Students get creative April Fool's Day

DOWNEY - It's a day full of playful tricks, pranks and hoaxes that are meant to evoke surprise in the victim, and if all goes well, laughs.April Fool's Day, April 1, is a day that many cherish and hold very close to their hearts. While some people don't consider the day different than any other, for pranksters everywhere, it's a day to express their talents with only minor repercussions as a result. While some people choose to make up an outrageous fib to trick someone, others use an outrageous action. "Freshman year I lived in a Residence Hall for freshmen only at University of California, Irvine," said Downey High School alum Jorge Bustamante Jr. "The girl's suite had a lovely surprise when they walked into their bathroom in the morning with one solid piece of jello that covered the entire bathroom floor. Yes, it was just one solid piece of jello with no cracks or anything! How we did it is a semi-secret." While Bustamante's plans were set in advanced, Debani Olivares and her friends engaged in an all-out, spontaneous prank war. "My friends and I, living on campus [in college], thought it would be funny to prank each other," said Olivares, a Downey High School alum and Downey resident. "It started with writing embarrassing things on each of our cars and providing phone numbers for others to call, without the other knowing. It continued with our cars being completely covered in saran wrap, and post-its. It then got more serious and somebody covered our dorm room doors entirely in Oreos - using the icing as an adhesive!" While pranks involve some quick thinking and attention to detail to be pulled off successfully, they must also be targeted appropriately. Even our master pranksters themselves admit that you must use caution when choosing who to prank, and the severity of the prank. "April Fool's day is a day to truly celebrate if you have people who are willing to participate in pranks, and receive pranks as well," said Bustamante. "Unfortunately, some people can definitely take it the wrong way, so you must use caution." While caution can be taken when executing the prank, another approach is simply keeping the pranking lighthearted and inoffensive. "I feel that April Fool's Day is the only day that pranking should not be frowned upon" said Olivares. "Ever since I was young, I always played pranks on family and friends, but never anything to where somebody could be offended or hurt. All in all, I am a fan of April Fool's Day - as long as it is in no way harmful. It's an exciting day because even if people are not into doing the pranking themselves, they are on the lookout for a prank attack - I find it quite funny." While the pranksters said they didn't have any April Fools plans in advanced, spontaneous pranks as Olivares described, can be equally as effective and funny. Whether you take part in the pranking, or end up being one of the pranked… "It's a day filled with laughs and entertainment!" said Olivares.

********** Published: March 31, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 50