By Hillel Weitzman and Yasi Stein
One of the few new policies added to the handbook this past summer was a rule disallowing students from wearing pajamas to school. Some students, who have been wearing PJs to school for years, took particular offense to this rule change, and felt like it was an infringement on their privacy as students. Despite this outrage, the student-run petitioning of this rule came to an end last week after Dr. Katz sent a personal all school email explaining why he implemented the new policy.
The email began with an acknowledgement of the unpopularity of the rule change among the student body, and even recognized the respectful nature in which the petitioners have been attempting to change it. But then, it got a little weird…
“When I was younger I was never invited to slumber parties,” Dr. Katz acknowledged, “Now, when I see kids wearing pajamas it’s like your rubbing in my face. It’s like you want to remind me of all the cold long nights I spent wishing I was at a slumber party. I never had hot cocoa, never made smores, and never wore pajamas.” The email was about 5,000 words, detailing Dr. Katz’s childhood experiences, and letting the whole Barrack community know how they made him feel.
Normally, a rule change on this precedent would be seen as unethical, but since the student body has such a warm place in their hearts for Dr. Katz, they let this one slip. Some students even invited him to their own slumber parties, which the Board rejected without consultation with Dr. Katz. Hopefully Dr. Katz will find himself a slumber party to go to in the near future.