prank

WTF Fun Fact 13428 – Montana Principal Horses Around

A Montana principal got an equine surprise thanks to a loophole in the law that some students decided to exploit as a senior prank. It involved a group of horses and a solemn duty to make sure they got fed.

Pranking the Montana principal with horses

What makes this story heartwarming is the unique blend of mischief and reverence for their rural roots. The graduating class of Conrad High School decided to give a nod to their cowboy culture. They swapped out the traditional senior prank with something far more creative – and far less destructive.

This merry band of seniors decided that the best way to celebrate impending graduation was by saddling up their horses. Then they took the 4 mile journey to class.

Twelve seniors at Conrad High School took advantage of what they believe is an old law. It mandates that if kids ride their horses to school, the principal has to care for them. The law remains unconfirmed, but the principal played along anyway.

“Montana has an old law saying if a student rides their horse to school, the school principal has to feed and tend to the horse throughout the day,” the school district said. “It looks like Mr. DeBruycker has his work cut out for him today,” noted the Charlotte Observer.

Just horsing around

The school’s principal, Raymond DeBruycker, was surprised by the unusual sight when he arrived to find these seniors had decided to carry wander in like cowboys. Far from being irritated, DeBruycker took the horseplay in stride.

Rather than meting out punishment, DeBruycker saw the humor and chose to honor the spirit of camaraderie and tradition. Clearly, he know it wasn’t causing any harm. In fact, it was connecting students to a facet of Montana’s cowboy culture in a fun and memorable way.

Even in the face of this unconventional situation, DeBruycker’s response was a testament to the tight-knit community at Conrad High School. It was clear that everyone wanted to honor the historical customs.

Whether or not there is a bona fide law permitting students to ride horses to school, one thing is certain. This tradition is becoming an endearing prank at a few different Montana schools.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Students ride horses to school, and Montana ‘law’ means principal has to care for them” — Charlotte Observer

WTF Fun Fact 13392 – The Scott Kelly Gorilla Suit Prank

We know, we know. You’ve seen the viral posts about Mark Kelly smuggling a gorilla suit onto the International Space Station (ISS). But it turns out the hilarious moment is actually the Scott Kelly gorilla suit prank. Scott is Mark’s twin brother, and they are both astronauts.

Now, if you haven’t heard about this prank, you’re probably very confused right now.

The Scott Kelly gorilla suit prank

In 2016, former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly secretly brought a gorilla suit with him on the mission, keeping it hidden from his fellow crew members. It wasn’t until one day that he decided to surprise his unsuspecting colleague.

Scott Kelly, known for his adventurous spirit and sense of humor, had a playful idea in mind. He understood the importance of camaraderie and lighthearted moments to boost morale in the isolated and demanding environment of space.

After smuggling the gorilla suit onboard, Kelly patiently waited for the perfect moment to execute his prank. He knew that the confined quarters of the ISS would amplify the surprise and make the prank memorable.

Finally, the day arrived when Kelly decided to put his plan into action. He donned the gorilla suit and approached his unsuspecting crew member, who was engrossed in his tasks.

Gorillas in space

Kelly lunged towards his crewmate, letting out a playful roar. The crew member, startled by the sudden appearance of a gorilla in space, jumped in surprise, and his shock quickly turned into laughter.

The crew burst into laughter, with Kelly’s prank providing a much-needed moment of levity. The sight of an astronaut in a gorilla suit floating weightlessly through the spacecraft was undoubtedly unforgettable.

The story of Scott Kelly’s gorilla suit prank spread, capturing the amusement of people on Earth. It showcased the lighter side of life aboard the ISS and reminded us that even in the vastness of space, humor and human connections are vital for well-being.

Of course, the presence of the gorilla suit on the ISS was unauthorized. NASA does not allow astronauts to bring personal items on missions. However, in this case, the harmless nature of the prank and the positive impact it had on the crew’s morale overshadowed any reprimand that Kelly may have received.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Fact Check: Did an Astronaut Smuggle a Gorilla Suit Onto the International Space Station?” — Newsweek

WTF Fun Fact 12763 – The Harvard – Yale Prank

Every year, Ivy League universities Harvard University and Yale University meet up in a college football matchup that only alumni could possibly care about. (Yale has been bad for over a century, while Harvard has had a few eye-raising moments in the last few decades, but not enough to be a contender in the wider world of college football.)

