On Sept. 20, most students enjoyed the Homecoming football game against Hazelwood West, while others may have been getting into mischief. Some of those who attended the game came home to glitter, eggs, toilet paper, syrup, roadkill, paintballs and even furniture on their property.
“I had my mom locking down the fort. She was at our house when all this happened…” Blake Hallsten (11) said. “The seniors had a list with names of people and time stamps of what time they were going to houses. My name was written down for 9:30 p.m. and I was prepared. We knew the damage was coming.”
Students participating in the pranks were aware there was going to be damages made that night, but no one knew to what extent others would take it to.
“They put vegetable oil in my dad’s air filter, so it kind of messed with my dad’s car. That was the worst damage,” Jack Delzeit (11) said. “I mean, I had a couch in my yard. I had eggs on the side of my house, paintballs, a spider on my windows, cat litter in my grass, fire extinguisher spray, vegetable oil, syrup, sardines inside my mailbox, vegetable oil in my dad’s car, and then there was the flour and sardines on my driveway.”
These pranks happen annually, typically the Friday night before Homecoming. In previous years, the pranks have been destructive, but some students and their parents believe the damage was severe.
“When I first saw the damages, I knew that they were coming for my house, so I wasn’t too surprised,” Hallsten said. “However, I think the seniors took it too far this year, and I think that if they followed the rules of no destruction, then it would have gone much better.”
The damages changed some students’ point of view on the Homecoming tradition as well.
“I think a prank is when you TP (toilet paper) someone’s house, or if you do something light,” Delzeit said. “I just think people went too far this year.”
Even though there are many parents who were upset about the pranks, some found it to be an entertaining joke.
“…I thought they were very witty, and I enjoyed the theme,” OHS parent Erin Christopher said. “Honestly, I thought it was funny, and I enjoyed it because nothing was damaged.”
While Christopher did find the prank to her house to be fun, she also understands that this was not the case for everyone.
“…I heard some horror stories. I heard some stories of things that were damaged, and if things are damaged and people could potentially get hurt, then that’s going way too far,” Christopher said.
Christopher mentioned that when she attended OHS, the seniors also participated in pranks with the school and some of the homes in the district, but they were usually sport-related and lighthearted. Having the experience to look back on it as an adult, she has some advice for students.
“For the kids who went a little too far, just think about what’s right. You don’t have to follow the crowd or the trend that’s being set,” Christopher said. “It’s your life that you’re living, and the decisions you make might be funny for a minute, but there’s going to be consequences and they are going to affect you all throughout the rest of your life, so be smart.”
Not only were some parents upset with damages done to their property, but OHS’s school resource officer Andrew was affected as a parent as well.
“I actually had my house vandalized last year,” Andrew said. “My son Mason was a senior here and somebody hit our house with eggs and stuff like that.”
Like other parents in the district, Andrew understands their feelings on the situation, but he also sees the event from a police officer perspective.
“This has nothing to do with Oakville High School — it’s not an Oakville High School tradition, it’s not a school-sponsored event, it’s just kids saying that it’s tradition,” Andrew said. “The school denied any wrongdoing. In fact, Mr. Brennan sends out emails to families saying that we do not condone any of these actions.”
In the email principal Brian Brennan sent out on Sept. 17, he stated that “Any activities that take place are in no way sponsored, organized or approved by Oakville High School.” Despite his email informing students and parents of the pranks, it didn’t seem to stop any participants’ plans.
“There’s other ways to have traditions without causing destruction,” Andrew said. “I tell everyone we don’t condone it, but if you’re going to end up doing it, then you’re just going to have to face the consequences.”
