Senior pranks have long been considered an important part of saying goodbye to high school. These quirky and fun pranks are a traditional behavior demonstrated by the graduating class, but the line between acceptable and harmful often ends up blurred in the face of excitement.
From pranks such as decorating the hallways to bad parking; senior pranks have been known as a rite of passage. Weeks, days, and even hours before graduation, seniors carry out a wide variety of pranks each year. For many students, pranks are a way to remember and celebrate reaching a very important milestone in their lives. When carried out with responsibility, these pranks can add to the bond created over time between students, as well as give seniors a sense of accomplishment. “A few years ago, students created an impressive business card with an old photo of me that was hidden randomly throughout the building,” principal Anna Conrad said. “Additionally, the last couple of classes have been generous enough to give Ms. Nunley and myself items during graduation, such as golf balls or rubber ducks.”
As the end of the year approaches, School Resource Officer Amanda Strider looks out for potentially harmful senior pranks. “Anything that’s bordering on harassment or bullying, anything like that is what I look for,” Strider said. “I think for the most part our students are pretty respectful, but we did have the year where Manitou and Woodland Park students swapped for the day.”
While the seniors who swapped schools had the intention of a harmless prank in mind, the prank ended up being taken seriously as illegal trespassing. “The administration at Woodland Park High School wanted to ticket all of the Manitou kids that trespassed, which was different from how our administration wanted to handle the situation,” Strider said.
The reasoning behind senior pranks being unsanctioned is the school administration’s effort to ensure a positive learning environment. “Senior pranks can be a silly chance for students to express themselves through humor and joy,” Conrad said, “but they can also be incredibly damaging to property and/or safety as well as negatively impact the learning environment.”
Though these often harmless pranks can make the school environment more exciting, there is a fine line between harmless and going too far. For every harmless prank, there is a potential for disaster. “There was one prank where the seniors went to the Broadmoor and captured a goose, then let it escape in the building,” counseling administrative assistant, Meleah Perkins, said. The controversy that surrounds senior pranks comes from the concern that pranks can often cross the line from funny to disruptive, even if the intention is innocent.
As seniors approach their last days of high school, it is important to have fun and celebrate while also remaining respectful to the safety of others, as well as the integrity of public property. Senior pranks have the potential to continue as a valued tradition, but should be carried out with the intention of leaving a positive impact on the school and surrounding community. “Our goal is to support all students in making positive decisions that are going to continue supporting our strong school culture,” Conrad said.