The game is all about the rivalry, so pranks are fairly common. But a November 20, 2004 prank was at least good enough to make the evening sports news and go down as an embarrassment for Harvard.

Who carried out the Harvard – Yale prank?

Two Yale students from the class of ’05 named Michael Kai and David Aulicino gathered about 20 classmates to carry out the prank. The students dressed as members of the Harvard pep squad and handed out placards to the middle sideline section of Harvard fans. The idea was that when everyone held up the placards at the same time, it would spell out “Go Harvard.” At least that’s what the fans were told.

Impressively, they managed to hand out 1800 squares of paper, so it would have been hard for anyone to know what it was about to say (people only had small parts of letters).

Trolling their own team

Of course, now we know those placards didn’t spell out “Go Harvard.”

Instead, they spelled out “We Suck.”

The section was mostly full of alumni (which somehow makes it even funnier). The student section was off to the side, so the Harvard students couldn’t quite see it – and they later denied it even happened (despite the photo).

But Yale fans and players could see it, and so could that Harvard football team.

Prankster Dylan Davey didn’t feel bad about hoodwinking the alumni. According to the Yale Daily News (cited below):

“It was almost sad,” said Davey. “There were all these grandfather and grandmother types — and they all had big smiles, saying, ‘Oh you’re so cute, I’m so glad you’re doing this.’ I felt bad for about two minutes. Then I got over it.”

– WTF fun facts

Source: “Elis outsmart Harvard with prank at Game” — Yale Daily News

WTF Fun Fact 12619 – The Official Bird of Madison

It all started off with a college prank.

Back in 1979, students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison decided to prank their dean. We’re guessing they had seen Animal House with John Belushi a few too many times.

It was a relatively innocent prank concocted and executed by a group of students known as the Pail & Shovel Party, who already had a reputation for their campus antics involving $10,000 toga parties and buying toys for students waiting to register for classes. Then there was that time they stuck a Statue of Liberty replica in a lake, but we digress.

To welcome back students in 1979, they decided to go as tacky as possible and decorate a lawn near the dean’s residence with pink plastic flamingos. One thousand and eight of them, to be exact.

It wasn’t until years later, when a newspaper columnist named Doug Moe wanted to commemorate the incident, that the idea of having an official bird came about. He lobbied to make it happen, despite the plastic flamingo not being an actual animal. In his defense, he said the city already had 5 “official” songs, so the bar seemed pretty low for making things official in the city. The move would be just another way for Madison to show it had a sense of humor about itself.

The city council agreed. Councilwoman Marsha Rummel, who voted in favor of the motion to adopt the plastic flamingo as the city’s official bird, said: “If you don’t have a little fun, [life]’s not worth living.” Fourteen other council members agreed, and only 4 opposed the motion.

Of course, not every city has an official bird.

According to Mental Floss,

“Most states have an official state bird, but it’s less common for a city to declare an official bird. About 28 American cities have proclaimed a fowl of choice: Chicago’s is the peregrine falcon and Key West, Florida’s is the chicken—and then there’s Madison, Wisconsin.”

– WTF fun facts

Source: “Why the Plastic Flamingo is the Official Bird of Madison, Wisconsin” — Mental Floss

WTF Fun Fact – The Finger Prank

WTF Fun Fact - The Finger Prank

In 2008, Nestle played an April Fool’s day prank on consumers by announcing that the name “Butterfinger” had been retired and that the new name “The Finger” was in effect immediately. They even distributed 200,000 Butterfinger bars with “The Finger” wrappers to 7-Eleven stores. – WTF Fun Facts

Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080401006597/en/BUTTERFINGER-R-Name-Change-an-April-Fools-Day-Prank-to-Celebrate-Launch-of-New-Butterfinger-Comedy-Network-on-Yahoo%21