I think that this story is an interesting example of youthful discourse community's use of language colliding head-on with the strictures of a traditional educational setting:
http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_313233045.html
It's unclear what meaning "meep" has, other than it is a popular thing for kids to say when they are at a loss for something to say, according to various Web sites.
A group on Facebook called Meep has 370 members, for instance, and lists three Danvers High students as members. The category heading is: "Just for Fun — Totally Random," and it involves people just typing the word "meep" in various ways and expressing their fondness for the word.
Entries for the word "meep" in the online Urban Dictionary include "ouch," "uh-oh," a substitution for a swear word, a greeting, an exclamation or "a random expression of happiness used to fill gaps in conversation."
Some Danvers High students said yesterday they were not sure what "meep" means.
"No one really knows," said sophomore Melanie Crane, who said some freshmen used the term, but she has not heard the term used herself.
Does banning kids from using a word that they use when they're at a loss for words seem a little…cruel to anyone else? Of course, this whole thing doesn't challenge at all my view that public schools in the US are basically jails for children.
This is another instance of the headline not being a full-faith representation of the story. The school no more banned the word "meep" than the proverbial movie house banned the word "fire." It's about reining in disruptive — and unlawful — conduct and ensuring that a few immature students do not violate other students' right to an educational climate where learning is possible. Preventing students from hijacking the learning process, whether it involves suppression of hand gestures, a certain color of clothing, disruptive language or other bad-faith conduct, is a common-sense approach to school management that has stood the test of time and numerous Supreme Court challenges. For far too long, schools have erred on the side of giving freedom of expression too wide a berth. I, for one, am happy to see a school stand up to criticism from those who have low expectations for adolescent behavior in school.
High school Principal Thomas Murray said students were using it and other words to disrupt school in a particular part of the building on Cabot Road. The term later became part of a disruption some students were planning online.
"It's really not about the word in particular," Murray said. "The reason for the message (was) a group of students were instructed to refrain from that language and other language in a particular part of the building."
"Meep" is the word to use when "w00t!" doesn't quite say what you mean.
I like this comment I came across on Reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/a4961/lawyer_sends_email_saying_meep_to_school/c0fs5l3=
The school should've taken the opposite approach. The most effective way of getting students to stop saying "meep" is is the school faculty started saying it themselves. Use "meep" every morning during announcements. Put "meep" posters all over the lunch room.
"Meep" will instantly become uncool and the kids will move on to the next fad.
And here I thought the administrators were sick and tired of those kids watching Looney Tunes!
Wile E. Coyote has a message from Mr. R. Runner:
MEEP, MEEP!