Pink - it's my new obsession
Pink - it's not even a question,
Pink - on the lips of your lover
(oh)
'Cause Pink is the love you discover
Pink - as the bing on your cherry
Pink - 'cause you are so very
Pink - it's the color of passion
Ah, 'cause today it just goes with the fashion...
--Aerosmith, "Pink"
Pink, which is an identifier for at least one street gang and is one of this season's hot fashion colors, is out for the remainder of the year in Merrillville schools.
Associate Superintendent Michael Berta confirmed Monday that students at Merrillville High School were told in a message over the intercom system last week that they will not be allowed to wear pink clothing or accessories. Students at Pierce Middle School and Merrillville Intermediate School seen wearing pink were told by school officials to avoid the color, although no schoolwide announcements were made there.
Although Merrillville High School Principal Mark Sperling didn't state why in addressing students, the underlying reason is that pink has been associated with street gangs, Berta said.
Interesting thing: now that this impressive decree has garnered a certain amount of national attention, the principal of Merrillville High, in a televised interview on Chicago's Fox affiliate, stated that, no, of course he'd never told students that they couldn't wear pink; merely that they should use caution. As one of the students pointed out, gangs also use red and black and blue as gang colors -- more recently and closer to home than the pink that's sending the school administration into a frenzy -- yet somehow nobody is telling them not to wear those colors.
Posted by iain at March 30, 2004 09:36 PM
