NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- As I drove two of my daughters to New Smyrna Beach High School on Monday, May 9, I saw a sign on the building: "FOR SALE." I thought, "Ha! That's a good one."
It was carefully tied 20 feet above the ground. I laughed when I saw that the 2011 senior class took credit for it. Of course, this is the school prank of 2011 that seniors traditionally leave behind.
Jim Tager, principal of the high school said he doesn't know who did it. He's glad this year's prank was not anything destructive. His biggest worry was how high off the ground it was placed by someone.
It would seem that a cherry picker type of vehicle would have done it because of the slope on the roof below it and the height of the rope tied, but I don't think the school should focus on who did it.
My daughters saw rubber ducks in the school's pond one recent year. As long as no one is hurt and there is no property damage I think this is a fun way to have the school administration, students and teachers to remember each unique group of graduates.
It's a conversation starter at reunions and something fun to write about in the yearbooks. There are worse antics which are not the same as "pranks" such as the 80,000 bees released from beehives brought to DeLand High School in 2002. At the same time some students glued many doors shut. Twelve seniors expressed public regret after losing graduation privileges and having to perform community service.
I don't think any foolishness like this should be repeated because of the amount of damage done to the door locks and that it was a very dangerous situation to clean up.
At Pioneer High School near Ann Arbor, Mich., 31 students are currently serving their suspension for destroying property as part of their "prank."
Some school students have a scavenger hunt where property is stolen. That's not funny, just vandalism and theft.
I disapprove of anything distasteful or destructive and think the participants should be punished. Five years ago, my family and I were driving past the fountain entering Daytona Beach Shores that stated, "Welcome to Paradise." We laughed at the frothy pool after someone had put bubbles in the fountain. Now that's just good clean fun!
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