There comes a time in every Etowah student’s life that they will never forget: when they hear about the pool on the New Gym’s roof. However, many are learning that, perhaps, their beliefs are unwarranted and that there might not be a pool on the roof after all. 

“I know that [the pool on the new gym] is fake. As for pranking the freshmen (…) I think it is great! I think they should prank those other (…) children,” Aahana Karanji, freshman, said. 

Pranks on high school or college underclassmen have existed for decades. Classic tricks include switching room numbers or telling new band members that the plumes on their uniform hats are backwards. Other famous gags include the infamous “Freshmen Friday,” seniors making the freshmen buy hall passes, or students claiming that there are secret “upperclassmen only” places somewhere on campus. The last example has been an Etowah student body tradition for years, but some students wonder if the pranks sometimes go too far. 

“I do not personally participate in the rumor unless it is in a joking sarcastic manner. I think the joke is okay to an extent, but freshmen are new to the school and anxious already, so I just tend to leave things be, as funny as it is,” Alayna Roper, senior, said. 

Although many high school practical jokes are harmless, such as sticky-notes all over the walls, filling hallways with balloons, or moving furniture around in an unsuspecting teacher’s room, other shenanigans can cause serious damage. Students who participate in more serious acts, like vandalism and animal cruelty, are often charged with criminal offenses and are not allowed to graduate. In the past, Etowah graduates have also participated in senior pranks, with the worst happening in 2010. Students collected dead deer from the roads and managed to put them on the roof of the admin building, but they were expelled three days before graduation. However, the rooftop pool rumor is not harmful to anyone, so it continues to circulate throughout the school. 

“I do not participate at all because, quite frankly, I do not know any freshmen. If someone knew some freshmen and pranked them about it, [that] might be funny, so I do not really have anything against that,” Madeline May, junior, said. 

Though some students feel that pranking underclassmen should not be allowed, there is no real harm in being vague about whether there really is a pool on the roof. After all, the school swim team has to practice somewhere.