![Bass Clef Choir members Zion Ondoma, Henry Hansen, and Zerik Nicholson harmonize vocals while singing "Prayer of the Children". “[It’s] a piece dealing with the Bosnian conflicts of the ‘90s,” said Associate Director of Choral Activities Matthew Jensen, “but is applicable to what's happening today all over the world.” The students will perform the song during Large Group Contests in Cedar Falls in May.](https://riverhawkpress.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260414_111618-1200x554.jpg)
This is the question I have been asking myself every morning going to school when winter is around the corner, or even in full swing. I see what students are wearing.
There is no question that teens, especially high school students, care about how their peers think of them. The most noticeable and fastest way to gain popularity is to dress fashionably.
Unfortunately, with how trends and fashions cycle over time, (about 20 years), wearing shorts, T-shirts, ripped pants, and shirts that show off lower backs and stomachs are back– and the talk of the town. But they aren’t really appropriate for our weather conditions during the fall and winter seasons.
Normally, temperatures below 32°F are dangerous with prolonged exposure threatening illness and frostbite, though with clothing that covers little skin, it is more so. Last year’s winter temperatures averaged about 27.7°F, our coldest day being -9.7°F. Normally, these temperatures wouldn’t be overly concerning if one were to wear clothing appropriate for the temperature. But if one were to wear inappropriate, fashion-forward clothing, there’s some cause for concern.
So before you walk out into a snowstorm, think twice about wearing shorts, skirts, or short-cut shirts. And if you end up wearing them, at least put something over them while you’re outdoors to stay healthy, avoid infection, and keep all of your fingers.
