There are tshirts sold at Abercrombie that say worse, so unless they are enforcing this with those and the others as well, I don't see the point.

A lot of schools do have something about not wearing clothes with alcohol-related messages written into the dress code. Not sure if that's the case here or not, but still, they were warned.

Cabaker - at most high schools, kids are not allowed to wear a lot of those A&F shirts. However, some teachers don't understand the slang. Which is pathetic ... but another subject altogether.

My HS had the rules that ladypenguin referred to. We couldn't wear anything that supported drugs, drinking, smoking etc. It was well known and told to everyone in the assembly at the beginning of the year. The fact that these students were told not to and then did it is a large part of the problem here. And yes the other part is the blatant alcoholic reference and promotion.
Yes, I agree with the punishment.

I really don't think thats sending a good message...

They could have come up with something way more classy than alcohol references. All I can think is, "alright, so their whole class drinks and they're proud of that?"

Ok, for those of you that don't know the whole story: Every year, that high school's senior class has a tradition where the students come up with offensive t-shirts for their last few weeks of classes. They've been coming up with offensive stuff for years, and all of the sudden, the administration decides to suspend 44 students (not just the student that came up with the shirt). Usually, they just ask the kids to turn their shirts inside out, but this year, they just sent kids home. Now these 44 kids may not be able to go to their prom or their commencement.

And that is the story, coming from someone who lives in Michigan who heard both sides from administrators and students.

I think its good that they the school took a stand against the T-shirts, but suspension and having to earn the right to go to prom and graduation is a bit much in my opinion. They could have chosen a lesser punishment since they were just shirts.

That all sounds dumb. I get what the students were aiming at, but hey, if the school warned them that this time it wasn't cool, they need to accept the consequences. You can have your fun and free speech and self-expression and all that, but on the other hand, the events they may be excluded from are privileges. Plus, how embarrassing for the school, to be portrayed that way, in light of all the tragedies we've heard about connected to young people drunk driving--this was not funny or flattering way for them to represent themselves. Not smart.

Thanks for the info ladychaos...the linked article didn't really give a whole lot of detail. Still, it doesn't sound like the administrators made this decision "all of a sudden." They warned the students, and I think they're within their rights to create a new punishment to an old problem, since obviously the old punishment wasn't really a deterrent.

I think suspension might have been a little harsh (though, if they were warned of the punishment). But it sounds like they'll have a chance to "earn back" the right to attend prom, etc. That seems fair to me.

our senior class shirts said

"number '01 stunna..." (front)
"wha?wha?wha?" (back)

Class of 2001!

Syako you are YOUNGER than I am?!!? WTF!!!

Thanks for the addtl info Lady!

Haha, okay, so my class said "Get your fix with 2006!"
It wasn't on shirts, though.
Just a huge banner.

The greatest class there'll ever be, we're the class of 2003!

The administration has relented. If the kids write a paper on the effects of underage drinking/driving, they're being allowed to attend prom and graduation. That said, I feel these kids had fair warning, so they don't get to b*tch about the suspensions.

Cab - you don't know that. I could have been an incredibly stoopid student that was held back year after year... it's possible

People tell me I'm incredibly mature for my age...

Aww Sy, I knew you had to be younger than me... you're so youthful looking!

When is your bday?

I think it's good that the school is taking a stand. Most schools do have restrictions in the dress codes prohibiting any clothing that advertises or has any kind of alcohol, drug, firearm, sexual etc. logo/saying on it. It's too bad that these students are the first to encounter the "wrath" of the schoolboard, but it has to start somewhere if they want to make it known that the school is not going to tolerate the violations to the dress code anymore. I realize some people just think it's a funny, harmless joke, but these are minors playing around with adult topics and t-shirts like these are not appropriate for a High School imo.

I also think this means that the schools should look at other areas of the dress codes that are being violated, ie: micro mini skirts, tshirts exposing bellies etc. I'm all for self expression, but there is a time and a place for things and I don't think the school environment is the place for these types of clothing. I think people are going to the extremes and pushing the envelope a little too much these days.

