Suspensions for Meeping

It's time for another installment of "Whatever, I Do What I Want!" This week's WIDWIW award goes to the administration at Danvers High School in Massachusetts.

At Danvers High School, the recent student trend is "meeping," or saying the word "meep." Meep, as in, the sound Beaker used to make on the Muppets. The higher-ups at Danvers high school have decided to take things into their own hands, threatening to SUSPEND any student caught "meeping" in school.

Really? You're going to suspend students for saying a word that means absolutely nothing? Seriously, UrbanDictionary.com defines "Meep" as "the most versatile word int eh English language" and that it "can mean whatever you want it to mean."

Principal Thomas Murray claims that it's not about the word. He says "it has to do with the conduct of the students. We wouldn't just ban a word just to ban a word." With all due respect, principal Murray, it seems like that is EXACTLY what you are doing. You threatened the suspensions after rumors started of a mass-meeping in school. So if it's about the conduct, and not about the word, would you suspend students if they got together and all said "physics!" Somehow I doubt it. And suspension? Really? Does the phrase "let the punishment fit the crime" ring any bells? I'm no expert on the rules of the Massachusetts school board, but I imagine suspensions go on a students permanent record, and are gonna show up on college applications. Red flags like that could be the difference between admission and rejection. Do you really want to put up a roadblock in a 15-year-olds future because he says the word "meep" in school? It's really a shame schools don't have some other form of punishment, something like detention....oh wait, they do.

Students disrupting class repeatedly is one thing. Students using meep clearly in the place of bad words is another. But I really really hope you do not carry out these suspensions for students saying the word in the halls.

Mr. Murray, I don't know the ins and outs of your school. I don't know what other form of punishments you have available, but I imagine there must be something. SUSPENDING students for saying the word "meep" somehow seems a little extreme. So enjoy your "whatever, I do what I want!" award. If I had a trophy, I would send it to you. You could put it on your desk, and show it to parents when they come in and ask why you have ruined their child's educational future.