History
The MTHS cafeteria, especially its microwaves, has a history. The amount of destroyed and dumped microwaves has piled up over time, and recently yet another microwave incident has been added to the list. On March 11 during fourth period the turf field was teeming with confused teenagers taken out of their classes. The cause was debated among the class groups if it was a blown generator again or an incident in the chef class.
At first, when a few students mentioned a microwave blew up it sounded more like a funny joke, but when students came back inside to see the missing microwave it was suddenly real. Pictures of a smoking microwave and blaring yellow caution signs illustrated a scene that seemed utterly ridiculous. A short-lived mystery turned into a smoky story. The things that can happen when you forget to take the foil off have been shown to blow up in your face, in this case, literally.
However, this microwave isn’t the only thing missing from the school cafeteria. Microwaves tend to come and go, breaking down from constant use or needing replacement, but a year or so ago something else left along with it, something thought back on fondly by students. Nutrition break as it used to be known has left our halls and brought students to get to their class more hastily. Schedules have changed a lot over the past few years, with shorter Fridays and uneven endings for classes. It was no surprise that the nutrition break wouldn’t stay with the constant flow of change that was sweeping through the school, but it was mourned nonetheless. The nutrition break was a pause before returning to the routine.
“Nutrition break helped, but a lot of people and some people didn’t have a first or weren’t early enough to get breakfast, so it was a nice chance to do so,” senior Terina Papatu reminisced. Not only was it a pause between classes that some students needed considering the early morning, but it allowed time for students to get an energy boost if they so needed it.
“Squeezing everything into the day is tough, on top of that there’s a certain amount of legally obligated hours where students have to be in school. They need to adjust requirements,” photography teacher Angelo Comeaux stated.
But what are the specific requirements for hours per day in class?
Mystery
This month is traditionally considered the transition into early spring and questions and wonders often spring up as well. The end of the school year is creeping closer, and senior students are getting ready to bid MTHS their final farewells as they prepare to move toward whatever adventure may lie ahead of them (be that college or something else). It is the time of year when seniors ponder on what (if any) lasting mark they might leave on this school. Whatever bright ideas they can come up with as ways to celebrate one another, pay tribute to their time at Terrace, or choose what pranks they want to coordinate as time is winding down. Many student alumni have had some bright ideas of their own, or should I say chilly?
This might be a bit too early to consider, but planning the best possible prank that’s both memorable and unharmful isn’t the easiest task, especially when you have to coordinate and gather all the necessary materials. It’s not easy to decide the week before that you need to gather a ton of snow from a nearby mountain and give the school a summer snow day. It’s easiest to look back at past pranks and steal some of those ideas, no matter how ridiculous they might have been. How did past graduating classes punk the school? For the past three years, seniors have been keeping up with the same senior prank: Terrible, no good parking. They keep it confined to specifically their section, make a crooked mess of a slight inconvenience, and call it a day.
When discussing senior pranks with Comeaux about the topic he shared how he thought it was “the worst senior prank.” Some seniors think it’s hilarious while others are just sick of it. What happened to tearing down a car and rebuilding it on the school roof? Releasing pigeons to wreak havoc once they’re gone? What happened to hauling a truckload of snow down to the school just for a fun joke? Students have lost the time, and energy to put that much thought into a farewell beyond graduation, one last practical joke doesn’t matter as much. However, some minds still wander and think of the sprawling lists of what-ifs and the best way to mess around.
Coming up with the best farewell that can be funny and unharmful isn’t easy. Nobody wants a repeat of constant bad parking or a massive mess left behind for the custodians and teachers to clean up. There are plenty of tales of Terrace’s from previous seniors and how crickets or pigeons haunted the school for weeks, but what can you leave behind?
Hey, seniors! How about some smart, safe legacy or prank ideas? We’re tired of the parking lot mess.
One last bus ride
Take one last ride around before the end – get as many people to ride the buses, they’re not used to that many students needing a ride. Maybe just a few tardy passes.
This ain’t my first rodeo
It’s more like the last rodeo! Pool in together to get a mechanical bull and take a swing, place it somewhere that won’t be too obnoxious. Outside or in the HUB, and bring some cowboy hats
Nap time!
It’s mentioned all the time how people wish they could go back to kindergarten and have a break to just sleep, so why not take it? Let students pile into the hallways to sleep just a little longer. An alternative is to have a nice sleep over in the Terraceum, unharmful and fun!
Principal time out
It’s their turn to get caught! Make two fake cages for the principal and assistant principals where they typically stand near the entrance for a small, unharmful gag.
Host a BBQ in the parking lot
A secret to everyone but the seniors until the day of. Decide what period works best and bring the best barbecue dad outfits possible. Bonus of food and a nice gathering nearing their last month at the school
Hire a mariachi band to follow the principal all-day
Who doesn’t want to imagine a surprise music-filled day for their principal? Teachers and students could get a kick out of it!
Flash mob
There’s so much that could be done when organized. Catch people off guard in a way that can get tons of people involved!
That’s a wrap
The 2024-2025 school year is coming to a close, so why not wrap it up a bit more literally? Seran wrap or gift wrap a variety of different things as long as it’s cleaned up afterward. A classic!
We said duck it
Every sink, every water fountain – leave a rubber duck there. Ducks are a classic pass for some teachers, so why not leave some behind?
Duck the school in a fun way!
Unlocked
Choose a section of fence around the school to have each senior put a lock on it with their names (and a message if they wanted), leaving a piece of yourselves behind in a visual way.
Everyone can be remembered, it’s more of a decoration than something that would take a long cleanup
A more artsy balloon fight. . .
Get tons of water balloons filled with non-toxic paint and start a battle in the senior section of the parking lot with everyone wearing a white t-shirt!
Seniors leave their mark with paint on the parking lot while also creating a souvenir to remember each other by.
