Happy trails, Class of 2009!

"We are missing 8 frozen cats." A sentence to chill your blood. A few weeks ago specimens for a dissection lab went missing, and staff was put on alert for a potentially ghoulish senior prank. After a few days of nervously peering into the stacks, terrified we would find the cats, word came that they had been stored in the wrong fridge. Phew.

When they are creative and well-executed, pranks are iconic. Every graduating class searches for a good prank. The CCHS Class of 2009 went for shaving cream. Fragrant, washable, lots of bang for the buck, it wasn't the worst decision in the world. We had a few freshmen seeking refuge in the library when things got out of control in the cafeteria during D block, but order was soon re-established.

Seeing shaving cream caked students wandering down the hall looking to smear the unwary inspired me to set up shop with a little desk right outside the library door. As senior students (OK, boys) approached with backpacks and a wild look in their eye, I calmly asked how many cans of shaving cream they were packing. They would tell me! I collected a stack and turned them into the office. (There was a follow up report that a few cans were the favored brand of a grateful guidance counselor.)

During H block I had a group of seniors (studious library regulars) tromp to the second floor and pitch camp nearby my desk. They were seated cross-legged on tables which is a no-no, but as it was the last block of their high school career, I smiled and let it pass. Then things escalated with some loud chit-chat and Tom Foolery, but I again, I smiled and let it pass. Suddenly the library was filled with a shrieking acid rock mash-up. It wasn't shaving cream that had been smuggled into the library, but a boom box. Calmly walking to the group I pointed my right hand toward the door and said "Out you go!" High fives, jubilant grins and "Yeah! We finally got kicked out of the library!" In one case "My last time getting kicked out of the library!" They were leaving on a wave. Great kids, one and all.

Good luck, Class of 2009. Be safe, and have wonderful lives.


Photo credit:
Flickr Creative Commons

Shaving Cream 2 by rakeif