Hungarian Students Protest Strict Dress Code – By Getting Naked, Of Course

Students at the University of Kaposvar’s art school in southern Hungary protested a strict new dress code this week – by taking off their clothes. Even an instructor joined the group of about 10 students protesting the new restrictions.

The university’s rector wrote a letter this week instructing male students to wear dark suits and women to wear trousers or long skirts. The letter declared, “From October 1, there is also no place in the university for mini-skirts, flip-flops, heavy make-up, inappropriate fashion accessories, or unkempt fingernails and hair.”

I think it’s ridiculous to tell adults how to dress for school. This isn’t middle school – it’s college. But I’m not quite sure what 10 people getting naked is going to do for the policy. I’m thinking probably nothing. Universities should be places for personal expression and growth – so I can’t really get behind the idea of a dress code. But on the other hand, universities are also preparing you to function in the real world where you can’t always wear whatever you damn well please. Still, something about the “no heavy make-up” or “mini-skirts” feels pretty icky. Also, is someone really going to approach and adult student and inspect his fingernails? Or approach another and tell her to tone down her lipstick? That’s just stupid.

Male and female students were both involved, and plans are afoot for another protest on Monday, when students will wear flip-flops and beach towels.

On a totally unrelated note, the images from this story may just haunt my dreams. I’m certain I’m not the only one that had the recurring nightmare of showing up to class naked. This nightmare only happened to me in college and I haven’t had one since I graduated – but nudity used to be a pretty common theme in my dreams. What is up with that?

(photo: Thinglass/ Shutterstock)