Letting Loose

On March 31st, my friend came up to me and suggested that we pull a prank on our English class for April Fool’s Day by speaking in our native languages during discussion, like a normal Harkness discussion, by referring to students by name and supporting or tackling their arguments. I immediately responded by suggesting some funny things to say that may sound offensive, but were really not. After a few minutes of having a lively discussion with others, however, I thought of the possible consequences: an after-class discussion with the teacher about disrupting class and showing a bad example of Exeter to our Experience Exeter guests or even a disciplinary case for making some people feel left out, a form of bullying. My conclusion after the playful conversation was that it would not be possible, and we ended up not following through.During my time at Exeter, there were a few times when a large “joke” was pulled on some of the students. Last spring term, Alex Yang had organized a large balloon water slide, which did not please the faculty. Because it was the “Senior Skip Day” event, it was allowed, but it will not be surprising if the deans try to prevent any further balloon monuments from entering our school this term. For a “senior prank,” many seniors attempted to skip all classes on this day, but that did not go too well when the deans figured out, and rapid emails were sent out to prevent the seniors’ final “joke” on the school. When an Abbot senior received a surprise package of ladybugs in the post office, the deans immediately became involved, sending out an email that these items are a disaster to the post office workers and the students. Other sources of “fun,” were also intervened on by faculty, such as dumpster diving, which was deemed dangerous and illegal to a certain extent.The school faculty and deans are responsible for boarding students nearly every moment of the school year and for the day students until their classes end. It is clear that the school is trying to take care of us, by reminding us of safety when crossing roads and on the paths. It is logical that when jokes pose a potential harm to the students, the deans should get involved. After all, they are adults, and many of us remain teenagers before graduating.We at Exeter, however, live in a restricted environment. We are expected to be attentive and prompt anywhere, as students. Being in an environment with a fixed schedule every day for months restricts the ability to spend free time with others “joking around.” Back at home, many students refer to Exonians as “working machines,” always striving for maximum productivity and without having much fun with our lives for however many years one stays at the school, which is all four years for many students. This is true if we think of the expectations of our behavior and academics, as we were selected as “an enthusiastic, accomplished, creative and diverse group who come from around the world to learn at Exeter,” according to the Lion’s Eye. Nevertheless, I hope for an environment in which the smallest pranks such as fooling a class for a few seconds or minutes on April Fools Day, can be done without too many worries about the consequences and perception by faculty members and deans.