Swampscott Powder Puff dress code adjusted to mitigate ‘body issues’

SWAMPSCOTT – For the past few years, junior class girls at the Swampscott-Marblehead Powder Puff game have led the “cheering section” wearing sports bras, sweatpants, colored body paint and not much else – until this year.When body-image issues became apparent among the junior class females in October, Swampscott High School Principal Layne Millington banned the tradition in Swampscott.In a letter to the school’s entire community in October, Millington wrote “parents have reported students starving themselves to lose weight to wear the bras” and “many past students report that they would have liked to be a part of the Powder Puff celebration but didn’t because of the peer pressure to wear a sports bra which they didn’t feel comfortable doing.”Millington’s letter continued, “These issues strike to the very heart of our core mission as a high school which above all else values inclusiveness and physical and emotional health for our students, which above all else values inclusiveness and physical and emotional health for our students.”In an interview Tuesday, Millington said he received 20 to 25 e-mails from parents and alumni in support of the ban, and the juniors were generally in acceptance, except for one student who he did not name.Class of 2014 President Kelsey Lombard said in an e-mail Tuesday, “I think girls were a little bit shocked and resistant. It was a tradition many had seen their older sisters, cousins, and friends do for so many years that it was kind of a feeling of ‘why us?’ and ‘why this year?'”Lombard continued, “However, after Mr. Millington spoke to us in an assembly ? everyone seemed to accept it ? By the time the game came closer, almost all the girls appreciated not feeling the need to diet and work out to look ‘good’ in a sports bra. Many girls that would probably have not felt comfortable shirtless were able to fully participate in the tradition. We also tried to take it as an opportunity to show both communities that we are a classy group of girls.”The girls ended up wearing “pinnies and spangled sweatpants,” said Millington.Swampscott alum Kaleigh Barbuzzi, Class of 2007, said she did not partake in the tradition, but said she believed it should be a choice. “The girls who do it, do it on their own free will,” she said. “If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you don’t have to, but it’s a tradition. If you are feeling self-conscious, then you don’t participate.”Fellow Class of 2007 grad Carissa Roche shared Barbuzzi’s sentiment. “If body image is an issue in this situation, then it is in almost any other high school activity. There are better solutions, counseling as a class and individually for those who have reported such insecurities.”Marblehead High School administration did not extend the sports bra ban to their students, Millington said, most likely because the students had already ordered their sports bras. The Marblehead administration could not be reached for comment.Millington said he wished the students would bring back when the male students would dress as cheerleaders and the females would dress as football players in a role reversal. “That’s the tradition,” said Millington, laughing.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].