The Observation Deck

I was talking to Mrs.Donnelly (House 2 principal) about senior pranks today, and we were trying to figure out a good senior prank that wouldn't get students in trouble. She brought up a great idea about posting it on the Observer, and asking fellow Deck members if they have any stories or pranks to share when they were in High School.

A few years ago seniors placed "For Sale" signs all over the front of the school which was fun to clean up I'm sure.


What is your all time favorite senior prank? Any pranks that you wanted to see happen but never did thanks to "intelligence" within school?

Mr.Endress and fellow LHS alumni, any stories to share?

Ivor--- We Class of '67 were a class of excellence. A prank never entered our considerations.

And here's a hint--- don't telegraph or publicize your intended prank. A prank can only be savored if the victims (authority in any dress) are caught unawares.

I look forward to acting as an independent consultant as you develop your plans.

Stan Austin '67

We've got a ton of ideas. We might do one, we might do them all, or we might not do any at all. We can do them early in the year, middle or at the end.

And of course I told Mrs.Donnelly that if a prank occurs, she'll have a great idea of who was behind it. But... we're not the only ones with ideas. There are 600 other students in the class.

They'll never know!

Class of '68 had some that I woudn't really know about, but just heard about .. *cough*.

It was the Class of '72 that did the For Sale sign thing. Wasn't my cup of tea.

The Class of '71 defiled the Schreckengost sculpture (in a completely harmess manner) in a shocking display of tasteless sophomoric humor. The prank was dismantled before the whole school could be horrified.

I think the Class of '73 did something with a pyramid in an atrium space (but don't quote me on that).

I'm guessing that Mrs. Donnelly has seen a few senior pranks and it would be interesting to hear, off the record, what she found amusing. She has a well developed sense of humor.

Remember that people can get expelled, especially if they don't plan things out very carefully.

I would also seriously advise you to do nothing permanent or harmful in any way.

And that visual pranks that fit the above guidelines can be extremely satisfying.

One of my favorite harmless pranks (to me, anyway...I am sure someone was upset) was one that a classmate did during class pictures. Of course, seniors didn't participate because we did the more fancy ones on our own. I am sure it isn't the first time it happened, but this guy jumped in line with some goofy glasses and had his picture taken after filling out a fake form with fake name for a Junior Class student and so on. Fun to see his pics among the Juniors that year! Sure, nothing grand, but still cute (and no one got hurt).

I was class of '87 (in Westlake), so we were lame and self-centered because that was what we did in the 80's. Just the usual TPing and such but not much school directed happened that was fun. Lame.

Rent Animal House. Go for the classics. Sneak a living horse in the principal's office (the dead one is from the Godfather and we don't want to go there).

Remember that people can get expelled, especially if they don't plan things out very carefully.

I would also seriously advise you to do nothing permanent or harmful in any way.

Iknow, I know.... the last thing we need is to not be able/allowed to walk across that stage in june.

..it would be just something that people could remember about the class of 2007, look back and laugh about. Nothing distatsteful or something that vandalizes property... and we'd want people asking "wait, what was that?! "

and I do have to add that there's this new "climate" in the school building. Everyone seems to be excited to come back... in every grade level. The dress code is forgotten about because it's not really enforced as much the first three days. Even if it was enforced, (which it is in horrible cases) people still aren't complaining about it.

Everyone last year believed the administration sucked out all the school pride and excitement out of the building and students, that's what bothered me more than any hoodie rule. Students were focused on something other than school which wasn't too thrilling. But this year is different.

we ended on a good note last year, and we certainly want to end on a good note this year for the class of 2008 (graduating class next year).

Ivor Karabatkovic wrote:Nothing distatsteful

Well, I wouldn't necessarily go THAT far...

That's one reason why the class of '71 prank was so wonderful. It most certainly lacked any taste whatsoever.

But "wait, what was that?!" seems like a good starting point.

"Mr.Endress and fellow LHS alumni, any stories to share?"

Ivor, are you implying that our law abiding, mild mannered, Mr. Endress planned or executed PRANKS? Shocking!

Maybe Chef Geoff pulled a prank in his days and made the cafeteria food taste good for a day. if that's the case we'll have to get together and talk because that'd make us heroes if we pulled that off

Ivor

Back in the Old Days at LHS, we had an open campus.....that is, for lunch, we could go ANYWHERE. As a result, I have very few memories of actually eating in the LHS cafeteria. It was far more likely that we'd head out to Burger King, or the the Stop N Shop...maybe have a picnic over in the Cleveland area which had been razed of houses for I 90 (yes....it wasn't there yet).

During my formative years at LHS, there was a group of social miscreants known as the PA staff. Under the direction of Art Moore, we were in charge of maintaining the ancient console, making announcements, etc. It was a mix of techno geeks and thespians. The old PA room, now part of the Times office, was our private domain, complete with a hot dogger, hot pot and tunes. We also had permanent hall passes so study halls were out.

In 1971, with the completion of the new building and a new PA system, control was transferred, and our freedom yanked. While not a member of class of 1971, we had prepared a GREAT tape of sound effects.....trains, sirens bomb blasts, etc., and set it up on the new PA system for last day of class, on a timer......Unfortunately, it was discovered before we had a chance to enjoy the effects.

As for pranks, well, none that I can think of, at least not on this thread. I still have recurring nightmares of forgetting my locker combination on the morning of an English final with Ms. Denicola......I'd hate to reveal any information that maight appear on my permanent record.

Jeff

Ivor

I would love to help you on this. But my years at Lakewood High were work, study, work, study, work, study. It is not like it is today. At 16 I lied about my age and went to work in the Flats in a machine shop until 11pm every night and 11 hours on Satruday. Making macjined pieces for Diebold Safes Co. at $0.36 a piece. Just didn't have much time for trouble or pranks.

Child labor laws were a new concpet when I was in school.

Did Ken tell you about dunking girls pigtails in the inkwell?


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hahahahaahahaha no he didn't. I'd love to hear about this.

Maybe instead of girls, we can do dunk Dr.Estrop in an inkwell

Jim O'Bryan wrote:I would love to help you on this. But my years at Lakewood High were work, study, work, study, work, study.

uh huh...

That's your story & you're sticking with it?