On Aug. 19, Clark administrators began calling students out of classes and into their offices regarding students’ senior class sweatshirts. Name customizations were brought to Principal Douglas Dall by Assistant Principals Lena Kortoshian and Brian Landisi for approval before sending the order to Organized Sportswear, according to senior Mayumi Lometillo.

“The policy has always been to represent Clark professionally,” said ASB advisor Elaine Snodgress. “We needed to draw the line because some of the alternate customizations were too extreme. In the past, some have managed to fly under the radar. We were concerned with about 15 students. I take responsibility. I should have been clearer with what students could and couldn’t have put.”

Alarmed by customizations like “Horse,” administrators pulled some students out of class, including senior Mayumi Lometillo. “I was called into the office in the middle of Mr. Doom’s lecture. Administration is scared of double meanings and sexual innuendos,” Lometillo said. “They thought that ‘Yums’ was an innuendo but that’s a nickname my family calls me.” According to Lometillo, ASB has never had this problem before and about five people have gotten refunds as a result.

Although there aren’t written guidelines senior sweaters specifically, they fall under California Education Code because Clark’s name is on the design. “Senior sweaters have been ordered, but students aren’t entitled to them; they’re a privilege,”  Snodgress said. “We don’t have to do them.”