(CBS)
“Last year we would see maybe as many as 10 students on one side (of the hallway), 10 on the other and then, going in opposite directions, would sort of have a hug line going on and you could see where that would be a problem,” said Victoria Sharts, principal of Oak Park’s Percy Julian Middle School.
So this year Sharts decided to draw the line on hug lines by banning all hugging among students within the building.
Sharts said, “Hugging is really more appropriate for airports or for family reunions than passing and seeing each other every few minutes in the halls.”
When teachers started enforcing the new policy last month all hallways and classrooms in the 860-student school became hug-free zones.
Sixth grader Isabella Miller disagrees with the crackdown. “I don’t think that that’s right”
Her father agrees with her.
“It seems like a crazy idea to me,” Mark Miller said.
The principal says the rampant hugging is creating bottle necks in the hallway and making kids late for class. Furthermore she says although hugs are supposed to be handshakes from the heart some times they don’t seem so innocent.
“Too long, too close, and usually between boys and girls,” Sharts said.
After school, while safely outside the building, the students seemed determined to show what they think of the policy, one hug at a time.
There must be a more positive way to encourage kids to go to class on-time. This seems a little ridiculous and shows a lack of creative problem-solving skills by school administers and teachers (who willingly enforce this policy).
I have problems with everyone involved:
-the stupid kids for deciding it’s necessary to form “hug lines”
-the principal for deciding to ban said hug lines
-and the teachers for enforcing said ban on said hug lines
There’s a whole lot of stupid in this article.
Oh, and this quote is made of pure, 100% win: ‘Sharts said, “Hugging is really more appropriate for airports or for family reunions than passing and seeing each other every few minutes in the halls.”’
I agree with Andrew, there is a LOT of stupidity in this article. the students shouldn’t be blocking the halls with hug lines, hugs should be just one on one things and are personal, the principle has no right to ban hugging because students should be allowed to appropriately display their affection for eachother and there is nothing wrong with guys and girls hugging eachother, and the teachers are acting like sheep by enforcing such a stupid and pointless rule. need i say more about how stupid these people are?
The article was ridiculous, i never thought that in school people would actually go to the extreme. What i mean by extreme is refereing to BAN HUGGING from school. who does that? not even our parents do that because everybody has the right to express their emotions to one another. I can’t believe that the students were actually ok with them not being able to do something that is harmless and that wont and cant affect any individual. That show the lack of responsibility that the school has for the students. it also shows that they are not cable of solving their conflicts in any toher way rather then goingt to the extreme. What does a hug cause? absolutely nothing, i dont see anything wrong with a boy and a girl giving eachother a hug. What is wrong with that? Wow i cant believe that now a boy and a girl cant give each other a hug because it might seem wrong or not so innocent as the school would say. I dont even think that a hug takes a long time to do. I think that the school is just using it as an excuse for them to ban hugging from school. However, i just dont understand why they would ban hugging, that is so odd and awkard for a school to do.
Ban hugging? Thats weird. Why would schools want to remove hugging? Hugging isn’t only a gretong for family memebers, its a greeting to “hey how are you”. I seriousley don’t think that hugging is making the students late to class, it’s just the fact that students want to talk to their friends, since they dont get to talk to them during class. Even if hugging was removed fom schools it doesn’t mean that students are going to stop hugging. Thats all i got to say thats its just ridiculous!
What the HECK!!!!!!! Banning Hugging is a bit extream. That like saying you arent allowed to hold ur boyfriends hand in public areas. This principal has some serious issues mybe she was mad that she didn’t get a hug so she had to stop everyones happiness. I am just kidding but really we cant control what other schools do all we can do is question their athority.
i hate this! BANNING HUGGING! come on people thats like saying stop spreading the love! and for people to tell me to stop smiling and being happy! this is so freaking stupid! i mean that’s one way for us to show our affection in a good way toward our friends! come on is hugging like a way to have sex in public, well if it’s not why ban it?! so ridiculious!
All I have to say is that the principle is out of her mind! She shouldn’t have the right to ban hugging someone. She doesn’t even make a good point on why she hugging is bad for the students. She made a comment that hugging is only for family reunions and outside of school. Well hugging is just showing someone that you care and its also a way of saying hello. Her argument on banning hugging is really ridiculous and she shouldn’t even be a principle. I say that the students have the right to hug someone even if it is the opposite sex. If it was something inappropriate and not for school then that would be a different story. I just feel sorry for that school and I am happy its not our school.
Okay…first of all, just because this principal thinks hugging is “inappropriate” does not mean she has the right to remove hugging from the entire school. Its straight out ridiculous. I mean i honestly laughed when i read it. Who is she to osay when its appropriate to hug and when its not. Hugging should be encouraged. Its called spreading the love. Hugs make people happy, and now days its a general greeting when you come across your friend in…well…pretty much wherever. S othe fact that she thinks she has the right to dictate when and when not they can hug is outrageous! there is honestly no other words for this principal but idiotic and inappropriate.
(I still cant help but chuckle at how stupid this whole situation really is)
Ban hugging? The principal might as well ban fat people. I mean, they take up more space in the halls like these ‘hug lines’ and slow down traffic between classes. You can’t walk around them, so you just have to slow your pace so you don’t run into them. This whole article is ridiculous.
