Pwnage of the Year

[JJChicken]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s...=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

A high school student who tricked football fans from a crosstown rival school into holding up squares of construction paper at a stadium that together spelled out, "We Suck," was suspended for the prank, students said.

Kyle Garchar, a senior at Hilliard Davidson High School in suburban Columbus, said he spent about 20 hours over three days plotting the trick, which was captured on video and posted on the video-sharing Web site YouTube.

Garchar said he was inspired by a similar prank pulled by Yale students in 2004, when Harvard fans were duped into holding up cards with the same message.

At the end of the video, Garchar wryly thanks the 800 parents, staff and alumni from Hillard Darby High School who raised the cards at the start of the third quarter during last Friday's game played at Crew Stadium, home of Columbus' Major League Soccer team.

"It couldn't have been done without you," reads the closing frame of the video, which had been viewed more than 4,400 times by Thursday.

Garchar, 17, first went to Crew Stadium to take a picture of the seats. Then he created a grid to plan how the message would be spelled out once fans in three sections held up either a black or white piece of construction paper.

Directions left on stadium seats instructed fans to check that the number listed on their papers matched their seat numbers. Darby supporters were told the message would read "Go Darby."

"It was tedious," Garchar said. "I didn't really think it was going to work."

But it did, and everyone at Hilliard Davidson has been talking about the trick, said Jordan Moore, a junior.

"That was the ultimate in-your-face," he said. "I think it was ingenious."

Davidson Principal John Bandow had told students that he expected them to show sportsmanship at Friday's football game, which Darby won 21-10 in the first meeting between the two schools.

Bandow called Garchar to his office Monday morning, and gave him three days of in-school suspension and also banned him from participating in school activities for a semester, students said. Two other students who helped organize the trick received the same punishment.

Hilliard schools spokeswoman Michelle Wray couldn't confirm the students' punishment on Thursday because the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act forbids the release of student disciplinary information.

But Jen Trimmer, 17, one of the students involved in the prank, said the suspensions for the three students began Wednesday and were to end Friday.

"We weren't expecting it to be such a severe punishment," she said Thursday. "We just thought it was all in good fun."

Stephen Bell, a Darby freshman, was at the stadium but missed the big moment.

"It was sneaky, knifing and down right clever," he said Wednesday. "But we'll get them back."

:laugh:

 

[dabuddha]

pics!!!

 

[grohl]

genius. Suspension? what a load of crap.

oh yeah, link

 

[bignateyk]

haha nice.

That punishment is a bit harsh, but either way, i'd say it was worth it.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: grohl
genius. Suspension? what a load of crap.

oh yeah, link

Awesome. Companies should be climbing over each other to employ that guy.

As far as the suspension... sure, it sucks, but they had to discipline him no matter how cool the prank.

 

[tfinch2]

Suspension for that?

The pussification of America continues...

 

[NuclearNed]

Those kids just became legends at their school. They won't have any problem finding prom dates.

 

[theprodigalrebel]

This is the stuff Bond villains are made of. This kid has a future in world domination.
Evil Genius FTW. :thumbsup:

 

[clamum]

:thumbsup:

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Suspension for that?

The pussification of America continues...

It's only a 3 day in school suspension. What sucks more is they "banned him from participating in school activities for a semester."

They really couldn't *not* punish him. I don't see how that is really "pussification".

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
As far as the suspension... sure, it sucks, but they had to discipline him no matter how cool the prank.

Why?

Rival schools are always going to do stupid things to each other.

It's better than something destructive... like when my high school spelled our school name in diesel fuel on the rival school's field... who retaliated by tearing down one of our field goal posts. I believe the kids involved from both schools got pretty much the same punishment as this.

Not saying they should throw the kid a parade, but I think something like a couple of detentions would be more suiting... IF they really felt the need to punish him.

 

[clamum]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Suspension for that?

The pussification of America continues...

