This year the administration is proactively trying to get juniors and seniors to behave during homecoming week.

Junior/senior wars traditionally occur the week before homecoming. Students go out and TP, egg, and vandalize their upperclassmen peer’s properties. This is both damaging and illegal. Students can be ticketed for vandalism and driving past curfew, as teens are not permitted to drive after midnight.

Policing junior/senior wars isn’t technically the responsibility of the school, but if it turns into a safety problem for students, the school has to step in. “If a student does something off campus in the middle of the night, there isn’t much we can pursue as a consequence for them unless it interferes with the educational environment,” said principal Craig Woodall.

If the pranks get to such a level that a student feels harassed that they don’t feel comfortable going to school, it is seen as affecting the educational environment, thus the school can get involved.

“They filled Easter eggs with ketchup and threw them at my door,” said senior Natalie Bradshaw. “There was barbecue sauce on my gate and they put Vaseline on my car windshield.” Bradshaw tolerated the mess because she participated. However, her parents were angry, and the events scared her younger sisters. 

“Rocky has an extremely positive reputation in the community with great school spirit and the Lobo Way,” said Woodall, “That reputation has been built up over years of people doing the right thing.” The administration is appealing to upperclassmen not to tarnish that reputation.