website.