The goat-napping prank

Controversy hit Algonquin on May 20 when a group of four students brought a goat into the school, sparking a fierce debate over the nature of senior pranks.
Around 1:00 am, four students broke into the facility, where they dropped off Heidi, a goat stolen from the Hillside School farm in Marlborough. The goat was then discovered when a group of seniors executing another prank opened the doors of the school around 6:30 am.
“[The goat] roamed the halls, and then as soon as people started coming in, the goat got nervous and when they opened the door it bolted out. Now the goat doesn’t know what to do. Picture you being picked up in the middle of the night and taken some place,” said Facilities Manager Mike Gorman.
The facilities crew then took the goat to the shed behind the school where they gave it water and put it in a quiet area. They then contacted animal control, which returned the goat to its Hillside School home. Hillside School declined to comment for this article.

Media coverage and response
When the media got hold of the story, a Channel 7 News crew showed up at Algonquin later that afternoon. Students, including senior class president Pat Kane, talked with reporters, while the administration declined to comment.
“What seemed like a prank, it definitely crossed the line, especially in our class’s mind. We feel that this does not represent Algonquin,” said Kane to Channel 7 News.
“Sometimes it’s very appropriate for us to say no comment, not because we’re hiding anything, but because we can’t disclose the information to the public especially if we’re undergoing an active investigation,” said principal Tom Mead.
The reaction of the administration to the arrival of the media on campus was mixed.
“I don’t think any person in any school would be pleased to see their school, which they love so much, be presented in what could be perceived as a negative light,” said Laughton.
“I think the media actually helped us to solve this a little quicker than we might have… I do think that once the media became involved, it sort of ramped things up,” said Mead.
On the other hand, faculty believed that the media’s portrayal of the school was incorrect and misconceived.
“We’re probably one of the best schools in the state but then when you’re making the news for a goat in your school, I think that sends the wrong message and one that doesn’t really correlate to all the good things we do here,” said English teacher Seth Czarnecki.

Repercussions

On May 23, the four students responsible for the prank – sophomore Cooper Fowler, junior Justin Stassi, and seniors Adam Gustafson and Peter Scorzelli – identified themselves on the morning announcements as the perpetrators of the incident. At the behest of the administration, all four declined to comment.
Administrators have refused to publicize the exact punishments handed down to the four students, citing privacy laws. However, certain faculty members alluded to the nature of the discipline.
“There is some discipline involved and then there is some giving back to the community. There is a real recognition that what they did was not appropriate, by them and their families,” said Laughton.
“They did a great job of making penance, giving back in community service… they’re working with us,” said Gorman.
Although the school has completed its investigation into the incident, the town’s investigation is still underway. According to Officer Jeff Noel, who declined to be quoted, the perpetrators could be charged with larceny and breaking and entering. Breaking and entering is a felony offense, while larceny becomes a felony when the object in question is valued over $250.
Although Hillside School did not release the value of Heidi, according to the website Young American Growers the average price of a goat is $125.
Student reaction to the prank was mixed, with some of the student body viewing the prank as entertaining while others viewed it as intolerable due to its animal cruelty.
“The goat prank itself was not a good prank because it hurt an animal and because it gave our school a bad reputation,” said sophomore Hannah Eisenhofer.
“Maybe it could have been carried out a little less illegally but I definitely don’t think that it crossed the line. I think it was just a hilarious prank,” said senior Patrick Martins.
To many, the goat prank is indicative of a larger trend. Several faculty members have seen an escalation of senior pranks over the past few years.
“I feel like kids are trying to one-up [past pranks], whether it’s stuff they’ve seen other schools do or the year before them, just like they’re trying to come up with a new and creative way to invite someone to prom,” said science teacher Christine Connolly.
Administration acknowledges the difficulty in limiting pranks in the future, and has several ideas on how to suppress some of the more outrageous ones.
“These kids have all this energy; we need to find a productive and fun way to get that energy out… Let’s do something new, let’s do something fun, let’s do something that is constructive and creative,” said assistant principal Paul DiDomenico.