Editor's Note: A senior prank at Tolland High School on Wednesday escalated into what town officials described as being "too big" for what it was intended to be and turned into a disturbance. The officials said the matter was handled internally and no one was arrested. Here is one student's take on the incident.
To the Editor:
As a junior at Tolland High School, I was a witness to the “senior prank” on Wednesday that went terribly wrong. What happened today cannot be justified and is a complete embarrassment to me, my town, and to all of the people who have helped me grow in the school system.
On Tuesday, all THS students received a phone call that the administration was aware of a planned senior prank that was supposed to take place the following day. We were all informed that there would be officers at the school and any attempt at the planned senior prank would result in punishment to all those involved.
Though the original prank was not a destructive plan, it is understandable that administration would want to take action against it. Due to this phone call, students made new plans through the social media to have a “blackout” and have the whole school wear black.
Unfortunately, what started as a simple act of defiance, quickly escalated into more of a rebellion than a prank.
In between block one and two, chaos erupted as students threw various objects including marbles, eggs, and even paint balls through the THS hallways. Students ran through the hallways tossing these and other objects about and even destroying various pieces of property.
Given the current climate of school violence, it was a very frightening experience to witness this event. Though we are fortunate that no one was injured during this time, the destruction that was created was quite immense.
As a bystander of this event, I am very ashamed to call myself a part of Tolland High School, which has always been a place where I have felt safe and at home. I am embarrassed by the actions of those who took part in this and how others will perceive students at Tolland High School. It is very important for all to know however, that the majority of the school and most of the seniors did not take part in this event. Most went back to class and stayed out of the range of fire, and many have very similar views to the event as I do.
Now, administration must do the tricky task of determining what to do next. I personally feel that punishment is absolutely necessary to those involved, and if that means the whole senior class, so be it. This is the second incident from this year instigated by the senior class, following this fall’s pep rally episode, and it is clear that there are some very ungrateful students at Tolland High School. It is my fervent hope that all Tolland High School students will not be judged by the actions of a few.
Katie Gorsky
Tolland High School
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