Freedom of expression

The 2016 presidential election journey provoked a wide range of attire, from hats to safety pins. Students used their attire to express their reactions to the election results. Senior Stephen Dahlstrom, a supporter of president-elect Trump, noticed that more Trump supporters emerged after the election night, accessorized with political attire.

“Before the election, it was almost impossible to tell who was a Trump supporter,” Dahlstrom said. “They were hiding in the shadows, the silent majority. Then after the election I saw a lot of people come out of their shells with Trump shirts and hats.”

To show his support for Trump, sophomore Carter Rawstron wears a “Make America Great Again” hat to school, which is not well-received by some of his classmates. After the election, this political aggression heightened, where students were yelling at Rawstron to “burn the hat.” But this hostility and pressure fails to faze him from expressing what he believes in.

“Living in Massachusetts, a pretty liberal state, there’s going to be a lot of people telling me not to wear it, people hitting my hat off, but it doesn’t discourage me,” Rawstron said. “They can say that they don’t like it, and that’s their right, their freedom of expression, too.”

Rawstron firmly believes in his constitutional right to express his opinions through his attire.

“It’s my constitutional right, freedom of expression,” Rawstron said. “I support him so I should be able to wear and spread Trump’s message throughout the school.”

But similar to the assertion of political sentiments on morning announcements, freedom of expression also has some “specificity” in schools. The administration has to be sensitive to clothing that “distracts, disrupts, bothers, or interferes” with learning.

“It all has to do with the effect and perception of those that view it or who are in the presence of such attire,” Mead said. “The effect that would be triggered for actions to be taken would be if it causes a disruption or distraction to the learning environment.”

While expressing liberal views, junior Sofie Hopkins, along with Murphy, believes that students like Rawstron are justified in wearing Trump attire to school.

“I believe in wearing whatever you want because this is America, but they should be sensitive to other people’s views,” Hopkins said.

“Whoever they supported, they’re allowed to support them,” Murphy said. “This is America. That’s kind of the point: you have the right to follow what you please and that shouldn’t stop when you come to school.”

Some students are expressing political messages by attaching safety pins to their clothing. Along with activists across the country, they intend to show their solidarity with minority groups (which includes immigrants, women, and members of the L.G.B.T. community) who have been affected by Trump’s rhetoric throughout the campaign and now feel threatened by his election.

Sophomore Nicole Clark sports a safety pin to show her care and willingness to help those who feel vulnerable after Trump’s election.

“As a citizen, I feel like it is my job to help people who are struggling and to open people’s minds about it,” Clark said. “[Wearing safety pins] is an effective way to support the people directly through a symbol of hope. So for me, it’s just about being an ally and showing the world that I’m not going to let hate win.”