The Dumbest High School Rules: A Tale of Matches and Mischief

High school can be a challenging and sometimes hilarious period of life. One particularly memorable school rule I encountered in my 1974 high school was born out of a series of minor fires in the bathroom. These incidents, believed to be either deliberate or accidental by smokers, prompted the administration to take a drastic measure.

Fire Incidents and the Match Ban

The incident began with a pair of minor fires in the bathroom. From the administration's perspective, the most likely cause was smoking students, either setting the fires deliberately or accidentally starting them. To address this issue, a new rule was implemented: any student caught with matches on school property would face expulsion.

This was a highly unusual and extreme measure, especially considering the nature of the problem. Nevertheless, the administration was determined to enforce strict measures to prevent any further incidents.

The Chemistry Lab Incident

Several weeks after the match ban was announced, my peer group and I had a Chemistry Lab session. As you might imagine, matches are a common tool in a chemistry lab. We found ourselves in a position where we needed to have matches for our experiments.

Match Toothpick Trick

After the instruction, we decided to take a bit of a joke at the school's expense. My peer group and I, who represented most of the top 10 students in the senior class, took the wooden matches and stuck them between our teeth, mimicking toothpicks. We then proceeded to our next class, fully aware that something out of the ordinary was about to happen.

Discovered in Class

As we sat in our next class, our teacher took the roll call. At this point, one of my classmates inadvertently let the secret slip. Our teacher, upon discovering the matches hidden in our teeth, initially perceived it as a bit of a prank rather than a deliberate flouting of the rule.

Resolution and Consequences

Fortunately, our teacher saw the situation for what it was - a harmless prank that could have had far more serious consequences under the strict rule. Instead of expelling us, she decided to laugh it off and let it go. This experience taught us a valuable lesson about the importance of following rules, especially those in schools, and the consequences of breaking them.

Reflections on School Rules

It's not uncommon for schools to implement rules that seem overly strict or even outdated. However, the experience of our class with the match rule made us appreciate the reasoning behind such policies, even if the implementation could be seen as extreme. The match rule reminded us of the potential for accidents and the need for safety in schools.

Conclusion

High school is full of memorable moments, and sometimes those moments can be quite funny. The match rule was just one incident in a long line of strange and sometimes ridiculous rules that schools sometimes enforce. It's important to remember these experiences as we look back on our high school days with a mix of nostalgia and amusement.