St Ignatius High School - Ignatian Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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r During the great hair purge. Mr. Pennock's office was flooded with students curious as to whether they would serve indefinite detentions. Fr. Paul Siegfried and Fr. John Miday determined a policy which can he termed a get-tough move. The alternatives offered were either that the students and teachers must fully support the policies of the school or they would be asked to leave Ignatius. This policy was announced to the faculty on the sixth of December and to the student body the following day. School administrators thought that this would end the controversy. I he announcement of the new policy brought the already tense situation to a head. Students were angered to the point where they engaged in verbal battles with faculty members and administrators. Much hair remained uncut, and many students, especially seniors, spoke of further dissenting action. But except for passive resistance by some, nothing ever came from all the talking. Holding a bagful of his own sheared locks. Ken Kmeick displays definite proof of a previously doubtful haircut. Just under fifty percent of the student body, including John Tonkewicz. were originally in violation of the hair rule OS it Stood in early December KI-BIR I II 5

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Peace Disturbed by Controversy | Revolution, • Solution A peaceful atmosphere prevailed around Ignatius early this academic year. Many of the faculty members commented on and seemed content with the quiet tone that the school took on. Students, especially those from the upper classes, seemed to feel more at ease in school with the noticeable lack of emphasis on disciplinary matters. Many took this as a sign that Ignatius would have the first quiet year in the wake of many recent years of change and grow th. By the time November came around, all of these hopes were in danger of never being realized when an old controversy took on a new severity: the hair code. The controversy started when some faculty members complained about the uneven enforcement of some school rules, particularly the hair code. The question of enforcement, which seemed to bring w ith it a division among faculty members, inspired Fr. Tom l.eonhardt. S.J.. and Fr. F.d Flint. S.J.. to write up a circular w hich they called Pastoral Reflections. In it they stated that the length of a student's hair was not a matter of discipline. I hey felt that the long-haired student posed no threat to the disciplinary standards which were set forth by school administrators and the Board of Regents. The circular increased the amount of discussion given to the hair code. Senior Tim Gardner commented on the reflections in his letter to the November issue of the Eye. After that issue of the Eye had been well circulated, the administration saw a definite need for some kind of action to settle the question. The problems began when the search for a solution was taken up. Conflicting ideals had to be sorted out. No one knew then that the solution would be far more controversial than the problem gaining attention on radio, television, and even the New York rimes. 4 Kl ft IK III

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Fr. Tom Leonhard! Mr. Gary Wright Acceptance ot longer hair. such as Larry TomsicK's. Fr. Ed Flint Mr. Bob Buchta outside of school was the major argument for an alternative to the hair code. Four Teachers Fired, Reinstated; Answer Reached On December 8. 1972, a faculty meeting was called to clarify the policy and to confirm it as final. After much discussion the policy remained standing that those faculty members who would not enforce the code would be fired, and students who were in violation would be placed in indefinite detention and eventually suspended. During the following weekend Frs. Leonhardt and Flint and Messrs. Buchta and Wright turned in separate letters stating that they would not comply with such a policy. Upon inquiring. they were told by Fr. Siegfried not to appear in their classrooms on Monday. The next week brought with it a great deal of confusion. One hundred and ninctyonc students were without counselors and seventeen class periods without teachers. The classes were proctored by teachers with free periods or even administrators, but most made no progress academically during this time. The gap left by the four missing teachers was loo wide to be filled quickly, and there was some fear that the firings would make it impossible to get more Jesuit teachers in the future. The following weekend was filled with conferences held at the request ofFr. Miday. Monday the eighteenth was a brighter day for all when a compromise was announced. I he solution was a form to be signed by students' parents which would release them from complying with the hair code. Technically, the rule still stood for those who did not turn in a signed form, but practically the years-old issue of hair was fast fading into oblivion. 6 KMilK I tt