KETK-TV Tyler, Texas (12/9) reports that Bobby White, principal of Westside Middle School in Memphis, Tennessee, has "combined a popular TV character, an award system, and zip ties to turn [the school] into a no-sagging zone." Now, "staff members walk the halls with zip ties" and when they find a student wearing saggy pants, they tie up the extra fabric, turning the student "into television character Steve Urkel. The popular character's style of dress is now a verb at Westside Middle School." Student Keldrion Vann told KETK, "It's pretty embarrassing. ... They can put your pants as high as your chest." After Westside started "Urkling" students, it saw a more than 80 percent "drop in the number of people" needing to be zip tied, said teacher Shaka Greene. Greene, KETK adds, "is the reigning 'Urkel' award champ. The teacher started 'Urkeling' up to 80 students a week," and "in five weeks, that number dropped to 18."
Texas' American Statesman (12/8) "Homeroom" blog noted that Westside Middle "even has a 'Steve Urkel: War Against Saggy Pants' wall, in which students...caught violating the dress code are displayed with their pants cinched all the way up." Columnist James E. Causey also covered the story in his Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (12/8) "Uncommon Causey" blog.
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