It never ceases to amaze me, the difference a 12 gauge horseshoe can make when placed through a teenager's septum. A lovely teenage girl with a solid average and a healthy temperament is all of a sudden viewed as a degenerate and an all around bad example. Should a small piece of metal that makes someone so happy, really cost them the respect of their teachers and classmates?

It would appear that high school has enough angst without more judgment based on aesthetic choices. These choices are widely varied based on personal preferences. Of course, a labret is perfectly acceptable, as is a navel or tongue piercing, since these are non-threatening mainstream decorations. However, I see a septum spike as perfectly normal whereas most members of my community see it as an exotic eyesore -- some sort of tribal taboo -- but one thing seems clear: when you cross the social barrier of acceptance and add something non-uniform, all is lost.

The assumed support of your classmates is often lacking, objectivity from faculty is especially scarce, and it seems the only thing you can count on is prejudice. Not every school district deals with this the same way, but the majority do little in the way of promoting tolerance. The overall opinion appears to be that we've done this to ourselves and deserve the consequences, we are a degenerative and uneducated subculture that has no place in their schools, so we have the choice to either remove our piercings or face the mocking of our peers. In many instances the school districts themselves have strict rules against piercings, claiming that they disrupt the class and deter the students from learning. The argument behind a small piece of metal derailing the teaching process does not seem to be a very well thought out one. If that were true, students shouldn't be allowed to wear neon colors, or for that matter even be attractive, because we're much more likely to pay attention to attractive people in neon colors. What are the chances that our piercings aren't so much disrupting the class as they are disturbing the faculty?

I attended a high school that did not allow visible piercings. My septum however was allowed, much to the chagrin of my principal, based on the wording of the student handbook. The piercing itself was not visible, only the jewelry. My very principal jokingly referred to me as Brahma (a stab at the "bull ring" I wore). You can rest assured that this year's school handbook has changed the dress code a little, adding a rather vague clause that basically ruins any freedom the students had. It now states that "The District prohibits any clothing or grooming that in the principal's judgment may reasonably be expected to cause disruption of or interference with normal school operations."

More and more individuality is being removed, yet we are considered a socially progressive nation. There are over a dozen students including myself who left that high school last year alone and are now homeschooled, simply because of these and similar policies. How many more may go to homeschool, or simply drop out, over this small but important issue?

Something I would like to stress though is that it does not stop with the older generations, people our own age can be just as closed minded. Recently I was IMing with a guy I used to go to school with and the conversation turned to people who are attractive. I asked him which he preferred, the natural or modified look. His reply: "well, piercings are hot, and if the tattos are good and tasteful, then I'd go for that look. But at the same time, most people with tattos and piercings are all about getting high and drunk, and I'm not like that." Apparently the stereotype still paints a portrait of us as hard partying drug users. I could really tell he'd done his research on the culture and community in general, he can't even spell tattoo, but he can condemn an entire subculture? If all of the stereotypes were true, I think the prejudice would be easier to deal with. In fact, it seems like we'd be too high or drunk to notice it. It's stupid, it has little to no basis in fact and it's downright offensive. I myself have never known of a modified individual who wasn't more than capable of holding an intellectual conversation with any non-modified individual. In my experience modified people usually seem more intelligent, not dull witted and simple, which seems to be the general perception.

This issue doesn't stop with students, there are faculty members who have been persecuted in the past as well: modified teachers, professors, counselors, coaches, band leaders, people who have spent many years in college to gain the position and respect that they deserve, only to have credibility stripped away over a personal choice to modify their own bodies. What's happening isn't right. The schools need to fix this problem...or maybe it's exactly how it seems, and we're the problem.

I'd love to hear any questions or comments, chances are, you'll get a response, I may even include it in my next column!