The DRAGONMagazine - Bishop O'Dowd High School

wanted to show her individuality by just adding a belt, or
any other “unauthorized” adornment, she got detention.
Once a month was “free dress day,” when the uniforms
had to be cleaned. You should have seen the girls prancing
in their most fashionable and expensive dresses. Show
offs, and how! They had to make up for a month of
wearing the hated uniform.
Then, the question arose whether girls may wear pants.
I am not sure when permission was granted and the issue
finally resolved, but the yearbook of l970 still shows the
girls wearing skirts. However, skirts or pants, the uniform
rule still existed, but was, however, discussed frequently
among the faculty. Some of us were aware of the injustice,
the difference in code for boys and girls, and we fought.
Yet, it was not until 1981 that girls could shed their
uniforms. You cannot imagine how many meetings were
held until faculty, then still mostly nuns and priests, and
parents agreed to give up the uniform rules for girls.
Girls still were held to that strict dress code before
they were allowed to dress according to their taste, yet
with some restrictions, similar to those of boys. There
was resistance from some parents and even some female
students. With uniforms, one did not have to think what
to wear. From the parents you heard that uniforms saved O’Dowd’s female students were required to wear uniforms until 1981,
money. However, what about equality – since the boys’ while boys simply had a dress code. Eva Kastel vividly remembers heated
code was less rigid – and individuality?
debates about this difference. This photo, from 1965, shows how formal the
Finally, uniforms were out, but it took a long time. early uniforms were.
Look at your student body now. Progress has won out!
Changes have improved conditions for all at O’Dowd
since my first teaching class in l968 and my retirement in the
year 2000. When I visit the campus now, I see that many more
changes have occurred since then. Life goes on, life changes, and
Bishop O’Dowd High School does never lag behind!
2009 – $10 million remodeling of all classrooms completed
State-of-the-art AP Chemistry laboratory/classroom constructed
Digital music class introduced
Lights installed on athletic fields
O’Dowd is the first school to hold its Baccalaureate Mass at the
Cathedral of Christ the Light
2,195 donors contribute to
Renaissance Campaign’s success
19 THE DRAGON