Senior pranks are a tradition amongst various high schools nationwide, but at what point does a lighthearted prank cross a boundary? Senior pranks are jokes that seniors in high school will play on the school, teachers, or other grade levels in order to leave their mark on the school they will soon be leaving. Many of these senior pranks make their way onto social media, which is where various Chamblee students have seen these pranks unfold.
“I saw [a senior prank] on Instagram [where] all of the seniors slept on their principal’s lawn [overnight],” said Sophia McCormack (‘29).
Whether pranks are spread via social media or word-of-mouth, some students believe there is a line to be drawn at what pranks are acceptable.
“I heard… that a couple of highschoolers snuck onto the football field, and then [arranged] a bunch of plastic forks in an [inappropriate shape] on it,” said Alex Smyth (‘29).
Although senior pranks are supposed to be lighthearted and fun, some of these pranks, namely one recently in the news, took a devastating turn. According to USA Today, “A Georgia high school teacher died after he was allegedly run over by a teen in an apparent prank gone awry.” Caroline Coburn (‘28) believed that this tragedy could have possibly been prevented.
“[The teens could have] been more aware of their surroundings when they were driving [away from the house],” said Coburn. “I do think just being more careful with your vehicle [is important].”
McCormack sees senior pranks as a way to grow closer to her classmates before going separate ways after senior year.
“I think [senior pranks are] a good bonding experience [with your grade level] because you get to do mischievous things with your friends,” said McCormack.
10th Grade Literature & Composition and Yearbook teacher Ms. Jennifer Andriano has seen multiple senior pranks held here at CHS.
“I’ve heard about oil on the stairwells. I’ve seen one where all of the seniors at a specific time during class change all stopped; it blocked everybody from getting to their classes on time. I’ve seen one where the [seniors] put alarm clocks all throughout the library in different spots [that went] off at different times. Last year, the [seniors] switched a lot of the teachers’ nameplates on the doors,” said Ms. Andriano.
Although Smyth is only a freshman, he is already looking forward to when he gets the opportunity to participate in senior pranks; however, he intends to participate with caution.
“[I would participate in senior pranks] depending on what it is,” said Smyth. “I’m definitely on the milder side [of senior pranks]. I don’t want to do something extreme, but I could definitely get behind doing [a prank] like Saran-wrapping a door.”
Ms. Andriano has seen a multitude of senior pranks, but one prank in particular stood out to her.
“I thought the alarm clock [prank] was pretty smart,” said Ms. Andriano. “We were sitting in a library and all of a sudden this old fashioned alarm bell started going off. It took us a couple of minutes to find [the alarm clock] behind the books, and then by the time we found one, another one was going off, and it just kept going like that for a little while.”
Senior pranks provide a moment in time to look back on and unite the senior class before graduation.
“Senior pranks are important because they give a fun way to remember senior year,” said Mariann Kersh (‘26). “[They] bring everyone together for something fun and hopefully harmless.”
