High School traditions - Page 2

Aurora6 · #1 06-13-2003, 01:46 PM

We had Senior Skip Day! (a few times)

We also had a tradition of going to Cedar Point the day after Prom.

We had special lunch seating sections, where ONLY the seniors could play cards, TONK specifically.

We also had a special room/lounge in the basement where we went to chill, skip class, and let people fight. Yeah, we had moderated fights in the senior lounge. Yikes! It was even off limits to faculty and staff. Underclassmen could visit with a senior escort or if they had beef and wanted to go mono y mono.

But nothing as complicated as the Chicago girls that made the news.

Kevlar281 · #2 06-13-2003, 02:17 PM

I took advantage of senior skip day four times other then that I didn’t partake in many of my High Schools traditions. I guess it was hard to take everything seriously when you had an older brother and knew what life outside of High School really was.

SapphireSphinx9 · #3 06-13-2003, 02:54 PM

We had a whole bunch of traditions...

The night before the football game against our cross-town rivals we would have a Hamilton Night Rally. Basically it would be a pump up for our football team to win the Hamilton (the trophy exchanged between both schools).

We would also have a night rally the night before Homecoming. More people would participate in this one, since they would be setting their booths up and decorating for our Homecoming carnival.

Senior Century Day was when all the Seniors would get together and take the panorama picture in the stadium. Then lunch would be given out, and you could hang out afterwards. Century Day was also 100 days before you graduated.

We had Senior Ditch Day, which was always the day after Century Day. I went to Disneyland with some friends on my Sr. Ditch Day.

We also had Senior Sick Day... It just was another day to skip out on classes. I think we started that one--Class of 2000. Actually, I think in totally we took about a week off of school... One day here, another day here, etc.

Senior Breakfast was kinda dumb, but it's tradition... The day before you graduate is rehearsal day. The Senior Senate is in charge of breakfast, and my year it was McDonald's... Normally it's a pancake breakfast, but we didn't have enough time to work that one out. Oh well...

I was in the musicals and while it's not a widely known tradition, it's a tradition still... The Undy 500. Yeah, really, that's what it's called. Our dressing room was down the hall from the guys dressing room in the auditorium, and on the last night of performances, the guys would run down the hall and through the girl's dressing rooms with only their undies on. Usually it would be right when the girls started changing... So you would just hear everyone scream and try grabbing their clothes. It was pretty funny though.

Man, I know that there was a lot more, but I can't remember them.

~Beth

AchtungBaby80 · #4 06-13-2003, 04:42 PM

Every Friday there was a football game, students dressed in camo to show school spirit. We also brought empty gallon milk jugs filled with rocks to games...that is, if you didn't have your own cow bell.

There was also the Powder Puff thing...the Jr. and Sr. girls would play each other (wearing camo and red bandannas on their heads, of course), while the Jr. and Sr. guys dressed like cheerleaders. The lady, er, gentleman, with the best outfit won the title of "PowderPuff Queen." I think they quit doing the whole thing after I graduated, because it had supposedly gotten too rowdy.

*edited to add8How could I have forgotten about our Prom tradition? The whole town gathers around the entrance to watch the seniors go in and see what kind of vehicles they arrive in, because the stranger or more unique it was, the better. People went to prom in cattle trailers, motor boats, tractors, helicopters, hot air balloons, you name it. My date had to be boring and insist that we come in a Ford diesel flatbed truck, but hey, it was brand-new so I guess it could've been worse even though I had my heart set on coming in a Shelby Cobra, or at least some nice classic car.

BLUTANG · #5 06-13-2003, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cream
We had a senior lounge. That was fun. Only seniors could hang out there. It was a tiny room near the cafeteria.

we also had a senior lounge! it was on the rear side of the school, and it was a decent spot for SENIORS to eat their lunch (air conditioning, snack and soda machines) or have meetings or just chill.

another school tradition was the "soul train". it sounds SO stupid as i describe it, but it was the best thing in the world to me back in the day.

"soul train" is basically a pep rally before home FB and BB games. The band, cheerleaders, pom-pons, and the atheletes would meet up before school began and RUN through the halls... we'd all end up in the courtyard and have a pep rally in the morning (now that i think of it - that's stupid. we should have been pepped before the games).

ksig600 · #6 06-13-2003, 05:15 PM

In my HS we had a popular service org called Anchor Club...
The application process was rigorous, and if you made it the members would coordinate with your parents to suprise you on a Saturday morning (while still in your pj's) and kidnap you for the Anchor Club Breakfast at Chik-Fil-A. So you are sitting at this public place in your pj's and looking rough.....That could be hazing

We also had a Jr/Sr Powder Puff game that was mostly a prank war with the classes.

