Civility, Chivalry, Compassion and Camaraderie Invade Fox Lane High School

Just before summer's end, four seniors plotted ways to make their senior year more interesting.   

The four 17-year-olds—Austin Appel, of Mount Kisco,  Oliver Gabrielson of Bedford Hills, Dylan Faitell of Pound Ridge, and Jireh Swift of Bedford Village—were discussing Fancy Shirt Friday, a venture begun by last year's seniors that was met with moderate success, when they decided to institute their own "Gentleman's Tuesday."

"School was imminent, and we wanted to find a way to break up the week," Appel said. To interrupt the monotony, they said, they agreed that every Tuesday they would forgo their casual attire for a more dapper look, donning dress shirts, ties, jackets, and slacks.

Joel Adelberg, principal at Fox Lane, said he on the first day, back on Oct. 5, he thought the boys were going on an interview.

"I saw ties and collared shirts, and my first thought was that some of the sports teams had a competition, and I reached for my athletic schedule to see who had a game that day."

But he was thrilled to learn about the concept of Gentleman's Tuesday, which has taken off in the last six weeks.

More than 50 boys have dressed up. Some teachers have even taken to more formal attire to support the effort. And the effect has transcended the clothes that they wear, spreading to attitudes and behavoirs, say the organizers.

The students have taken their roles as gentlemen more seriously, creating the 4Cs: Civility, Chivalry, Compassion, and Camaraderie, as symbol for their mission. 

"It's a movement—we are not only looking fancy, but we hold doors, speak properly, no high fives, only shaking hands," said Appel.

Faitel agreed. "We started Gentleman's Tuesday for recreational purposes, but it has become a whole different thing. Being polite just became the instinctive next step."

Fox Lane senior Conor Fennessy provided some insight into how the rest of the student body feels about the Gentleman's Tuesday. "It's a fun thing to do, and it's something that we also take seriously. But there is no pressure to dress up and there is no shame in not dressing up."

Appel, Gebrielson, Faitell and Swift—who have been friends since the sixth grade— deny that they were ever trendsetters prior to Gentleman's Tuesday. They admit, however, that numerous groups have tried unsuccessfully to start other themed days—including Sloppy Thursdays and Fancy Lady Fridays.

There's no going back to denim and tee-shirts for this group—they plan to observe Gentleman's Tuesday until they graduate. They hope their gentelmanly legacy will live on and next year, when they visit as alumni, they'll see suits and ties being worn in the halls of Fox Lane.