DATE: Saturday, June 7, 1997                TAG: 9706070262

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   75 lines

SENIORS ATTEMPT TO LEAVE A LASTING MARK ON MAURY

The last clue of the possible last prank was buried in a box six paces from Maury High School's tennis court Friday.

``I hope it's not a dead animal,'' Principal Michael Spencer joked as he shoveled through the sand.

He had reason to be suspicious. Friday's gag was the last and most involved of seven weeks of senior pranks - 15 clues that took Spencer throughout the building, required an assistant principal to dive in the school pool for a clue, and brought Spencer to the sandpile.

The clue was written on crumpled brown paper placed in a box, and it directed him to the auditorium to find the ``true meaning of the class of 1997.''

Thousands of Hampton Roads seniors will celebrate, give their principals bouquets, buy a banner for the school gym to leave some mark behind as they finish high school, but Maury's seniors wanted to go beyond the edge of ordinary.

Friday was, supposedly, the last of weeks worth of pranks pulled by seniors on Spencer. But with the tricks and treats he's seen, Spencer can't be too sure.

One Friday morning, Spencer was greeted by a banner, made of 29 bedsheets, that flanked the front of the building:

``Seniors Rule the School!''

Another week, seniors filled Spencer's office, restroom, storage closet and filing closet with orange and blue balloons.

One week, the principal received a ransom note ordering him and the school's staff to meet certain demands or risk the seniors being kidnapped on prom day. Demands included addressing the school secretaries as ``Your Majesty,'' singing ``You Are My Sunshine'' on the morning announcements one day, and greeting every senior with ``You are my favorite senior!'' on another.

He didn't sing, but didn't expect to see many seniors on prom day anyway - it's traditionally Senior Skip Day.

``I went around with this silly hat on, knowing good and well it wouldn't make a difference,'' Spencer said, putting on a Daffy Duck hat.

But Spencer said he's had fun.

``I've looked forward to coming to school to see what would happen next, not dreading it,'' Spencer said. ``I think it speaks well of our kids.''

This fun took late nights, early mornings, and an intricate conspiracy of teachers, parents, students and staff. Students began talking about senior pranks in early April in hopes of starting a school tradition.

Two years ago, seniors dumped an old Volkswagen Beetle on the school steps, but last year's seniors didn't continue the trend.

``We've always wanted to do senior pranks,'' said Anne Magnan, 18. ``Make it so that other classes had something to look up to. And they'll have a lot.''

After seniors began talking about the tricks they tapped teachers to help with planning, and the school and community grapevine began to work.

School secretaries alerted the students to Spencer's comings and goings. Parents helped the students stitch together the thrift-store bedsheets and 200 feet of clothesline cord to make the banner. Students rode around at 11 o'clock some nights to ``borrow'' sand from city parks for some pranks.

Michael Harrison, 17, was afraid the school's nearly 300 seniors wouldn't work together.

``Initially, everyone was like this clique here, this clique there, with only a few connections between them,'' Michael said. ``But the seniors have come together.''

And on Friday, Spencer arrived in the auditorium, where 30 seniors greeted him with a wrapped, enlarged photo of the senior class.

Harrison only smiled when someone asked if Friday's scavenger hunt was truly the last.

``Maybe.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MOTOYA NAKAMURA/The Virginian-Pilot

Maury High School Principal Michael Spencer, at right, has been

given half a sandwich and a clue to finding a gift from the senior

class.

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