A few weeks ago, some of my JV distance Track and Field teammates started a petition to challenge the decades old rule that banned girls from practicing in tank tops. After talks with the administration, the rule was repealed.

I’ve run Cross Country and distance Track and Field since my freshman year. Running in a tank top didn’t mean much to me. Sure, there are some mornings where all I want is to look cute and run in a Lululemon tank, I have to suppress this infrequent urge.

Most of the time I thought the rule was a nuisance. Like my teammates, I fail to understand how the lack of fabric covering one’s shoulder warranted a ban.
The rule was repealed, and we are now allowed to run in thick-strapped, weather-appropriate, not-too-revealing tank tops.

It was my hope, and some probably share the same feeling, that the drama surrounding tank tops would disappear when the ruling was announced. But to the disdain of coaches and athletes alike, the tank top rule still remains an annoying sore that is talked about often.

Even though it’s technically “allowed” to sport a tank at practice, the tops still remain taboo.

The day after the ruling was held, my teammate wore a tank to practice. It wasn’t a revealing top, merely a crewneck muscle tee that covered almost everything but the shoulders.

My teammates applauded her for her courage to exercise her newfound rights. To tank-lovers, it seemed to be a statement of victory against those who supported the rule. But during our team meeting, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone was whispering about her.

One girl even remarked, “She’s my hero!”
I thought heroes were people who saved lives, not those who wore clothing.
New Trier, a place that I regard as a relatively progressive community (events such as the Day of Silence and MLK seminars illustrate this) finds track runners in tank tops as a new revelation.

This conservatism is mostly contained to the track team, as it’s not improbable to walk into a classroom and see visible undergarments from multiple classmates.
But the drama that still surrounds a simple garment of clothing shows that this conservatism lingers.

Wearing a tank top to practice elicits stares (and compliments) from my teammates, but, apparently, could also elicit stares (and not-so-complimentary comments) from the boys’ squad.

A couple of friends on the Boy’s Track and Field team said they were informed of the rule change and instructed to refrain from making comments about girls in tank tops.

This may have been a valid precautionary note from the boy’s coaches, but it’s still absurd that my teammates and I should be worried about getting catcalled during our 800 repeats.

Being catcalled during practice has never been a worry of mine, and I believe that wearing a tank top won’t change that. But, the stares (may they be of awe and respect) from my teammates aren’t comforting either.

A tank top is just another running top, and it should be treated by girls and guys alike as just that. I just want to blend in and work out!

Hopefully, this drama will fade with time. Although the repealing of the tank top rule is a step in the right direction, everyone still needs to calm down.