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School tells student to pay $1,000 to remove peace display
As a senior "prank," some students planted $600 worth of marigolds in the shape of a peace sign. They're in trouble for that. For that? Many parents have come forward to offer their help in removing the flowers, but the district insists on having professionals do it. (Oregonian)
May 24, 2007 | Permalink
Comments
As admirable as the hope for peace may be, doing that on school property without prior permission was pretty stupid. She should be glad the school didn't involve the police, and have her charged with vandalism.
Who knows? She and her cohorts might well have gotten permission to do it if they had asked first. But maybe not.... It may be "pretty," but (among many other possible objections) what a load of extra maintenance work for the school groundskeepers, to mow around, and so on.
Posted by: KC | May 24, 2007 12:33:18 PM
DUM DA DUM DUM...DUM DA DUM DUM DUM!
(Part Deux!)
Posted by: Rusty | May 24, 2007 12:42:41 PM
So should they have put a flaming skull and sword or something more in line with our stated official national objectives or what?
Posted by: sometimesilie | May 24, 2007 12:48:20 PM
Perhaps some landscaping company will volunteer to remove those unsightly flowers free of charge.
The video shows a wall of the school with a peace sign made of world flags, so I guess they are not against peace.
Posted by: stopeatingmysesamecake | May 24, 2007 12:56:45 PM
As senior pranks go, this one was tame. Fine her $1 and make her dig them up and replant them at a nursing home on a saturday. Sheesh.
Posted by: JB | May 24, 2007 1:01:14 PM
The kids could have used old cow heads.
Posted by: KDP | May 24, 2007 1:26:21 PM
Reminds me of one of my favorite pranks. A few years ago, members of the SMU marching band had just made a large "M" (for Mustangs) formation on the football field at rival TCU. They stood there for a few moments, and then finished the rest of their marching show.
Dateline: 3 months later. As the Texas winter killed off the playing field grass, a very large green "M" appeared on the TCU football field. Seems that the Mustang band kids had pockets full of winter rye seeds that they unceremoniously (yet, stealth!) dumped onto the field during that formation months earlier.
Pic here: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3842/3484/1600/smugrass.jpg
Posted by: Nonchalant Savant | May 24, 2007 1:30:27 PM
This reminds me of a story I heard once.
During World War II, German prisoners were often put to work clearing up bombed portions of England and generally helping out the population. One elderly lady enjoyed the daily attention her assigned German-prisoner gardener paid to her flowerbed. After the war ended, her gladiolas (or some other flower) formed a perfect Swastika, about six feet across.
Posted by: Oxhead | May 24, 2007 1:55:08 PM
Maybe I am just in a mood, but that made me giggle to myself. Just thinking about how it gradually appeared cracks me up.
They probably watched "Fight Club" the night before or something.
Posted by: invah | May 24, 2007 2:06:53 PM
JB: "Fine her $1 and make her dig them up...."
And make her restore the topsoil in the disturbed areas in the grass, spread grass seed, and water and feed and monitor it all until the grass is fully established, etc., etc.
Posted by: KC | May 24, 2007 2:16:36 PM
Would that all pranks were something like this. Planting flowers! Yeah it's school property yada yada but no cherished fastfood idol was kidnapped, nothing was destroyed, no classes were disrupted. And as far as the stunt they did do, I mean they could have done worse, like planting Roundup Ready ® Dandelion seeds or spreading salt or something stealthy that would make the pattern. Maybe someone should follow up with the winter rye thing later on (thanks for that NS).
Posted by: S.O. | May 24, 2007 2:53:16 PM
KC, you make it sound like a physical impossibility. It actually sounds like a better "punishment" than making her pay $1000 to fix $600 worth of work. It's not that difficult to make grass grow in a green belt.
I think the school is being unreasonable, and that a little physical labor won't kill her.
Posted by: UpperClass Becky | May 24, 2007 2:54:58 PM
Hi B. My knee-jerk guess is that the school is unreasonable because they are afraid that there will be too much parental and student support for the kids that do the replanting. Requiring that a company do it sterilizes the political angles. Or maybe not: what do you want to bet that some parent doesn't hold a bake sale or something to raise money in support?
