The term devious lick has been thrown around the school recently. For the students, we know exactly what this term means, but the teachers were less educated on the topic … at first. The faculty believed it was taking a bite of a sweet you were not supposed to eat, but they were unpleasantly surprised when they found out the true meaning: stolen items from the school. This random trend began on TikTok — showing students taking exit signs or soap dispensers; however, the thefted items began to become more expensive. TikTokers were shown stealing extremities not limited to microscopes, glassware, and lunch tables. While the trend was first only seen through our phones, Dover High School soon became a victim of it. 

Just last week, a soap dispenser was stolen from the men’s bathroom. While soap may seem unimportant, the dispenser was ripped from the wall — causing damage to the wall. Not to mention, as weird as it sounds, the soap used in our bathrooms is difficult to find and expensive. The perpetrators of this act were found through the use of social media and whispers in the hall. 

Now, I have to be honest with you guys, I thought the devious lick trend was hilarious; I mean who doesn’t love a good prank? But, there is a fine line between destructive pranks and funny pranks. For instance, stealing a teacher’s supplies or personal possessions would be destructive. More often than not, teachers purchase their decorations with their own money, so you aren’t stealing from the school, you are stealing from that teacher. On the other hand, a good prank would be labeling everything in the classroom with (appropriate) sticky notes. This prank is harmless, yet still has the potential to be funny. 

Overall, I want to advise the students of DHS to be open to talking about pranks they want to do with the administration or other teachers. Even though their job is to educate us, the staff does not mind a good joke here and there as long as it is polite and nondestructive. So next time you want to prank someone, run it by a teacher, principal, or other staff members to make sure that your seemingly simple joke does not results in dire consequences.