GOOD FOR THE SCHOOL. What a trashy bunch of kids. MY high school even went so far as to have a superlative award for "Biggest Partier" in the newspaper and the winners' picture had them with bottles in their hands pretending to be drunk. I'm glad to see at least one high school is being responsible!

Silly Silly Boys.

Good lesson however the punishment is alittle harsh. Underage drinking is a problem however the shirts didn't have a horrible saying; there are worse tee shirts out there than that. At least the seniors can earn back the privilages; maybe they will also learn a lesson.

Since when does underage drinking make you "trashy" give me a break and re-think your adjectives.
I think the seniors could've been punished without suspension, the punishment doesn't seem to fit the crime. I'm glad that the school relented somewhat so that a t-shirt tradition at there school ultimately won't prevent them from going to their prom or graduation.

Our senior gift was beer steins with our logo and the names of all the grads. However, to get around the "promoting drinking" idea, the shop class drilled holes in the bottom of every single one. It seemed really silly at the time, but now I can see how it looks when drinking paraphernalia has a HS logo on it.

I said it and I mean it. That is trashy. It's trashy to drink underage in the first place, but to emblazon it on a senior class t-shirt??? Come on! What IS the right adjective for that? That is just intentionally defiant. These kids should be having their asses handed to them by their parents, but I think we all know that isn't happening- so, once again, good for the school.

June 19, start picking out presents people!

I think the correct adjective for underage drinking is

I kid, I kid.

This is a silly shirt and I think they shold have been suspended, esp given the warning the administration gave them beforehand. If you are going to buck the system, do so in a classy, smart way. FOR REALS.

Foxie, I must be the trashiest slut of them all because I used to go to canada at 19 to drink legally, even though I'd be illegally drunk when I came home in the US. Livonia is a good 20 minutes away from me, and the Canadian border is open to whoever goes over there with a birth certificate at 18. Its really easy to get drinks at 18 in some bars over there as well, because they aren't as strict over here.

Funny how I'm trashy though.

I think trashy is completely the wrong word for underage drinking. Acting a drunken fool in public is trashy, not the actual act. If the act was trashy, then all of those under 21 people who have toasted and sipped wine at a relative's wedding for the first time are trashy as well. Or those that drank underage and didn't get embarrasingly drunk.

Underage drinking is stupid, not trashy. Stop being so extreme. I'm sure the majority of college students, no matter how anal (because I'm anal), have drank illegally at one point (not all...).

I'm kind of surprise high school seniors were smart enough to piece that puzzle together. I laughed when I saw it!

thank you ladychaos! I'm a junior in college and all of my friends even the very low-key non-partiers drank underage at one point or another. None of my friends are trashy thank you very much. They are all intelligent, successful, well put together people with their lives in order. I (like many of perfectly well-adjusted adults) started drinking in high school. Just because you don't drink doesn't mean that everyone else who does is "trashy," you calling people that just makes you judgmental and close-minded.

HAHAHA their graduation tees are so much cooler than mine were! Hope their student body lays off them a little, drinking ages are so retarded anyway.

Mine read: "Class of 8_something_
Under the Influence..."

I applaud that school for sticking to the rules, while i dont think that underage drinkers are "trashy" i do think they are let off too easily by parents as just "being kids" and thats not how to raise anyone to be an outstanding morale human being.

I didnt drink in High school, and i was a minority. I graduated in 93 in a class of 24 (christian private school) and these kids partied every weekend, senior year was like "hunch punch" central, and their parents let them do this at their homes and would confiscate car keys and make everyone stay the night. People were having unprotected sex, puking, passing out, you name it, yet at graduation i heard a million speeches about christian values, being honorable students and parents gushing about "how proud" they were. 15 years later and getting back into contact with classmates, they all cannot believe that nobody put their foot down (especially the ones who have kids now), and how their parents aloud them to hurt themselves both physically and emotionally all on the vein of "it wont hurt anyone"

Just because you didnt get pregnant, or get hospitalized or crashed your car while drinking underage doesnt make you a better person, it just means you were lucky.