Hereās an oldie but a goodie: (please note, for best recommended results, try at liberal arts institutions known for being fans of theater)
As seniors, my friends and I greeted freshmen students (no one asked us to). One of us held a clip board and pen. One held a tailorās measuring tape. And one had a sharpie and a small stack of āHello my name is _______ā name tags. Hereās how the prank goes.
1) Cheerfully greet each student as if youāre an official greeting team of some sort. Clip board holder says āFriend, letās get you a name tagā
2) Measuring tape holder proceeds forward, holding out tape-measures something random about the person (something where you donāt actually need to be up close and personal, like the length of their shin from 2 feet away, or I suppose you could try asking āplease may I measure your wristā or some such). Measuring person calls out a number. Possibly two.
3) Clip board person studiously records the number on a chart. Nods gravely/excitedly/smoothly/suspiciously/enthusiastically/whatever at Name tag person.
4) Name tag person writes down something utterly totally random in the tag blank. Like āpeanut butterā or ā aerodynamic jellyfishā. With great ceremony, tag person hands tag to new student. All prankers bow, or offer waves, while saying āPleased to meet you (name tag name), welcome to college! We hope you have a great year!ā And walk away in whatever style suits you best.
Done correctly, this can happen so fast and flawlessly that parents, new students and onlookers will all be awed and confused by the time youāre out of earshot and if they see you later, will simply go āhey, itās the welcoming committee!ā and laugh. And itās so much fun.
blakekathryn
stormborns
gummygunk
origamiaround
turnnoffyourmind
germansingergirl
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
