Though April Fools’ Day is a universal excuse to prank your friends, this year’s April 1st happened to be an ideal Senior Prank day for the grade 12s. Senior traditions have been around for numerous years, if not decades. Not only do they give the students an opportunity to end their 12 exhausting years of school on a joyful note, but they also leave an impactful legacy and a reason to be remembered.
The afternoon before, the future graduates met up after school to prepare their prank. The printers were busy, the hallways were filled, all contributing to the creation of a lasting legacy for the class of ‘26. A few DP1 students who stayed back were given a sneak peek as to what was awaiting them, with rolls of toilet paper in the hands of the DP2s, it was hard to get the wrong idea. As their work continued and the day came to an end, it was finally time for them to head home and get some sleep before an exciting day ahead.
Upon arrival at Norra Latin, it all seemed like a regular morning. Whilst many Grade 11s were aware of this occurrence, most middle schools had no idea that it was the graduates’ last day and therefore didn’t expect a prank like this. As students took a turn to their left to mount the stairs, the atrium immediately caught their attention. Grand ribbons of toilet paper draped from the balconies and corridors. This majestic and unique decoration brought many smiles to the younger kids who pointed it out to all their classmates as if it weren’t so visible.
The worst was yet to come; the second part of the prank was exclusively kept for the teachers and high schoolers. On the fourth floor, the walls and lockers became murals, exhibiting the hundreds of black and white teacher portraits. Though some were quite easy to recognise, others took some time. Family pictures, wedding photoshoots, class photos, selfies, and much more were displayed for admiration. As students made their way through the corridors, the teachers followed them. With Mr Kleinsmith found on the bathroom doors, Mr Rodrigo on one side of the stalls, and Ms Littorin on the other, it felt like students were trapped in Oceania’s dystopian world from Orwell’s 1984, where Big Brother was definitely watching us.
By the time period 2 came to an end, Mr Smith had already mopped the floors and collected the hundreds of pieces of toilet paper in the corridors. There were many mixed feelings about this prank; teachers were debating whether it was better than the class of ‘25 ’s cling wrap prank or the class of ‘24 ’s balloon and water prank. Regardless of its ranking, one thing was sure, and that was that they succeeded in making the school laugh and acknowledge their presence.
It is difficult to accept that once again, a grade level is ready to move on to a new chapter of life. The DP is an exhausting program yet creates meaningful and symbolic relationships between students and even teachers, ultimately making it hard to wrap our heads around the fact that it must all come to an end. In a few weeks’ time, the aula will welcome Grade 12 to take their IB exams, before it is beautifully decorated for Utspring, and finally turned into a formal hall for the final graduation ceremony.
In under two months, they will walk through Norra Latin’s doors one last time and enter the chaotic adult world where they will have to navigate their lives on their own without their classmates and teachers by their side. We, QQ editors, would like to recognise the work put in by the past QQ reporters and editors who have heavily contributed to the newspaper’s success. We wish you the very best and hope you succeed in all areas of life. Good luck, class of ‘26, you are bound to go very far!
