According to police reports, multiple accounts of vandalism involving cars being egged were reported to authorities the nights of Nov.  25 and 26. The situation prompted victims to share how they were affected and provided a chance for admin to give advice on how to handle similar incidents.

“I want people to know that yes, some pranks are funny, but egging isn’t one of those pranks,” senior Madison Hutchinson said. “There’s a point where it’s not funny anymore because so many cars were damaged.”

While egging may seem like a harmless prank, it can cause severe damage. The initial impact of the shell can scratch cars. In addition, if left uncleaned, the egg yolk can be corrosive to the car’s surface, causing paint to deteriorate.

“My mom and I spent about an hour the next morning scraping egg off of my car, cleaning it with vinegar,” senior Gracie Baum said. “I then had to go to the car wash to get the rest off.”

Because the cases did not occur during a school activity or on school property, the responsibility of addressing the issues rested with law enforcement.

“A lot of people assume when something happens that someone else is going to tell the administration or the police, but that is not always true,” Police Chief Paul Cairney said. “We need as many people as possible to come forward and tell us what happened so we can have that information to go on and solve the issue.”

Some may be reluctant to share information in fear of social pressure.

“If we get involved with something and someone is getting in trouble, we never disclose the names of people that informed us,” Principal James Hill said. “We don’t expect [students] to solve problems or intervene, but we just want to know about issues, so we can address them.”

Hill encourages students to follow these procedures if they are a target of vandalism.

“Make sure parents are involved and do a police report right away,” Hill said. “Take pictures and document whatever the damage is really well. Lastly, record the time frames of when your car was parked there and when you believe it happened, or anything you think would help the police investigate and put a case together.”

While incidents like this often bring about negativity and grief, Hill reminds students to draw their attention towards the AHS motto, ‘We are Argyle.’

“When you rise above and treat others that have wronged you with kindness and compassion, that shows tremendous character,” Hill said. “Now you really put it back on them, and it will help them learn a much better lesson.”