Matt Vegari
’13: Occupying the green for the duration of the academic day on Monday April 30th, the senior class of 2012 delivered what many are calling the greatest prank in years, sparking curiosity as to how the event was conceived.
Each year, senior classes around the nation strive to leave a final, humorous mark on their respective schools, with the goal of outperforming the pranks of years prior. In 2010, the graduating senior class at the Episcopal Academy tied student book-bags together on the green during Chapel and intended to spray students with water guns. Their plans were stopped short, however, when members of the faculty forced them to abandon their prank. In 2011, the senior class placed all desks and chairs in the hallways of the Upper School, only to return them to their proper locations after faculty enforcement again curtailed their efforts.
Yet with tents, humorous posters, caution tape, music, and a grill, the senior class of 2012 succeeded in completing a memorable senior prank that caused limited disruption on Episcopal’s campus.
According to Hunter McMullin ’12, ideas for the prank began surfacing as early as October, when he originally had the idea of occupying Mr. Clark’s home. This idea developed into “Occupy the Green,” as seniors realized occupying Clark’s home would precipitate more disapproval and require much more effort to set up and maintain.
Jill Barton ’12 revealed that the greatest concerns that the class faced were the specifics of what date to choose for the prank and how students would arrive on campus early to set up. Barton noted, “We wanted to find a date where the prank would have minimal impact. We didn’t want to do it on a day where there was an important Chapel or A Closer Look.” The class was also very careful in picking a date where there were few games, and, in fact, the only Upper School game on the 30th was 9th Grade Boys Baseball vs. Malvern Prep.
The prank came as quite a surprise, as the class did a remarkably fine job in keeping it a secret. Senior Form Dean Justin Brandon noted that he found out the Friday before the prank that it would occur on Monday, but he did not know any specifics other than the fact that students would be missing class.
“I was surprised…the class finally came together,” stated Brandon when asked his impression of the entire day. Brandon was struck by how organized the event was, though he expressed his initial concern that his students would cause other students throughout the school to lose focus. He also indicated that seniors were made aware that the punishment for missing class would be a Saturday detention, and approximately 48 students knowingly faced the ramifications.
“This is the best prank I’ve seen since they started doing them because it was clever, witty, and topical,” remarked Charles Bryant, Chair of the History Department. Bryant has taught at the Episcopal Academy since the fall of 1990, and he stated that the pranks began to occur in the late 1990’s.
Nisha Meyer ’13, president of the Student Council, remarked, “I hope next year we can carry on a tradition like the prank that 2012 did. I applaud them on their creativity, and our class hopes to outperform them next year, to leave another lasting prank.”