polarpi · #7 06-13-2003, 05:41 PM

Homecoming: During homecoming week, the senior class ALWAYS "trashes" the campus....stacking picnic tables/trash cans, toilet papering, shaving cream on doors and windows, everything. The years before my senior year, seniors got really nasty and were putting feminine napkins and other things around the campus, even dead animal carcasses. We were warned before Homecoming week, but because of a Jewish holiday earlier in the season, our homecoming wasn't until the middle of November (basically the last home game of the year). Luckily for us, we had the Tuesday off (due to Veteran's Day), so the senior class schemed to decorate the campus early Wednesday morning....the administration had camped out to try and catch us, but we were able to get around them and run the "campus supervisor" around trying to catch everyone at about 4 in the morning. Of course I didn't participate, but I knew everything about it and since my mom was friends with the principal's secretary, we couldn't say anything to her so that anything was leaked....

The Pit: large open area on campus that we sat in for lunches, but was torn down for a expansion on our previous gym

Senior spaces: Seniors were allowed to "bid" on a particular space in the parking lot. I think I got mine for $50, but some went all the way up to $200! In the years previous, seniors were allowed to paint their spaces, but the administration discontinued that with our class.

Senior ditch day: Ours was an official ditch day (how wrong is that???) where we got permission slips to sign out of classes. I had an AP exam coming up, so I didn't go.

Senior breakfast: Week before we got out, we met in the middle school's all-purpose room and ate breakfast together. My senior year, our class officers handed out unofficial awards (like the yearbook ones)...I got Sweetest girl in my class!

Powder Puff between the juniors and the seniors (no hazing like the incident in Illinois) where football players coached their year's team, and I think we had male cheerleaders for one year, that's it

All athletics: On the way home from an away game, as soon as we were getting close to school, we would begin to sing the alma mater on the bus....great way to end a (usually) successful night!

aephi alum · #8 06-13-2003, 06:13 PM

Parking: In order to park on campus as a student, you had to meet 3 criteria: be a senior, be 17, and have your parents' permission. My 17th birthday was a couple months into senior year, but the administration didn't get around to issuing parking stickers until after my birthday... hehe

There was an office building down the street from the school. Juniors with driver's licenses parked there. It was even called the junior parking lot. That building's security force kept threatening to crack down, but nothing ever happened.

Off-campus privileges: Juniors and seniors were allowed off campus during free periods. My senior year, I had first period free => I slept in

Senior skip day: Actually, most Fridays from about April on turned into unofficial senior skip days. I was taking too many AP's, though

There was one official senior skip day, which "coincidentally" was the day yearbooks were distributed; you got your yearbook only if you attended your first-period class, otherwise you had to wait until after graduation. Did I mention I had first period free?

Pep rallies: These were mandatory. The day was shortened to create an hour at the end of the day for the pep rally. Since they were mandatory, school security patrolled the exits to make sure no students left.

Lots of people bailed on their 9th period classes to get out before security closed the gates. Unfortunately, I never could sneak out because I was on the track team.

Dionysus · #9 06-13-2003, 06:19 PM

My HS always had an all night graduation party at a local community center on the night of graduation, so we would party resposibly.

dixiesong3131 · #10 06-13-2003, 07:24 PM

Some stuff, but nothing overly cool....

We had a senior lounge. My class repainted it and added a ping pong table and fixed the pool table. You had to be a senior to even be in the senior lounge.

For band, we did a freshman "welcoming" (we couldn't call it initiation). Before I joined, it used to be crazy- TPing the houses, dressing up the freshman, making them sing for their sliverware at breakfast- hazing really. Then a couple seniors f-ed up royally, got in trouble with the cops, and messed it up for the rest of us. We just got to lamely decorate their front yards with signs and take them to breakfast.

For our Drama Workshop, in our dressing rooms, you got "passed down" a mirror that you did your makeup at. When I came in as a freshman, there was a free mirror that I got to have for the full four years. My junior year winter review- three freshman tried taking my mirror and I, in complete diva fashion, flipped out and took my mirror back. I later passed down my mirror to those three freshman.

Every year, there was always a senior prank, but nothing went down my senior year. Lack of communication I guess.

The monday after prom was the senior cut day and each year the administration threatened various things would happen to those who cut, but nothing ever came out of it.

For our Spirt Weeks, our class usually won everything- it made the classes ahead of us really pissed lol.

Overall, we really didn't have anything overly traditional- just typical.

#11 06-13-2003, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dionysus
My HS always had an all night graduation party at a local community center on the night of graduation, so we would party resposibly.

"Project Graduation" started at a local high school in 1990 and this year, 90% of Hawaii high schools had their own Project Graduation celebrations. It's a great way to keep recent graduates safe and alcohol free.

