By Nick Miller, Redwood Gigantea
At 6:30 a.m. on a quiet Monday, the Redwood studemnt parking lot transformed. Lawn chairs unfolded. Cornhole clacked. Muffins and donuts made the rounds. Music played softly from someone’s speaker. What might have once been an opportunity for chaos became something better—a chance to be together.
“It’s really about the little moments,” said senior class vice president Rebekah Cantelmi, reclining in a folding chair. “Enjoy the little moments, because those are the ones that matter.”
Dubbed by some as “Parking Lot Volleyball Extravaganza 2.0,” the senior prank was anything but destructive. Orchestrated by class president Peyton Short, the prank was vetted by administration, coordinated through Snapchat private stories and Instagram close friends lists, and entirely built on good vibes.
“I kept seeing all these senior prank TikToks and thought, we could do something fun without destroying anything,” Peyton said. “I talked to Barba and Gridiron, and they were like, ‘Yeah, just follow a few rules.’”
“I just didn’t want to get in trouble,” said JakeBettencourt with a laugh. “We all wanted to walk at graduation, so we went with something fun and lighthearted.” Jake’s contribution? “I brought the orange juice. And my good looks.”
Zoe Alvarado summed up the energy of the morning: “We’re just messing around, sitting around, playing cornhole, hanging out before we graduate in four days. Making more memories before we leave.”
As donuts disappeared and volleyball rallies slowed, a few students leaned back, just soaking it in. “It’s kind of bittersweet,” Zoe said. “We all wanted to leave back in November, but now that it’s happening, it hits different.”
Chloe Seals, part of the early setup crew, helped organize the food and coordinate car placement. “This was one of the best mornings of the year,” she said. “I hope next year’s seniors keep this going.”
If they do, they’ll have a blueprint: no chaos, no cleanup—just donuts, lawn chairs, and a reminder that the best pranks aren’t really pranks at all. They’re moments. Shared ones. Orange juice optional.
nmiller
Imagine spending your days talking about ideas that you love with people you genuinely care about. Not bad, that. I advise some journalists and teach some literature at Redwood High School in Visalia, Ca.
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