I wouldn't say in this instance it's "pussification", but realistically I can't see school officals doing absolutely nothing about it. Three days is a little much but if I was planning doing this I'd keep in mind the fact that I would probably get punished to some degree afterwards.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: moshquerade
As far as the suspension... sure, it sucks, but they had to discipline him no matter how cool the prank.

Why?

Rival schools are always going to do stupid things to each other.

It's better than something destructive... like when my high school spelled our school name in diesel fuel on the rival school's field... who retaliated by tearing down one of our field goal posts. I believe the kids involved from both schools got pretty much the same punishment as this.

Not saying they should throw the kid a parade, but I think something like a couple of detentions would be more suiting... IF they really felt the need to punish him.

The "pussification", as another poster put it, comes from NOT making someone accountable for their actions. Ask the kid if the punishment fit his "crime". You may find he agrees. I am sure he expected to be reprimanded after this prank, but felt it was worth the risk. It's not like they aren't going to let him graduate.

 

[Aikouka]

It's not like the signs actually said something vulgar or profane ...

 

[Modular]

You can hardly make out what they say anyways...

 

[Demon-Xanth]

That's not grounds for suspension. That's grounds for some type of an award!

 

[rocadelpunk]

haha, i wouldn't mind if the world was dominated by someone from c-bus : P

in your face, world.

 

[PhoenixOrion]

i remember kids from my high school have done a whole lot worse, in terms of pranks, with rival schools.

garchar? garchar? garchar? [ben stein]

 

[Xavier434]

That kid rocks for pulling it off.

I don't like the idea of banning him from activities for a semester though. I don't see how that helps. A lot of these kids benefit just as much in life by participating in sports teams, bands, ROTC, and other academic organizations as they do the classes themselves.

Foolish punishment.

 

[imported_Imp]

What the hell is "in-school suspension"? Do they lock them in a room or something...

Pretty good prank, no one hurt, no damaged property. Considering that, the suspension seems a bit harsh, but hey definately had to discipline them.

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: Imp
What the hell is "in-school suspension"? Do they lock them in a room or something...

Pretty good prank, no one hurt, no damaged property. Considering that, the suspension seems a bit harsh, but hey definately had to discipline them.

You sit in the detention room for the entire day with absolutely nothing to do. It's not very fun (had it once or twice in highschool).

On a side note, "out of school" suspension is deemed a worse punishment, but IMHO it's a hell of alot better than "in school".

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: bignateyk

Originally posted by: Imp
What the hell is "in-school suspension"? Do they lock them in a room or something...

Pretty good prank, no one hurt, no damaged property. Considering that, the suspension seems a bit harsh, but hey definately had to discipline them.

You sit in the detention room for the entire day with absolutely nothing to do. It's not very fun (had it once or twice in highschool).

On a side note, "out of school" suspension is deemed a worse punishment, but IMHO it's a hell of alot better than "in school".

Ah, the detention room... they made me come in an hour before class started a few times before. Like 8:50 wasn't early enough... That'd definately worse than "out of school" considering that most people will probably just read "suspension" in your permanent record anyways.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: grohl
genius. Suspension? what a load of crap.

oh yeah, link

Awesome. Companies should be climbing over each other to employ that guy.

As far as the suspension... sure, it sucks, but they had to discipline him no matter how cool the prank.

Why? His prank was completely unoriginal. I believe it was Yale students who did the same thing to Harvard alumni a few years ago (same wording). But they were just copying some Caltech students who did something similar at a game between two other teams (Stanford and someone else?) a few decades ago (they had them spell out Caltech).

 

[AmpedSilence]

well done.

as far as punishment, the admins HAD to do something. I wouldn't be surprised if after they gave down the punishment, there was a small wink and good job following; but behind closed doors of course. The punishment of banning him from school activities was stupid though. The in-school suspension I pretty much agree with.

 

[glenn beck]

ummm he got owned they lost