And I agree with Pena. Hugging is all about spreading the love. Sure kids who hit other kids on their birthdays don’t get in trouble, but OMG!, hugging?!?!! They’re treating this like it’s a crime against the Geneva Convention or something.
Banning Hugging?! This is ridiculous, are you serious? Why would anyone ban hugging? Hugging as a sense of expression, we use it to show our feelings. Hugging is like an unspoken language. We hug people when they’re sad, to say hello, to say good bye, etc. The good thing about hugging someone is that you don’t have to speak the same language as they do; it doesn’t matter where they’re from.
Hugging someone is not a crime. Hugging a person is not seen as something horrible, it’s seen as a sign of comfort and support. Even sixth graders Isabella Miller along with her father disagree with these terms. Just because children aren’t getting to class on time because of hugging, isn’t a good enough reason for the school to take it away. A hug is a hug, there’s nothing wrong with it! It’s not like they’re breaking any laws or anything of that sort. Hugs are free, everyone needs one once in a while. In fact Victoria Sharts the vice principle of the Julian Middle School in Oak Park, stated that “The hugging pronouncement is a small part of the larger school initiative that encourages students to act civilly and with respect”, she said.
(http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-hug_weboct02,0,5539592.story)
I honestly don’t think by banning hugging will help the students “act civilly and with respect”. I believe that by giving students an opportunity to hug at school will help them show an act of politeness and a sign of respect towards each other. By showing a sign of respect and an act of politeness towards each other, this will decrease bulling which is what also concerns the school.
Wish i had this principals email to give her a ‘kindly hug’. Where does she think she is? It’s 2007, and i believe that in a time of war, hugs are quite the medicine! I mean just get in the kids positions, don’t you think that all these mix rules are going to confused them. “Don’t be a bully!” Don’t hurt your fellow classmate” “Be Nice” “No guns in school” and now “No Hugs”. If you ask me i would circle that one on a test as not being part of the equation. It just doesn’t fit.
And about ‘boys and girls hugging’. LADY you can say it, it’s ok. they are together (couple)! and in my opinion if the parents don’t mind, it ain’t your business. check the grades and then talk.
Oh and don’t get me started with the fact that i believe a ‘hug’ is protected in my ‘freedom of expression’ clause’ Right? i mean i have the right to choose who and why i want to hug. and yes if it’s affecting my punctuality, there must be consequences but banning me from showing affection ain’t going to stop me. i don’t even doubt hearing about some type of riot or strike taking place at this school because of this. i mean its absurd, its like banning ‘tight pants’ at i poly, because parents find it inappropriate. MRS! its freedom of expression get with the program!
The fact that she ‘thinks’ its inappropriate makes me believe that this lady doesn’t not get hugged very often. It’s ok to think that, but thats an opinion, and it can not and should not be implemented in a school just because she feels like it. There is a curriculum to follow, and guide lines. And i believe that if hugging doesn’t not harm anybody physically or mentally and does not put any body’s life at risk, then it should be allowed. they should consider getting a new principal, maybe one less like Hitler. =]
Its kind of funny, I can relate to this article. In my elementary to junior high years I attended Sonrise Christian School. During my seventh grade year some one was inappropriately touched and so the school decided to ban any form of touch, which included hugging. At first i couldn’t believe it, to ban hugging over something that turned out to be a little issue that did not happen the way a person told it. It was so stupid, we would get yelled at if we hugged, even if one girl hugged another girl. It was quite pointless because no one followed it, and eventually the ruled just slipped through and was no longer enfored, because it was ridiculous to begin with.
In this article it states that the kids formed hugging lines. That is a little strange and pointless. If these hugging lines were what was making the kids late to class its their own stupidity. Most likely they were just talking to their friends longer than they should have. But, regardless, the priniciple did not need to ban hugging completely, maybe the lines, because they are quite ridiculous. Hugging is not a crime and not allowing someone to do it, especially at that age will just make them hug more.
now that you mention it jordan,I remember when hugging and holding hands and such was pronounced as a little much and slightly prohibited at my school.
Of course being the rebel I was, I well…rebelled.
moving on, it just sounds to me like someone just didnt get any back in their day.
raging feelings or raging hormones, leave it alone you hag. I find it ridiculous to ban something like hugging. Technically it is a free expression, so really now, it isn’t in her or anybody’s right to prevent someone from expressing themselves.
I wonder how dances are ran there.
I reeeally would love to walk up to her and give her the most obscene hug she’s ever received.
And hugging at airports, I think, only causes traffic.
NO i kid. : ]
Trees. People. Stuffed favorites. Hug em all.
I think that the whole banning of hugs will not solve this school’s problems because I’m sure that the hugging is not the only thing that makes these students late for class. It may be the case for a couple of students but that will not stop them being alte for class. The this is kinda crazy that the lady banned hugs, maybe because she never got one. I wonder if the amount of tardies had decreased after this. I think that is ridiculous because hugging is a form of expression i guess. How about if something happened and that was the last thing that the student got to express how they felt about them, i dont know that crazy.
this is just stupid.
i like hugs.
hugs are fun.
these kids are kind of dumb for creating “hug lines” and thats understandable to be upset by it if its causing them to be late
but to BAN THEM?!
THATS KIND OF RETARDED!
its a hug! gets me kind of mad. and not much makes me mad! these kids arent going to listen.