To the Editor:

"Black Colleges React to Low Point in Fashion" (The Chronicle, November 8) addresses new dress-code rules implemented at Morehouse College, a historically black men's college in Atlanta. Needless to say, the subject of dress codes on college campuses has been a hot topic in my classes at the University of Southern California. I disagreed with many of my colleagues when I maintained that a dress code would benefit the student body and the institution.

The mission of Morehouse College "is to develop men with disciplined minds who will lead lives of leadership and service." How can the college make good on this promise if the students disrespect the tradition of being distinguished, professional men? By wearing clothes that could be defined by today's popular culture as slack, irreverent, and representative of "thug life," students are doing a disservice to themselves.

If a student chooses to attend Morehouse, he should subscribe to the traditions upon which the college is built. The institution strives to promote a certain image to all of its constituents, including students, alumni, and the community. This is a benefit to its students as they graduate into the professional world, seek employment, and become productive members of society. The article notes that "majority of the students don't have a problem with the dress code." If this is the case, then what is the problem?

I say, sag your pants at the clubs, but at college, let's all take it up a notch.

Shalini Patel
Master's Candidate
Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
Los Angeles