Life in the bubble took on new meaning Tuesday, March 9, when the class of 2010 treated the school to a lavishly enacted prank in which the main building was turned into Pico Boulevard and other hot-spots frequented by Shalhevet students.
Arriving in the morning, students were welcomed with a bubble rave in the car line, and the main hallway greeted them with fragrances of greenery and incense. The floor was lined with colored paper painted with lane dividers, and seniors pedaled toy cars up and down the “street.” Above their heads, blue butcher paper painted with white clouds stretched out on the hallway ceiling.
“It was the coolest thing that I could’ve ever imagined they would do,” remarked freshman Eitan Rothman. “Everything was so accurate, and funny, and tasteful to Shalhevet.”
The prank’s aim was to affectionately poke fun of the “bubble” that Shalhevet students live in – going to the same places, worrying about the same things, and even playing the same Facebook games. Seniors started at 9 p.m. the previous night and were waiting outside when carpools began arriving round 7:30 a.m.
Inside, the student lounge had become Venice Beach, with plenty of real sand, beach balls, toys, and chairs, and a psychedelic chalk design decorating the wall. The only thing missing were the inebriated street performers, Rastafarian merchandise, and other edgy content.
However, this void was filled in Mrs. Sunshine’s room, which was transformed into a hookah bar. Incense burned and empty hookahs decorated the room, lit suggestively by candle. Loud Middle Eastern music blared, and mischievous students inside got a few ideas for their 18th birthdays.
Most notably, the seniors managed to set up a petting zoo in the courtyard, featuring live rabbits, chickens, ducks, a goat and a small pony. They named the petting zoo “Farmville,” after the popular Facebook application [see related story, page 19], and played Farmville’s theme music over loudspeakers.
High school students weren’t the only ones that enjoyed the presence of the faux-farm; troops of elementary and middle schoolers took turns cuddling with the creatures.
“My favorite room is a tie between the petting zoo, where I initially had thought it was the middle schoolers in the cage, and the hookah bar which magically transported us back to the Middle East and fond memories of the King David Gate,” commented Joel Fisher, Math teacher and Athletics Director.
Along with Pico, Westwood Boulevard was also represented. In addition to Habibi’s (on Westwood), the students recreated trendy ice cream shop Diddy Riese and handed out ice cream sandwiches to every visitor. Stop signs, traffic lights, street signs, traffic cones, and street-side shrubbery adorned the halls.
Students responded favorably and faculty members played good sports by giving their students first period to play around.
“I thought it was ingenious,” remarked sophomore Justin Brand-Sarif. “I think they very accurately portrayed the average Los Angeles student’s life style.”
This may raise the bar for the juniors, and has definitely got the underclassmen thinking about their parting gifts to the school.
“They just can’t top what we did,” said Maya Harel, senior class president. “We brought a petting zoo to the school, gave kids ice cream, and had a party at Bibi’s! You just can’t top that creativity.”
Editor-in-Chief Lexi Gelb also contributed to this story.
