Senior pranks in American schools are a tradition that can relieve pressure for graduating students and test the tolerance of staff. Pranks range from harmless to illegal, with some involving animals or rearranging furniture. Care must be taken not to damage school property.
Planning and executing pranks on seniors is an American tradition that serves both as a pressure relief for graduating students and an exercise in tolerance by school staff and faculty. A number of creative senior pranks have been performed over the years, many resulting in felony misdemeanor charges, suspension of senior citizen privileges, and a major feature story in local newspapers. A student’s idea of a practical joke may be a maintenance crew’s idea of vandalism, so great care must be taken not to cross the line.
Some common senior pranks target the campus itself, from the generous application of toilet paper to school property to the complete removal and/or rearranging of chairs and desks. Some senior pranksters have been known to move all of the furniture in the classroom to the rooftop, soccer field, or even the parking lot. The class year can be written in cement on the lawn, or even using the official state flower. Since it’s technically illegal to unearth an official state plant, the school may have no choice but to live on the impromptu display of class pride.
Other top-notch pranks involve the creative, if morally questionable, use of animals. A legendary senior prank requires pranksters to get three animals, usually pigs or chickens. Each animal is marked with a 1, 2 or 4 and then released into the school building after hours. The real fun begins with the fruitless search for pet #3.
Some senior citizens have been known to put goldfish in the school pool or toilets, while others would drive a cow up several flights of stairs during the night. Since the cows cannot go down the steps, getting the cow out of the building is generally a logistical nightmare.
Bringing multiple items to school is another popular concept for senior pranks. Dropping thousands of ping-pong balls, super bouncy rubber balls, or marbles down school hallways, especially as a coordinated effort, can be a memorable prank. Placing partially filled paper cups upside down in hallways is another classic senior prank. Removing the cups is nearly impossible without spilling the contents on the floor.
Putting alarm clocks in lockers and ringing them every two minutes is another classic prank. Some seniors have been known to place a marble in their palms just before receiving their diplomas during graduation ceremonies. The principal gets a surprise with every handshake.
Seniors may also park their cars in a tight formation around the campus, forcing students and faculty to maneuver through the maze. Faculty parking lots can also be spray-painted with fake handicapped parking signs, courtesy of a few seniors toting blue paint and a stencil.
While some senior pranks target faculty and staff, others are reserved for the freshman class. Selling unnecessary elevator passes or keys to a non-existent swimming pool are common pranks played on sixth graders by outgoing seniors. Getting a copy of the school’s official letterhead can also lead to pranks like sending failure notices to parents of freshers or informing parents that free condoms or other embarrassing items will be made available at an upcoming freshman dance.
Many senior pranks never survive the planning stage, and others don’t quite perform as well in reality as they appear on paper. Some senior pranks are sanctioned by the entire graduate class, but more often than not they’re the work of a few motivated seniors and a few empathetic staff members. Many school administrators anticipate a few relatively harmless pranks during the school year, but will not tolerate deliberate vandalism. This means that a good senior prank must be memorable and inventive, but not based on wanton destruction of school property.
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