Oak Park school bans hugging

[babylonsister]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/581472,CST-NWS-hugs30.article

Oak Park school bans hugging

September 30, 2007
Hugging is now off limits at an Oak Park middle school.

The new policy went into effect at Percy Julian Middle School last month because of administrators' concerns that so-called "hug lines" in the hallways were making students late for class and causing bottlenecks in the halls, according to WBBM-Channel 2.

Percy Julian Principal Victoria Sharts told the station hugging is "more appropriate for airports or for family reunions than passing and seeing each other every few minutes in the halls."

Sharts also said some hugs between students were "too long, too close and usually between boys and girls."

The school's 860 students are not allowed to hug anywhere inside the building.

[liberal N proud]

1. Next thing they will do is have them march from one class to the next

All good little soldiers marching in a single file down the hall.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. I wonder if they would have fewer problems with...

(Percy Julian Principal Victoria) Sharts also said some hugs between students were "too long, too close and usually between boys and girls."

Would boy-boy and girl-girl hugging cause fewer problems? :toast:

[AngryAmish]

22. Oak Park is considered very liberal in a very blue state

And the schools are run by lunatic control freaks.

[Warpy]

3. Why not just issue uniforms, line them up, and march them

from class to class with piped in patriotic military music?

What a bunch of total jerks.

[jojo54]

8. It's the Zeno philosophy.

Free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and submit without complaint to unavoidable necessity, in this case whatever would displease Bushco.

[groovedaddy]

4. Humans need 8 hugs a day just to maintain

more than 8 hugs promotes a greater sense of wellbeing.

[babylonsister]

5. ...and therefore MUST be abolished!

:eyes: This political correctness is getting totally out of control imo.

[groovedaddy]

6. Give them ritalin instead...

now that's a plan!

[TahitiNut]

9. Ubetcha.

Hugging promotes both physical and mental health.

[TahitiNut]

7. Wow. How many 'problems' have they solved to get that far down the list?

Amazing. I didn't know there was enough paper in the world to make a list of problems long enough to get to "too much hugging" or "who people love"!

When a 'problem' sounds to me like a 'solution' I guess I've gotten sucked Through The Looking Glass.

"Not allowed to hug"??? That's just fucking insane.

:crazy:

[BlooInBloo]

12. Totally. If that's their worst problem, then they ain't doin too shabby.

[sniffa]

10. they need to ban dancing next

[MADem]

11. 'Hug lines?' What's a hug line? Is it like a kissing booth at the fair? NT

[TahitiNut]

14. There are 'processes' in group therapy (for adjustment problems) that involve 'hug lines' ...

... and I've seen these processes work what appear to be near-miracles. (Do not try this at home. These are trained professionals and para-professional.) Such thereputic processes are common in drug counseling, abuse recovery counseling, and 'at risk' teen counseling.

One such process involves making a SILENT 'choice' with a hand signal. The choice to (1) shake hands, (2) merely nod, (3) look into one another's eyes openly and respectfully, or (4) hug ... where the choice MUST be mutual ... leads to some very interesting and positive impacts. The key is "consenting and respectful."

I've done work with such groups. It's astonishing how a whole array of 'below the radar' aches and pains go away as stress evaporates. After working a session/program with such folks (professionals, facilitators, and support volunteers), there's a marked and unmistakable overall improvement to both my physical well-being and my emotional well-being ... and that's as a support volunteer. It's amazing. I would've never believed it without direct experience.

[MADem]

20. Hmmm. So they're doing group therapy at school? What sort of school is this? NT

[TahitiNut]

23. Dyslexics? "Group therapy" vs. "grope therapy"??

:rofl:

[MADem]

24. I suppose they like it better than, say, geography....

After all, many American chirren don't have MAPS...Miss Teen Carolina told us so!

[Annces]

13. Probably more like making out

But they call it hugging.

[babylonsister]

15. Middle school, and in public? I doubt it. nt

[Tesha]

26. You've never chaperoned a Middle School dance, have you? (NT)

[babylonsister]

27. Dark corners at a dance are a bit different than in the middle of the halls

during school hours.

