By Christopher Davis ’12, Editor-in-Chief

Members of the class of 2011 had their official “last day” on Cinco de Mayo this year. While their “check-out” in the Eberstadt Room was “fiesta” themed, their prank had a decidedly more piscine feel. At 6:10am the morning of checkout, about 20 seniors arrived at NA with a mission – to inhibit travel through the main artery of the school with 500 fish swimming in clear plastic cups.

Undoubtedly a sight few will ever forget, the multitude of tiny fish formed a tight square blocking the “4 corners” of NA – the intersection formed by the Administrative Corridor, Library, and Math & English Corridors. Students were forced to walk through the Language corridor to access Rooms 7-13. The Hawkes Memorial Library, Technology Office, and Copy Room were only accessible through the Arts Courtyard. Blocked by cups and fish, IB Coordinator Mr. Stourton was visibly distraught at not being able to access his own office, and was heard muttering about ramming the blockade with his exam cart.  Students in his IB English 11 class that day found him to be frenzied and frazzled (even more than usual).

May 5th also happened to be “Grandparent’s & Special Friends Day” in the Middle School, a day filled with events and concerts geared to MS students. As the school day reached its conclusion, and the display was being dismantled, many of the 500 fish were given away in plastic bags filled with water. Comically, many Middle Schoolers (and their special friends!) traipsed about NA fish in hand.

Hilarity aside, the prank, master-minded by Jake Gillman ’11 and Jake Zack ’11, was also designed to have a lasting impact on NA. The Class of 2011’s gift to the school is a large, tropical fish tank. The rectangular fish tank will be home to a wide array of aquatic life, as well as two rather kitschy pirate themed “bubblers”.  The tank has been installed in the bookstore for all to see.

Official planning for the prank began ten days prior, and followed up with a few trips to PetSmart. The afternoon before, Room 10 served as the “operating room” for set up of the tank. All told it took about three hours to set up, with several students and faculty pitching in. The work of filling up the cups and dropping in the fish took place the next morning. Sam Peinado ’11, was among those seniors who helped set up early that morning. Reflecting on the caper, he hopes that, “this prank will go down in history among the school’s best”, and attributes the success to planning and expert execution by the school council. Continuing with the class of 2011’s Spirit Week theme of “Senyaars” (pirates), the council sought to bring their year to a close with the same theme. Although the administration was a bit apprehensive at first, according to Jake Zack, they eventually came to realize that it was, “more of an art installation, cool, classy, and not vandalism.” A few weeks later I caught up with Jake Zack. When I asked how he thought the prank went, he offered a wide grin and declared, “it couldn’t have gone any better”.

That statement, in essence, sums up the class of 2011’s legacy at NA – a group of smart, kind, & comical individuals who not only made an impact on NA, but on each and everyone of us in the building. They will be missed, but never forgotten.