Senior pranks tend to occur before the end of the school year, which is fast approaching. It’s probably safe to say no one wants a repeat of 2011 – a prank now living in infamy on the Internet.
High school can be a tumultuous time for some, with trying to fit in to the right clique and the uncertainty of what the future holds. However, one memorable event can forever bond a graduating class – the senior prank.
Friday is the last day for seniors, and one has to wonder what they have up their sleeves this year, if anything. So far, the Durango High School Class of 2014 has remained dormant. Julie Popp, spokeswoman for Durango School District 9-R, confirmed Tuesday nothing has been reported.
Whatever happens in 2014, it will be difficult to forget, the “bale out” executed by the Class of 2011.
Not only did this prank go down into the annals of Durango history – as of this year it’s forever on the Internet – but the prank is now ranked No. 11 on FactUniversity.com’s list of 16 “senior pranks that backfired.”
In 2011, DHS seniors thought they’d leave with a bang, or perhaps a bale – of hay, that is. But the seemingly harmless prank, in which bales of hay were strewn about the school during the wee hours May 15, 2011, went terribly wrong.
Airborne particles from the decaying hay were deemed a serious health hazard, and school was closed for four days. The joke ended up costing the district $100,000 in cleanup bills.
Former Principal Diane Lashinsky was quoted saying, “The problem with hay is it creates a lot of dust and a lot of (mold) spores.”
The scene was described by a DHS employee as being a “dust cloud” and “walking through fog.”
Though it’s been several years, the culprits can ponder the consequences of their prank while the event itself basks in Internet glory.
vguthrie@durangoherald.com
