Traditions are a large part of the high school experience, especially as one gets to the final year of their adolescent schooling. Anything ranging from senior skip day to senior sunset, unique and memorable traditions are a large part of the senior year experience. As the end of the school year draws closer and many start to partake in senior activities, some have noticed the lack of “senior pranks” in Roosevelt High School and in general. Such a well known senior tradition that seems to have gone into obscurity, so what happened?
For a long time senior pranks have been an interactive tradition where a group of seniors, and on occasion entire graduating classes, perform an elaborate stunt on the school they attend. In theory senior pranks are harmless fun, such as covering classrooms or halls in sticky notes and with the more troublesome pranks causing a large disturbance to the school day. I was not able to find any history of notable senior pranks at Roosevelt, in an interview with Joel Hanawalt, a teacher at Roosevelt since pre-Covid, when asked about the lack of senior pranks he responded,
He elaborated that he doesn’t see an issue with senior pranks as long as they are not dangerous or cost a lot to clean up, stating, “Somebody has to come along and fix it, whatever it is. So if it’s something that is not damaging or won’t cost a lot it’s ok. But what’s the shift from cute to vandalism?”.
Although the lack of this sensationalized tradition is not specific to Roosevelt; a McDaniel senior, Angelo Fernandez, had much to say on the topic of senior pranks.
Angelo stated in an interview, the 60-day rule he is referring to is common among PPS high schools, which states that if a senior wants to walk at graduation they have to avoid serious trouble in the weeks before the ceremony. The 60-day rule was put in place so students are discouraged from attempting any dangerous stunts that go against rules PPS has in place. Many senior pranks tow the line of dangerous or criminal, with most involving vandalism of some sort.
Senior pranks are an iconic tradition that is known by just about anyone who’s kept up with the cultural zeitgeist of the past century; it is something fading away from popularity, at least in the PPS school district.