Posted by: S.O. | May 24, 2007 3:13:48 PM
$600.00 spent just making the rich nursery even wealthier.
The money could of been better spent buying the homeless clean underwear, rather than artificially modifying the environment.
If the clean underwear offended the homeless, they could have invested their resources in buying the homeless some booze.
Posted by: Get Real | May 24, 2007 4:16:46 PM
I live near this school.
I believe the reason the students picked a peace sign their senior prank is because earlier last year they displayed peace signs in the windows and were forced to take them down when someone complained it was 'unpatriotic'.
Posted by: Allison | May 24, 2007 4:59:47 PM
they should have been more patriotic, yes of course, they should have started a war, a useless war, yes of course, oh wait nevermind bush already beat them to it, well in that case, to me a peace sign would be just the right kind of thing to do. to hell with the school, what are they worried about?
Posted by: Wicked_Winds | May 24, 2007 5:30:07 PM
Did I miss something? Exactly what date and time did PEACE become unpatriotic? S.O. I think you might be onto something. And if I lived closer to the school, I would head up the bake sale!!!
Posted by: UpperClass Becky | May 24, 2007 6:12:29 PM
Used motor oil works well for drawing in grass fields...
Satanic star on the football field anyone??
Mildest prank I've seen in the news...
Posted by: anonymouse | May 24, 2007 6:18:19 PM
Uh-oh this is getting rapidly political. Well, what the hey, here are a few more thoughts:
Get Real, there is a point to what you say. On the other hand almost anything could be turned into this sort of logic. Fireworks? Boom! and the money's gone - better to give it to the homeless. Etc.
Also boozed-up geezers tend to foul the environment not to mention their undies. (I suppose if they were recruited to irrigate the flowers in this case - or the grass that replaces them - that would add another layer of indignations to the story.)
Interesting info Allison. Actually if I were the school I would have let them keep the peace signs up in the windows if they also sent them to jihadists (the boom! and the unlucky crowd is dead people). Equal time after all.
Posted by: S.O. | May 24, 2007 6:24:38 PM
"B" that's the spirit! I do think that peace advocates shouldn't let others decide what "peace" is supposedly against (like against our side or whatever). Part of that means that peace signs go to everyone - I'd cheer to crying if ordinary folks in some of the currently violent parts of the world would be painting them on walls there. If peace isn't a worldwide movement it's always going to get cornered with accusations.
Anyway, sign me up for some non-herbal brownies from the sale.
Posted by: S.O. | May 24, 2007 6:42:41 PM
THIS is worth $1,000!!!!
I remember during the senior year some folks spray-painted and dumped hay in one of the outdoor lunch areas.
Don't even get me started on our graduation ceremony.
This frigging pales in comparison.
Posted by: | May 24, 2007 6:47:30 PM
i think we need more people planting peace signs...cuz apparently the message still hasn't sunk in.
i give this girl a lot of credit, and for not finking on her cohorts. shes a good egg.
leave the peace sign, its not hurting anyone. its a way for the seniors to be remembered and a message for everyone. yay girl who did this.
Posted by: spacey | May 24, 2007 6:48:43 PM
I actually would warn against using used motor oil on the football field. You know, environment and all that.
Posted by: Soo | May 24, 2007 6:50:59 PM
Maybe the better parts of this thread should be sent to the school--pasted on a piece of cardboard in the shape of a PEACE SIGN!
Posted by: UpperClass Becky | May 24, 2007 7:45:36 PM
I understand why they want professionals - licensed, bonded and if there is an accident involving bodily harm, they already pay workman's comp.
People showing up out of the blue can sue if they get injured. It's why I can't hire kids to mow my lawn anymore, they get hurt, I'm liable.
I'm for the peace sign staying! What better message could a graduating class leave?
Posted by: | May 24, 2007 9:31:00 PM
