No Hugs For You!

While sitting at one of my favorite bars in DC, the Bottom Line (also known as the Purdue bar), last night, some news channel had a story about a school banning all physical contact for their students - this includes hugs and hi-fives and anything remotely related in that nature. Imagine my surprise when my husband informed me that the school was right in our backyard - Vienna, VA. The school is Kilmer Middle School and I found the article here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/17/AR2007061701179.html

I read it and thought, 'How ridiculous!' For those of you too lazy to read the entire article, I will give you the Cliff's Notes version here:
Middle school boy puts arm around middle school girlfriend. Boy gets sent to principal's office and reprimanded. The Principal then puts a school-wide ban on physical contact...no touching allowed. The reason? These kids don't understand their boundaries as far as what's appropriate and what's not. Also, the school was built for 850 students and they have 1100 and everyone needs their personal space.

So with no physical contact, does that mean that in order to avoid bumping into anyone and intruding on their personal space, everyone's going to have to walk sideways? During gym class or sporting events, do they have to resort to the hi-fives where they start to hi-five eachother but then stop when their hands are 2-inches apart as if they were psyching eachother out?
At first when I heard about it, I thought, 'The parent that instigated this has just successfully made their kid into the social outcast of his generation.' But then when I finally read the article, I saw that it was the principal that actually instigated the rule.
So here are some situations that might be awkward in school should the 'no physical contact' ban continue:
1) gym class (of course) - no one gets congratulated for good plays anymore so even the worst athletes will never have to feel left out of that good play again
2) kid is having a tough time at home and needs to talk to someone. they breakdown in school in front of a teacher...does the teacher console the kid with a hug (cause sometimes you really just need a hug) or tell them there's no crying in school?
3) what do you do in the nurses office?
4) group projects - personal space is personal space - do they huddle around and stand at arm's length so as not to crowd eachother?

If you haven't noticed, I think this is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. And I don't believe that at 12 -14 years of age, kids don't understand the difference between what is and what isn't appropriate. And if she really doesn't believe they do understand, then maybe they should cover it in health class. (And while they're in health class, show that 'Stoned' movie with Scott Baio - yes!)
I hope that the new and returning kids at Kilmer Middle School don't have to live with the ban when school starts up again.
And here's to hoping their principal gets some hugs this summer...sure sounds like someone could use one!