High school is filled with experiences that can shape who a person is as an individual. These four years help many students find out who they really are, so it is very important that students celebrate the sense of originality that comes from this learning experience.

“I think people in general can dress or do whatever they want with themselves and be prepared to hear criticism and take the best or worst,” sophomore Nikita Coelho said. “As long as you enjoy what you wear it’s no one else’s business.”

With many rules and regulations on what a person is allowed to say or do at school, most students take advantage of AHS’s non-uniformed dress code as a way to express themselves as unique individuals.

“I express myself through what I wear and I dye my hair a lot. I think it looks cute and lets people kind of get a hint of who I am through my appearance,” freshman Rachel Feldbauer said.

More and more students at are being seen with crazy-colored dyed hair, piercings, tattoos and all types of “out-there” clothing. Students are not necessarily doing this for personal attention, but rather to illustrate their true personalities.

“It’s really important to express yourself because you look and feel good if you’re wearing something that really makes you feel like your own self,” sophomore Jennifer Nguyen said. “I kind of like to wear the colors that represent what I feel and what I wear is what I like and reflects my personality.”

These popular ways of expressing yourself through your appearance often disappear once you reach the real world. This is one of the reasons teens commonly use their appearance as a creative outlet to express themselves.

On the other hand, there are students who say they don’t care about their appearance. Some students come to school without taking the time to worry about whether their clothes and hair are just right because comfort is the most important thing to them.

“I like to dress casually when I come to school because it’s comfortable and when I wear comfortable clothes I’m a lot happier,” junior Julia Copenhaver said.“Plus, it is way too early in the morning to be putting forth effort.”

“I don’t necessarily go out of my way to dress crazy and stand out to express myself, but I do think it is important that people get this opportunity to let people know what they’re like and who they are inside,” freshman Aaron Pierce said.