Moving forward

After vandalized houses were cleaned up and students arrived back in class after Pepfest, administration looked to the causes of these traditions in order to mitigate their effects.

In the Student Council meeting Oct. 11, Miller noted that Student Council itself held some complicity in the events that occurred.

“We’ve got to take some responsibility for setting the tone of the Pepfest when it comes to getting everybody amped up. It just felt crazy in there. Kids were very amped up,” Miller said.

Bullinger said that the timing and structure of Pepfest also causes students to channel their energy negatively.

“Thinking about the conditions of Pepfest, we’ve got everybody kind of hyped up after 45 minutes together, and all of a sudden we’re like, ‘Ok, now go back to class and sit down and learn.’ Nobody’s really in that mindset at that point, so I think that’s part of why this happens,” Bullinger said.

As a result, future Pepfests will undergo major changes. Administration is considering shortening Pepfests, moving them to fourth block, and ending them with dismissal by Bullinger. Bullinger also believes that connecting with juniors and sophomores can bring this tradition to an end.

“My hope is to connect with students about deciding that we can do this a different way. We can come up with a new tradition or whatever that might be that’s still fun and still a senior tradition but is not going to put anybody in danger,” Bullinger said.

As far as the senior girls’ vandalism, Bullinger said that administrative action is difficult due to the tradition’s timing.

“It’s tough to be proactive in the summertime; it’s obviously a lot easier to be proactive during the school year. That’s why we have class meetings, and that’s why I was so disappointed to see some of the behavior we did during Homecoming week,” Bullinger said. “In the summertime, you’re totally stuck being reactive to it all.”

In another meeting on Oct. 25, Student Council proposed ways to alleviate the negative environment events such as the Pepfest caused. Short-term solutions proposed included locking the bathroom doors before Pepfest and increasing a staff presence among the student sections. Many Student Council members also suggested changes in student culture, including an all-school service project and showcasing student achievements.

During the meeting, Student Council representative Jaxon Parker, junior, said that long-term solutions will be necessary to truly effectuate change in the student body.

“We have to remember student culture cannot change overnight,” Parker said. “And if we want something— a plan of unity and projects and all of these great things to happen we have to realize that it’s probably not going to happen this year or next year. It has to be a long-term plan that we know will work and will have a positive effect on the students.”

Bullinger hopes that future seniors will have the maturity to end the tradition and its consequences. He said that HHS’ unique 10-12 grade structure can also allow for impactful change to be made more easily, as students are exposed to these traditions for a shorter duration of their high school careers.

Nevertheless, Smith believes that the social pressure to continue these traditions will allow for them to continue forever.

“Ultimately, if you can persuade a whole entire class, I applaud you. But as of right now, there’s always going to be that little group within a large group that is going to want to rebel against someone else,” Smith said.