It was Tuesday of homecoming week, Superhero dress up day. A busy athletic schedule was happening, but little did the student body know that wasn’t all that was happening. Sophomores Levi Hacker, Eric Carlson, Wyeth Anderson and Seth Tovar decided to show their version of school spirit, and leave their mark.
“We wanted to prove 2012 wasn’t going to get pushed over,” Tovar said.
During halftime of the home girls’ soccer game, Carlson, Anderson and Hacker decided to show the sophomore class had just as much spirit as the upperclassmen. Anderson had a few window markers in his truck, so the boys made their way to the school and chalked the first floor locker bay windows. They were going to hit the front doors next, but they heard something which stopped them in their tracks, so they went back to Anderson’s truck and hid out for a bit.
“After we thought about it for a while we figured it was the cops, so we went back to the soccer game,” Anderson said.
When they got back to the game, the guys decided the job wasn’t finished. Anderson was going to be giving Tovar a ride home, but they had planned on going back to the school to finish what they started. They asked Tovar if he wanted to help them finish it off. He said he did.
At about 10 p.m. they drove back to the school. Using three window markers they wrote “2012” and “Sophomores,” as well as other things supporting their graduating class. Staying together the guys tagged all of the first floor windows, the utility doors, as well as the pool doors, up by the cafeteria and some benches. At 10:30 p.m., they called it complete. They went to their homes and waited for morning to see everyone’s reaction.
Carlson got to school first and noticed the acts of the previous night were gone. Unknowing, Anderson and Tovar went to pick up at Hacker so they could all arrive to school earlier and together to see the school’s reactions.
“I wanted everyone to see it so I was disappointed,” Carlson said.
Word spread throughout the school of what had happened. A few days later they figured they were in the clear. During first hour, Anderson got called down to the office. Anderson was questioned. Not long afterward Hacker, Tovar, Carlson and Anderson were in the office. They were caught on camera, but their faces weren’t shown, so they don’t know for sure how they were caught.
“I didn’t tell, but people told people and after that the news spreads like cancer,” Anderson said.
Officer Ted Herman said the cost of the damage was a little more than $1,000. The boys used markers meant for glass windows, where it washes off, but on doors and benches it strips down the paint.
For tagging the school, each had to pay $250 for the cost of sandblasting the benches, repainting, and the janitor’s hours. They all got two hour of in-school suspension, and for the winter sports season they have a two game suspension. (Tovar plays basketball, while Carlson, Hacker and Anderson play hockey). They also weren’t able to attend the homecoming game or the dance.
“I think the punishment was way overboard,” Hacker said.
The reactions of the student body were different depending on grade, while the families’ reactions were something different.
“I kinda thought let the seniors have their year,” said sophomore Morgan Field.
According to Principal Al Root and Officer Herman, the school hasn’t changed the tolerance plan for events at homecoming. But if other criminal events take place they could possibly have no homecoming dance or have a closed homecoming. The administration would rather not have to punish everyone for a few students’ actions, but if that is what it comes to, that may happen.
Herman said he has talked to other school resource officers in the area and none of those schools have this problem.
“We’re the only ones who do this to our own building,” Herman said.
Depending on who is asked school spirit can be described as many things. The common thought is when a student goes all out to show that they like, as well as support, their school.
“Homecoming is about the school coming together. Not seniors/juniors/sophomores/freshman,” Herman said.