Senior Pranks 2006

Most high schools are now out for the summer, so I thought it would be an appropriate time to pause and remember some of the senior pranks that made headlines this year. As usual, they're a mix of the clever, stupid, rude, and cruel.

Car on roof - Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School: School officials found a Honda Accord "painted neon pink and covered with green question marks" on the roof of the high school. "Nassau police and school officials said yesterday that dozens of students used crudely made ramps to drag the Honda Accord... onto the roof."

Power out - Neuqua Valley High School: Two students were arrested for attempting what they called the "senior prank of all senior pranks." Their plan was to disable a generator and take "other steps to ensure the power would go out and classes would be canceled for younger students still in school." They were caught in the act by a custodian and arrested at their homes.

School for sale - Cape Fear Academy: "During the night before their last day of school Friday, about 20 members of the senior class strung a $215, 3-foot-by-9-foot vinyl sign with large, red letters spelling out "Entire School For Sale" and the school's telephone number between two posts in front of the school yard on South College Road. Another 20 or so smaller "For Sale" signs were peppered around the grounds."

Squealing pig - Severna Park High School: Students "released a squealing 31-pound piglet named Hamilton into the halls on the sinister date of 6/6/06 ... Purloined from a county park for an end-of-year stunt, the 3-month-old pig -- nickname: Hammy -- appeared Tuesday morning in the math wing of the Annapolis area school between the first and second class periods. Administrators cornered the frightened animal near an exit, where he submitted to capture as students recorded the moment on their cellphone cameras. 'There was this crowd of people who were, like, 'Omigod, there's a pig,' ' said Sarah Wade, a junior."

Marijuana muffins - Lake Highlands High School: A friend of a student delivered marijuana-spiked muffins to the teachers lounge. "He brought bran muffins to suburban Lake Highlands High School on May 16, saying they were part of an Eagle Scout project. When school employees ate the muffins, they began complaining of nausea, lightheadedness and headaches, and were briefly hospitalized. "They were just thinking it would be fun to get these teachers all silly and giggly," said Rita Greenfield, an 86-year-old receptionist at the school who spent two days in the hospital after eating the muffins.

Cruelty to animals - Ponderosa High School: "The local news broadcasters used words like 'horrified,' 'abusive behavior' and 'unbelievable act of cruelty' to describe the so-called senior prank at an area high school that involved someone dropping 45 baby chicks from a second-floor balcony, resulting in the deaths of seven of the chicks.... Four years ago in the county, a student at Highlands Ranch High School threw a rabbit across the gymnasium at a pep rally, breaking its legs and paralyzing it. The rabbit was later destroyed." (Good grief! PETA needs to open a chapter in that county.)

Doors glued shut - Independence High School (San Jose): "Right in the middle of finals week, an entire high school campus was virtually shut down Tuesday morning, after somebody glued classroom doors shut... The pranksters used super glue, as well as toothpicks in the locks. The numbers "06" were also painted on school buildings... As exams were delayed and students and teachers milled about this morning, maintenance crews used blow-torches to melt the glue that was squirted onto classroom locks."

Personalized underwear - East Aurora High (suburban Chicago): Several seniors were banned from attending graduation "as punishment for participating in an end-of-the-year prank last week that involved spray painting school property, stealing a statue of the Tomcat mascot and hanging underwear adorned with printout photos of administrators' faces in front of the building.... The damages have cost the district $1,700,"

Baby oil on floor - Omaha Burke High School: Students spread baby oil on the school's floors, resulting in injury for one teacher. "The principal of Omaha Burke High School underwent knee surgery Tuesday for an injury she suffered when she slipped on baby oil spread by vandals on the school's floors... Officers had caught five 18-year-olds inside the school, where 20 locker doors had a glue-type substance put in their locks and where the floors and stairs were coated with baby oil.

Flat tires - Jefferson High School (New Jersey): "a high school prankster deflated the front tires of 24 school buses parked at a Weldon Road compound Tuesday, but district officials weren't laughing as they were forced to cancel classes for more than 3,600 students... In addition to the tire damage, the vandals left behind another clue: The numbers "06" spray-painted on one of the buses."

Alcohol allowed - Daniel Hand High School: "Parents of high school seniors received a letter from Daniel Hand High School, with official letter head, concerning the upcoming prom. Included,a policy about drinking that it was allowed!... Principal Barbara Britton acted immediately to get the word out that this letter was not authentic posting a message on the school's website saying: "Let me assure you that underage drinking and the serving of alcoholic beverages is not permissible at the senior prom or any sponsored school event."

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