[Tesha]

29. Dark corners, hell! Right in the middle under the lights!

Mr. Tesha and I used to joke that "for the next dance,
we'll bring a golden carousel pole" so the little
darlings would feel more in their element, 'cause
many of them clearly had a career ahead of them as
exotic dancers.

Tesha

[TahitiNut]

16. Nope. It sounds to me like something some kids brought back from Drug Counseling.

I think you might benefit from getting out more. :silly:

[Annces]

17. I lived in Oak Park

And I am betting that this is not just the occasional hug. Have you been to an inner city high school recently?

[TahitiNut]

18. Rorschach

In the last 15 years, I've done enough work in counseling programs with 'at risk' teens, recovering druggies, and victims of abuse to recognize the terms and behavior being alluded to in this article. Hell, even my cousin's eldest son went through three drug rehab programs in the last 6 years before the last one, which employed 'processes' akin to "hug lines," worked for him.

:shrug:

[Annces]

19. I don't think you can read that into this article

It is a very short article.

I don't see mention of counselors or rehab in this article. Teens are wild and high schools can be extremely chaotic.

[High Plains]

21. Ooh, scary kids...huggin' and such like.

[Annces]

25. Who said scary kids

you did.

[babylonsister]

28. Another POV from a local paper: School ban on hugging not productive

http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2007/10/01/Editorials/School.Ban.On.Hugging.Not.Productive-3001249.shtml

School ban on hugging not productive
By The Daily Illini Editorial Board
Posted: 10/1/07 Section: Editorials

Page 1 of 1

snip//

If teachers and administrators are concerned with the amount of tardiness in their school, perhaps it would be more productive to find other ways to discourage that instead of healthy social interaction between children.

But if the problem of children being late for class is that serious, teachers should emphasize how important it is to be on time by using penalties or punishments to get the point across. And instead of having a rather silly policy against hugging in the halls, administrators should focus more on strengthening the loitering policy.

From an early age, we're taught that hugging is a good thing. It reinforces friendship and builds lasting relationships. It stands to reason that the educational environment benefits when students are comfortable around each other. While there are limits, it's hard to justify getting rid of a basic social behavior when children are becoming less social all the time.

Cell phones, the Internet and instant messaging are all allowing children to interact with each other without actually spending time together. As a result, their emotional and social intelligence can suffer. If a school's goal is to help a child develop into a secure, productive adult, then what it teaches has to come from more than a book. Adults saying "No" rather than "Why?" is not the message that needs to be sent to impressionable children.

The world isn't going to end if the students at Percy Julian don't get to hug in the hallways anymore, but the fact that some students are using the situation as an opportunity to hug more outside the building speaks more to their noble traits than their rebellious tendencies.

[Javaman]

30. Can't have hugging because that brings Peace and if you have

Peace war can't break out. Can't have that now.

[SacredCow]

31. Actually, I can top that insanity....

A co-worker of mine has 2 neices (one is a junior and the other is a freshman). They're incredibly close sisters, and they were suspended for hugging in the hallway.

It is a private school, so there really wasn't much their parents could do to fight it. Complete and utter stupidity.

[immoderate]

32. Lock the doors when the late bell rings.

Herd the tardy students into the auditorium, take names, call parents (maybe even detention.) "Your kid is loitering between classes." That'll shorten those hugs. Hugging is a good thing. Being late is bad behavior worthy of modification.

--IMM

[rockymountaindem]

33. Good

It hasn't been that long since I was in high school and middle school. Hugging and PDAs were a real problem, because people always did them in the dumbest places. People would be making out right in front of my locker, and when I asked them to move it was somehow my problem. People would hang out in each others arms at the top of the main staircase, in front of the elevator, in doorways, it really did suck. The biggest problem in middle school, though, was when girls would either ride on each others' backs (causing the one with her feet on the ground to stagger all over the crowded hallway), or *link arms* (sometimes seven side by side) and walk down the hallway like a steamroller.

If they want to put an end to that stupid shit that makes it impossible for people to get around in the halls, that's fine with me.

[FuJun]

34. Good...

I realize I'm in the minority here, but I support this initiative. PDA's are not only selfish and inconsiderate to those not fortunate enough to have a partner, but also a symbol of power and privilage.

[BlackVelvet04]

35. You're kidding, I hope. n/t