Senior prank squashed at Maple Hill High School
SCHODACK — After 60+ years of tradition, there will be no senior prank at Maple Hill High School this spring due to concerns with construction in and around the building.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Dylan Rossiter is a senior at Maple Hill High School and holds the position of Class of 2017 treasurer.
In recent years, the school has allowed a sanctioned prank by the senior class as agreed upon between building administrators and students. But that policy will not be renewed this academic year, in 2018 and possibly even forever, Principal Ron Agostinoni confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
Agostinoni cites ongoing capital project construction as the cause for the cancellation: “It was brought to our attention at the beginning of last year that this might be ending because we have construction going on with hard hat areas and inspectors.”
The cancellation supports rumors, which emerged after a meeting between Agostinoni and the class co-presidents earlier this spring regarding the prank.
The building, located at 1216 Maple Hill Road, will be without the event for at least the next two years, but Agostinoni is unsure if the sanctioned prank will be reinstated when the new school is complete for the 2019-2020 school year. “I don’t know what image it would portray to everyone when you have a new capital improvement plan, and you’ve got students coming in and kind of graffiting the building.”
While the school will be new, Agostinoni says some type of a sanctioned senior prank may be possible. “We might have areas of the building that we can or can not though.” He went on to say that sectioning off this year’s prank outside the construction zone wouldn’t be an option, despite the building’s main classroom corridors not being impacted by the work interiorly.
In all, the school has been forced to relocate the guidance, main and nurse’s office along with some freshmen lockers, plus the closing of a bathroom.
“It’s not fair. We’ve had to deal with the noisy construction since January, and now I feel like they are using it as an excuse to not have to deal with it[the prank],” said one student, who agreed to speak only on the grounds of anonymity. “Plus, we could easily just do it in the hallways.”
Principal Agostinoni plans on breaking the news to the class on Wednesday during a morning meeting. He also said that a “rogue prank” is unlikely but if one comes up it will be handled, adding that taking away graduation is a last resort.
-Dylan Rossiter – @ByDylanRossiter – [email protected]