Readers remember their senior pranks, debate appropriate punishment Live
The article "Senior pranks: all in good fun - until 35-year-old trees are destroyed" said:
Every year, as graduation approaches, school administrators face a challenge: how to accommodate a healthy amount of teenage silliness in a way that minimizes property destruction.
The pranks can get out of control, as the article detailed. This year, seniors at Wentzville's Holt High School uprooted three trees from planters and tried to replant them on an athletic field; the trees were so damaged that the students may face charges for their prank.
My senior prank was stealing ALL the cafeteria silverware then setting up alarm clocks in our lockers to go off at the same time... Pranks seem to have changed.Stephen Wolzvia Facebook at 6:30 AM
Class before me did a great job- ringed the the flagpole with steel belted radials, all the way to the top. It took them a week to figure out how to get them off.Jeff Turnervia Facebook at 8:24 AM
My daughter's 2015 class danced to "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey during Grad ceremony. The song tied in with the commencement speech. It was perfect! It was harmless. As a parent it was nice to see the smiles on their faces. I've also read about other schools doing charity work in their communities to replace the prank.Maggie Leevia Facebook at 8:37 AM
Loved the year DeSoto high Seniors rearraged the Dragons letters around on the press box on the football field to say GONADS, it made the newspaper and everyone riding the busses in the morning seen it.Bridgette Lettvia Facebook at 8:30 AM
Put the high school up for sale in local paper.Sheri Castrovia Facebook at 7:33 AM
Best was Fox HS class of 96 stringing bras between the goalposts with a huge sign by I-55 that said "Thank you for your support."Ben Benjaminvia Facebook at 8:22 AM
WE just TP'ed the trees at our schoolSara Seemattervia Facebook at 9:08 AM
We put one FOR SALE sign in front of U City in '79. One sign was a lot more believable than 60, so.....yeah. Too bad I don't have a picture.Robert L Massie Srvia Facebook at 9:13 AM
We came to school in our PJs ( nothing racy back then--no one would have dared) and on the backs of hay wagons pulled by tractors...Tracy Annevia Facebook at 7:25 AM
I went to high school in Ohio and there was a pond with a big fountain in front. The senior class put green coloring in the pond and we had a green fountain.Tami Weston Lemckevia Facebook at 9:43 AM
When we went to KHS we for the most part just rearranged the "K" on the football field! At that time is was made of bricks. Annoying maybe but no harm doneMary Vannvia Facebook at 8:55 AM
In comments on the Facebook post, and on the story, readers also debated the "tradition" of senior pranks:
Oh please. Senior pranks have been a tradition for as long as I can remember. Now people act like your a hardened criminal if you attempt a prank. This is obviously a harmless prank gone terribly wrong. I don't think it was their intentions to ruin the trees being they tried to replant them. I also got in trouble for our senior prank but it was much worse than this and they threatened to not let us walk at graduation but reconsidered. We were forced to do odd and end jobs around the school for a week or so after it let out. Just punish them like that and leave the criminal records out of it. You're really going to destroy young people's lives over a prank that went wrong?Josh Stroudvia Facebook at 5:14 PM yesterday
Kids never learn the difference between a fun prank, and vandalism. You'd think they'd learn from past pranks at other schools.Eric Crewsvia Facebook at 9:58 PM yesterday
Does nobody remember being in High school and how immature we all were? Punish the kids with the equivalent hours of community service to pay back the trees value. Don't ruin a youth's future over a prank.Andrew Dowdvia Facebook at 8:19 AM
I understand it's a felony and far from being a prank, but they need punishment that will teach them a severe lesson, but not to the extent that it leaves a felony record in their young lives. The 18 year-old mind doesn't stop to think about real-life consequences.Paul Burrowsvia Facebook at 6:52 PM yesterday
The punishment should stay in the school. Hittings kids that have stayed in school and have futures planned, with felony charges, isn't going to benefit society in any way. It was a very stupid act, make them give back by tutoring grade school kids next school year. And any other kind of punishment the will tesult in them affect the school in a positive way. They will get a sense of respect and accomplishment instead of all that a crimal record brings.Sherry Melsonvia Facebook at 12:15 PM
