At this year’s annual rules reading, one particular announcement drew an audible gasp from the audience: “No senior shirts.” For many seniors who looked forward to wearing this symbol of class pride, the rule felt like a sudden loss of tradition. Within days, students organized a petition, spoke with administrators, and sparked a school-wide conversation about the purpose of senior shirts.
This is not a new rule, but rather a clarification of the rules already in place around the Raider Friday dress code, which allows only official ‘Iolani apparel to be worn. According to Ms. Lori Yoneda ’94, the Dean of Students, since before the introduction of this rule, senior shirts have never fit those guidelines because they are not school-issued merchandise. They were never explicitly forbidden since the shirts honor the ‘Iolani students for their affiliation with their respective sports. As a result of this announcement, a group of senior prefects organized a petition that quickly gathered over 450 signatures and met with Ms. Yoneda on Sept. 3 to discuss a possible compromise.
For many students, the shirts symbolize more than casual school swag. Kai C. ’26 described the difference: “While regular ‘Iolani branded shirts do show off our community, it’s not nearly as impactful as having the last name of one of your classmates on your back.” For students, being able to show off a friend’s senior shirt is an important way to externalize solidarity and support for one another…