Senior Prank Replays Class of '57 Escapade, With a Green Difference

June 29, 2007

"Class of 2007: 50 Years of Tradition," reads the sign: an energy-efficient car on Assembly Hall stage

The senior prank is an Exonian tradition, timed for the end of the school year when exams loom and students benefit from a bit of levity. Pranks reflect the character of the senior class, and come in all forms – from innocuously impudent to marvelously mischievous.

For the graduating class of '07, the senior prank was big, self-propelling and a huge hit. Surreptitiously, seniors snuck "The Egg" – an electric-powered small car used by Exeter's Campus Safety staff – onto Assembly Hall stage. No one's quite sure when they did it, or how many seniors were involved (rumors say that 20 students shared in the planning), but the car was on stage at 10:15 a.m. when assembly began one Monday morning in late May.

The senior prank was in part homage to an earlier escapade by the class of '57. They carried a Volkswagen, owned by a faculty member and reputed to be among the first Beetles in Exeter, onto Assembly Hall stage as their prank. For a picture of this historic moment, see The Exeter Bulletin, Spring 2007. 

"The Egg" caper of '07 was also a hats-off gesture to the seniors' commitment to green initiatives ("The Egg" uses no fossil fuels). During their years at Exeter, the class of '07 contributed tremendous time and energy to sustainability initiatives including a carbon neutrality proposal currently under review by the school, the Green Cup Challenge (a student-led, 15-school competition designed to increase environmental awareness), Step It Up (a national environmental campaign), the Green Flag Program (an environmental awards initiative targeting schools), and on-campus recycling and composting programs. As its parting gift to Exeter, the class of '07 donated two solar panels for use on campus housing, with 100 percent class participation in the gift.

Links between the class of '07 and '57 remain strong. As the 50th reunion class, the class of '57 matched the value of the senior class gift. The selection of solar panels as the gift was inspired by a visit from Tim Wirth '57 earlier in the year, when he spoke to students about climate change. As rumors of "The Egg" caper leaked out, several members of the class of '57 extended their reunion visit for a day to witness the reenactment of their folly.

Interested in learning more?
Read about the senior class gift of solar panels…
Check out Exeter's sustainability programs…