My year our class parents rented out Barbers Point Officers' Club and we had billiards, darts, volleyball nets and a tennis court...as well as a swimming pool. We had a bunch of local bands and radio DJs also come down...at 2AM it was all you can eat sundaes! The location and the plans are a surprise to the class. We spent the entire year fundraising for it, so when we boarded the buses and got to our secret spot, everyone was happy!

In the morning, we all stood out on a hill overlooking the ocean and sang our alma mater one last time.

polarpi · #12 06-14-2003, 12:11 AM

A few I forgot (oh how could I forget these???

)

Lunch: Seniors got to go off campus for lunch. It used to be only two or three days a week, but because our campus was in the midst of a MAJOR construction project our entire senior year, the administration allowed us to go off campus every day for lunch (not that I ever went off campus...okay, maybe once!)

Grad Nite: the night of graduation, we had an all night graduation party (as others have mentioned) as a safe and sober way to celebrate graduation and spend some time together for the last time as a senior class. There were carnival games and prizes and at the end of the night the tickets we earned from the games were put into baskets for raffles and we could win great prizes....all in all, it was a lot of fun!

ladybug1116 · #13 06-14-2003, 02:17 AM

Let's see....

Anchor Club/Key Club Initiation...aka HAZING. The new members would be dressed hideously and have to do all sorts of demenaing things both at school and around town. The big sisters/big brothers would surprise you after school...drenching you with ater, flouring you, etc and then it continued the next day..all day at school. There was even an Anchor Poem the new members would have to say..getting down on their knees and saying that they were "peons sailing their way to the sea of anchordom"

Beat Auburn Week...Always the last football game of the season and Auburn HS was our rival. We had dress up days everyday (PJs, 70s, etc), each "class" was given a hall to decorate elaborately, etc.

Spirit Ribbons...always printed up with some "cute" slogan and sold the Friday of football games to wear at school.

Candy Grams...sold during the holidays by Anchor Club. Candy Canes with a cute message attached. It was a huge deal to see who was the "most popular" by how many candy canes one received.

Band "Ice Cream Social"...really it was where the band performed the show for the first time for boosters and parents and anyone else who wanted to come. Then a lot of band parents made homemade ice cream and served to everyone afterwards.

The Band (and fine arts programs in general) My HS had/has a phenomenal band program...always going on cool trips, winning awards, and representing at community things.

Senior Parties...OK so this is the deep south where everyone wants an excuse to have a party. So before graduation many parents throw parties for certain seniors. Not everyone is invited...it's a status thing. Pool parties, fondue parties, BBQs, cocktail parties. You name it, we had it...it got pretty exhausting after a while. Personally I didn't think graduating HS was that big of a deal. I knew I was going off to college and that my college degree was more significant...but that's just me!

Senior Skip Day--self explanatory

Senior Shakespeare Trip---everyone in the senior class who wanted to could go on a mini trip to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to see a play. The ASF is really nice but whatever play we saw was REALLY boring. I think I fell asleep

AlphaFrog · #14 06-14-2003, 02:27 AM

I forgot a few of ours...

Auction (Cleanup)...basicly the parents club decorates the school and serves $100/plate meals and auctions off a bunch of stuff for WAY too much money.... And then the band comes in at 3am and cleans it all up...but it's lots of fun...

Chicken Thursday...yes we had chicken EVERY Thursday...except one time my sophomore year...and the cafeteria was litterally a frenzy that day because everyone was VERY upset...

Band lock-in...stayed up all night singing with a guitar/playing in the gym/watching Monty Python

Musical Cast parties...where else woukd your teacher dare you to go next door at midnight and ask for salt and a lime?

Hootie · #15 06-14-2003, 02:54 AM

Hall decorating during homecoming: the seniors decorate with the best stuff, guard the hallway and scare away the freshman who dare to walk through it.

MY SENIOR YEAR: Car train. We started a car train from a church to school where we drove like 30 mph and hung out the windows and blared our car horns. Then we car trained into the school parking lot blaring our car horns and chanting...the administration didn't do anything but laugh. We got the radio station on the phone and requested "our song" Men in Black. Then two of my guy friends jumped out of their cars and started doing their "dance" that basically copied Triple X's "Suck IT" gestures from five years ago. (This was on the last day of school too)

Senior Prank: My friend drove his car up on school property and did cookies around the flag pole and drove off. Administration came running out but couldn't do anything cuz he was gone.

OTHER Senior Prank: My friend phoned in to the school saying there were COWS in the senior parking lot near the swimming pool doors. LMFAO~ administration started running down the hall with their walkie-talkies only to find nothing there.