One of those stereotypical high school events I most anticipated as a measly 8th grader was the senior year prank. The idea of it was just so cool and rebellious.
The reality, however, falls a bit short.
My freshman year the prank was a parody of the running of the bulls. The seniors, with the help of the administration, showed bull fights on the TVs and the seniors ran through the hallways. Snore.
Sophomore year, the seniors did a bit better. There was the cookout that Isaac Stein hosted. Technically it wasn’t an official senior class prank, but I’m going to count it as one. The class of 2011 also held a BMS and CMS battle in the courtyard as well as a senior girl “rave” in the library during lunch.
This year the seniors created many pranks: partial streaking through the hallways, the waterslide, caution tape on the hallway to the cafeteria, jumping in the pool, blocking the hall, and hanging in the courtyard. A few of these “pranks” were just plain annoying. Cough, cough — blocking the hallway.
But overall I enjoyed the pranks this year. Walking through the halls and hearing about prank after prank after prank was just fun and exciting and made for a memorable last day for seniors.
One of my biggest issues with senior pranks is how uninvolved the other grade levels are. The underclassmen shouldn’t be a part of them, but the point of a prank is to be noticeable and to have everyone enjoy it. Not just the seniors or select few who are lucky enough to happen upon the prank.
Half of these pranks happened unnoticed by most underclassmen. I didn’t see the caution tape, the jumping in the pool, blocking the hall, hanging in the courtyard, or the TV bullfights. Last year’s senior class did a good job with showing off their pranks. They took place in visible areas during times when many students could notice them.
This year, not so much. It was disappointing to say the least.
My other big issue with senior pranks is the involvement of the administration. It’s a prank. The administration should be involved as little as possible, not at all if the seniors can manage.
I can understand why you want administrators involved for the waterslide the seniors did this year. I can understand why you want them having a cookout in the courtyard. But for the most part, don’t include them. Create a prank that doesn’t need administrators instead.
For the seniors I’m sure it takes a bit of fun out the prank and I know as an underclassman it destroys a lot of the magic and turns and act of rebellion into a school-sponsored activity.
