When was the first high school prank? It’s hard to know.  It’s probably safe to say that no students in an 1900’s one-room schoolhouse chained a goat to their teacher’s desk.  But then again, life at the turn of the century was different from life at Bolles.  Corporal punishment was allowed in schools.  The teacher would probably look at the goat, look at you, and then grab her paddle.
As corporal punishment diminished, senior pranks flourished.  By the 1950s, pranks had reached a perfect apex:  no bullying or destruction; just mild and temporary anarchy.   A stolen mascot, a hallway full of balloons, turning a courtyard into a resort complete with kiddie pool and lifeguard chair – these acts caused a lot of eye rolling but no true damage.   In recent years as well, some senior pranks have been successful and harmless. Last year, for example, a Bolles convocation was interrupted with the sound of barking dog alarms.  The prank was successful because everyone laughed, but when the faculty said “Turn it off,” the seniors respectfully cooperated and the convocation continued.  

Previous senior pranks, however, seemed to escalate. They were causing destruction. Mr. Farace said that at his last school, “There were pranks that were done in good fun, but the cleanup was a significant burden on the maintenance staff.”  Graffiti spray painted on walls, for example, costs money to clean. Janitorial staff need to take time out of their day to re-paint the walls.  Breaking into school after hours is criminal behavior. In an email, Mr. Newman said, “In addition to the possibility of not being permitted to walk at graduation, the families of students participating in seniors pranks can also be billed for any clean-up costs associated with the incident.”

The whole point of a senior prank is to celebrate the fact that seniors no longer need to follow an institution’s rules.  They are about to start a new life, where they make their own rules about how to live.  No uniforms, no lunch at a specific time, no memorized combinations for lockers.  It’s a celebration, not an opportunity to be cruel.  Mr. Farace stated, “I think there are ways to have fun and celebrate your senior year that are not counter to the values of Bolles.”  And speaking of celebrating, this is the perfect time for the senior class to personally celebrate the faculty and thank them.

Bolles’ core values are excellence, courage, integrity, and compassion.  Bolles’ seniors’ best legacy would be to add three words to our values: happiness, humor, and laughter.