Pranks: A Relived Nightmare!!

 by Kathleen Benzaquin (founding Head of Residential Life)

Being the person in charge of discipline, at least before it got sent up to Dean Collins, was truly a job I did not relish.  I appreciated most of the pranks for their creativity and the need to blow off some steam.  Not easy living 24/7 in what was then a high visibility school. Always reporters and distinguished visitors around with the pressure to behave and act appropriately.  I felt as much on display as the students felt some days.  But we were "pioneers" at every level hoping to make this crazy new idea a real success.  It seemed worth the risk, and pranks were just a natural part of our growing pains.

The only prank I ever felt really angry about was when some juniors during the 1981-82 year brought a bow and arrows on campus and were shooting them from their dorm room into an area under construction.  The possibility of something tragic happening was so great; you can see from other entries how often students went into off-limits areas, that it really freaked me out.  Fortunately no one was hurt.  But that "prank" was not a funny one by any means.

 I enjoy reading the student perspectives on this and the other topics.  Being at NCSSM and part of the original team is the highlight of my career.   Good times, crazy times!