Miss Peoples and the 12 Inch Ruler

Driving by the "play area" bordering the back door of Frank Ashley Day Junior High School last week, (the door through which students attending Day Junior High School entered when the school sponsored dances for the students) reminded Marash Girl of the then assistant principal, Miss Peoples (Marash Girl can't believe that she still remembers that name) and the 12" rule! Day Junior High would sponsor monthly or bimonthly "record hops" (dances where the music was not live but rather provided by a would be "disc jockey" (probably one of the teachers) playing popular music from his record collection over the PA, i.e.,public address system. The music was often romantic, slow and sensuous, an encouragement for students to dance slowly and very close to one another, much to Miss People's dismay. As it happened, Miss Peoples kept a 12 inch wooden ruler by her side -- probably left from her days of teaching mathematics to 7th graders. Miss Peoples (and this is the truth, so help me . . .) would approach every dancing couple, and, using her 12 inch ruler, measure to make sure that the students were distanced sufficiently to fit the 12 inch ruler between what she deemed to be the two young (potential) lovers! Marash Girl wonders if any of the Frank Ashley Day Junior High School graduates of that day remember those dances in the gym and the indignity of being found remiss by Miss People's 12 inch ruler....