[Terminator]

Teens protest school's no hugging policy

Angelique Soenarie and Kerry Fehr-Snyder



The Arizona Republic
Feb. 29, 2008 05:08 PM

A group of Shepherd Junior High School students in east Mesa protested a new school policy banning student hugs with a giant group hug on Friday.

Students waited until school was dismissed before gathering across the street from campus to begin hugging each other and chanting, "We want hugs."

Some kids piggybacked on the shoulders of their friends to hug other students.



The public display of affection and chanting began at 3:45 p.m. and lasted about 20 minutes.

Principal Eileen Cahoon did not return calls seeking comment about the new anti-hugging policy and student reaction to it.

The new rule was announced Wednesday. The rule had been in the student handbook previously.

Kathy Bareiss, spokeswoman for Mesa Public Schools, said Cahoon reminded students of the policy after surveying the school's students and finding that about 400, or one-third of them, "were concerned about public kissing and hugging in the hall."

One student, 14-year-old Chelsea Burnham, said she had to serve an hour detention Thursday because she was caught hugging a friend the day before. She also was forced to read the school's new "public display of affection" policy.

Bareiss couldn't confirm that students who violated the policy were being ordered to serve detention.

Teachers and administrators have long been cautioned against hugging students. More rare are rules aimed at hugging between students on school grounds. Administrators and other officials also have been more focused on student bullying.

"We don't think it's fair they tell us how to communicate with each other," said sophomore Raeleen Gonzales, 14. "It's just like how parents and adults greet each other."

Before the protest, a group of students met with the principal to learn what was considered acceptable public displays of affection and what wasn't.

The list of acceptable public displays are:


• Stopping and talking in the halls (but moving to the side to allow others to pass).


• Shaking a friend's hand and patting him on the back in a "man hug"


• Draping an arm around someone's shoulder in a "hook hug"


• Holding hands


• Linking arms


• Hugging no longer than 2 seconds


• Respecting other people's opinions and values

[NCC1701]

Well I guess it is an improvement over the stabbings and race riots we had in junior high.
I would have taken some sweet hugs from the girls soccer team over getting jumped in the hallways weekly.

I should tell them my "back in the day" stories...freakin wimps.

[countybear]

Educators have never been long on common sense...

Give them all the free condoms they want, but NO HUGGING!!

[Jenna]

Originally Posted by Terminator

The list of acceptable public displays are:


• Stopping and talking in the halls (but moving to the side to allow others to pass).


• Shaking a friend's hand and patting him on the back in a "man hug"


• Draping an arm around someone's shoulder in a "hook hug"


• Holding hands


• Linking arms


• Hugging no longer than 2 seconds


• Respecting other people's opinions and values

Glad that last kind of "public display" hasn't been banned yet!

[BigDawg]

Just another example of the small brains of Liberals getting in the way of good ol' fashioned common sense.