Spring Fling TPing, traditions escalate class rivalries

When junior Savannah Green’s doorbell rang at 11:45 p.m. on April 26, the night before the juniors vs. seniors Powderpuff game, she was shocked to see her front yard strewn haphazardly with toilet paper. Even though she suspected that the senior girls’ Powderpuff football players were the culprits, the team was nowhere to be seen.

“I was actually very surprised because it was really quiet and I didn’t hear anything, even with my window open,” Green said, “so props to them.” 

Every year during Spring Fling season, class rivalries result in teams toilet papering, or “TP-ing” other classes. According to junior Kylie Stokes, it is a tradition for the seniors to TP the juniors the night before Powderpuff finals, as friendly pre-game competition. 

Stokes came home from setting up the Spring Fling rally and scared away a group of seniors on her front yard.

“I had a good laugh about it because they did a terrible job, probably because I interrupted them in the middle of it,” Stokes said. “The class competitions get really out of hand sometimes, but it’s been a ritual for a while now.” 

Despite the rivalry between the juniors and seniors, Green said the TPing tradition is a fun way to “get at each other” before the games and get everyone on the team pumped up. Green says that since toilet paper can be easily cleaned up, the tradition does not do any harm. 

“If you don’t take it too personally, it’s not a big deal, and it’s kind of fun to get excited and do some sort of ‘vandalism,’” Green said.