Ever since the beginning of the school year, there have been sightings of a certain assistant principal’s head around campus. That is none other than the one and only, Dan Falk. Falk’s head has been posted around school grounds where people may find them, but it remains a mystery as to who is responsible.
The black-and-white cut-outs have been spotted in numerous places across campus, although the number has been decreasing since they were first spotted in the Fall. Some areas included the eye on the hawk mural in the HUB and the science bulletin board outside of room 128 belonging to science teacher Mark Burbank. There’s also a Falk head inside of humanities teacher Christopher Ellinger’s room, one on the ASB bulletin right next to the fines office, one on the Big 6 door, one on one of the doors leading outside near science teacher Scheree Kosloski’s room, and there is even one in the vending machine upstairs next to the band trophy case.
One of these heads in particular, unlike the rest, didn’t show up until December. Inside of room 126’s biology class, science teacher Adam Welman claims he got the head from a student who brought it in to his class after the lip dub. He knows who brought the head to him, but that student isn’t the one who made it. Thus, the identity of the maker of these heads remains a secret.
When these heads were just posted, it is likely that there were present in more locations, but since they were posted in unprotected areas it is probable that school officials have taken some down. In fact, the ones left might not survive for long.
Falk enjoys the pictures of his head posted around campus and believes they are a positive addition to the school.
“It’s my favorite prank that has ever been played on me and whoever did it, well, it’s been a positive experience,” Falk said. “For example, a creatively placed head made me a member of the Homecoming Court for one day. I laughed out loud. This is a prank that has taken time and energy and it seems to me to be in good fun.”
This has affected Falk by increasing his popularity with students and making them more comfortable around him. The heads generally serve to make students more comfortable around what looks to be an intimidating assistant principal who, as it turns out, is just a regular, friendly man.
“I think the Falk heads are a fun attribute to Terrace. We have a lot of school spirit and we like to have fun and I believe that doing little stuff like that to highlight someone’s day is really what we’re about,” junior Jayden Moodie said.
In addition to enjoying the sight of Falk’s head, Moodie believes that Falk is an essential part of the Terrace community.
“Falk is a really good person to have at Terrace,” Moodie said. “He listens to students and really knows how to make people laugh.”
Falk sees the heads as a way to interact with students and share a joke.
“I’m a high school assistant principal and people in my position are not known for having multiple positive interactions with a wide range of students,” he says. “Each time a student comes and says, ‘I saw one of your heads on the ____________,’ that’s an interaction I would not likely have otherwise.”
Not everyone likes seeing the heads. In fact, some have quite a negative opinion on them.
“They make me feel that they’re always watching everything because you never see him smile,” freshman Austin Davis said.
However, for the most part everyone seems fine with them around. Some even say the heads incite joy for them as they walk past them and put smiles on their faces.
“I think that having random pictures of Falk around the school created some sort of excitement in our student’s lives,” senior Ishika Nayyar said. “Huge props to whoever is doing this.”
Evidently, they cannot stay up forever as Falk himself will get rid of the ones that are left before the beginning of the next school year. In the meantime, those who have seen them can enjoy their presence while it lasts. And maybe next year’s underclassmen will start their own joke as well, similar to this one.
“Mountlake Terrace High School is a special place and I’ve been glad to be a part of this school since 2002,” Falk said.
Falk thanks whoever put them up for doing him the honor of pranking him and for the laughs the heads have caused. He hopes that whoever has done this for him is also putting just as much effort into their actual schoolwork in the meantime.
