As administrators continue tightening the dress code across the Upper School campus – whether it be through stricter enforcement of skort lengths or the mandatory visible IDs – one group of students is experiencing an exception to the uniform policy’s rigidity: the senior class. Beginning in November, as college decisions started rolling in, the Class of 2025 earned the privilege of wearing college-branded outerwear any day of the week.
According to 11th and 12th-grade Dean of Students Erin Cernuda, the policy was communicated to the seniors through an email at the start of November, permitting them to wear college outerwear any day of the week as long as their outfits still align with uniform expectations.
“Seniors have the privilege of wearing hoodies, crewnecks or collared sweatshirts as long as they comply with the dress code,” Cernuda said. “It has to be an actual [accredited] college, so something like a Miami Dolphins hoodie wouldn’t count.”
Monday through Thursday, seniors must wear a polo embroidered with the Gulliver “G” on the left-hand side underneath their college gear. On Fridays, however, the shirt underneath can be a polo or a Gulliver T-shirt. Every day of the week, fingertip-length skorts and shorts, “G” logos on polos and bottoms, and visible IDs around the neck are expected. One thing to note is that college-branded T-shirts are not permitted.
“It’s [wearing college outerwear] cool because it sets our senior class apart from the other students. It’s a privilege not everybody has,” Cernuda said.
For administrators like Cernuda, the privilege is not just a policy – it’s symbolic. After years of hard work and months of deadlines, applications and essays, the sweatshirts represent the seniors’ effort.
“It’s exciting. You guys have worked so hard—years of school, finalizing applications, submitting essays,” Cernuda said. “It’s a fun way to celebrate that while setting you apart from other classes.”
Seniors agree that the privilege carries symbolism beyond the fabric. Marco Balestrazzi sees wearing college apparel as a moment that sets the tone for future ambition.
“It feels exciting because it shows others the kind of places you aspire to attend,” Balestrazzi said. “This being our last year, it’s a transition—from wearing the Gulliver uniforms we’re used to, to wearing the college gear of where we’ll be next.”
The sweatshirts have now become part of the senior-year culture, reinforcing the sense of identity and accomplishment that has grown throughout the start of the first semester.
“It gives off the energy of moving forward and starting a new chapter,” Balestrazzi said.
Sienna Marinelli, who is committed to Tulane University, says that wearing her college sweatshirt symbolizes the hard work and perseverance she put into getting into the school.
“It feels earned, which is exactly why I wear it with pride,” Marinelli said. “Putting it on each morning gives me a sense of purpose and helps me start my day with positivity and determination.”
As the rest of the student body adapts to stricter uniform policies and as there is rarely flexibility during cold weather, the senior sweatshirt privilege stands out.
“It’s exciting for us [administrators] to see,” she said. “It’s a fun talking point, and it celebrates everything the seniors have achieved,” Cernuda said.
No matter which sweatshirt the seniors choose to wear or which school they eventually matriculate into, they will always be Raiders.
