By: Erin Lowe <[email protected]>

Every year on the night before State, the men’s volleyball team follows its tradition of toilet papering the coach’s house. Even with John Harmon as its new coach, this will likely be the team’s fourth year in doing so. Stephen Van Hoorde, men’s volleyball player and senior, said he finds this tradition fun and everyone seems to enjoy it.

“(Toilet papering the coach’s house the night before State) is fun and it makes a mess,” Van Hoorde said. “It’s always just kind of funny and a comical way to end the season.”

But last year the team went too far. In the previous years, according to Van Hoorde, the men’s volleyball team never received complaints because it had never really vandalized anyone else’s house other than its former coach, Stacy Hicks, who now coaches for the Carmel Dad’s Club. But last year, the team used over 700 rolls of toilet paper, which spread out into Hicks’ swimming pool as well as other neighbors’ homes. Because of this, last year was also the team’s first year that it had to clean up after toilet papering the house. Hicks’ son, along with a friend who was sleeping over, shot paintballs at the team, making members throw toilet paper via drive-bys. Van Hoorde said that because of the extra mess they made, they received numerous complaints from neighbors as well as Hicks and her husband. Fortunately for the team, no police got involved.

So where is this fine line between pulling a prank that is funny and a prank that can be followed up with severe consequences? Assistant Principal John Abell said there are several factors to consider what kind of prank can be a funny joke and what can cause police or school administration involvement.

“It’s impossible to define (the fine line between when a prank’s funny and when it’s unacceptable),” Abell said. “Any kind of prank that has any form of vandalism or would hurt someone’s feelings (would be the limit). You can have fun without causing harm. I think students need to be careful with the pranks that they pull. You have to think before you act.”

Van Hoorde’s views are pretty much the same. He said, “As long as it doesn’t damage property or get into other people’s property (then it’s okay to pull off a prank).”

Abell said that students need to think wisely about the decisions they make so that they would not have to suffer consequences. Before a student decides that he or she wants to pull off a prank, they need to ask themselves three questions: Am I vandalizing? Am I hurting anybody? Am I embarrassing anyone?

About 20 years ago, students took gasoline and spilled it over the football field, spelling out “seniors.” Although this was to promote school spirit, Abell said, “what seemed as an honest prank turned out to be vandalism.”

As for toilet papering Harmon’s house this year, Van Hoorde said he is not sure whether or not the new coach knows about the men’s volleyball team tradition, but he thinks he will enjoy it. But any prank, depending on how the victim feels about the situation, could result in negative consequences.

“Either you get in trouble or you don’t,” Abell said. “You never know what the consequences are. Pranks are different from jokes.”