MBHS seniors cap off last day with annual class 'prank'

It’s “Senior Day” at Mountain Brook High School today, but rather than make the day all about them, the soon-to-be graduates dedicated the day to those always working behind the scenes.

On May 19—the last day seniors will walk their school’s halls—the students flooded MBH’S mall with colorful balloons, green and white streamers, and oversized signs. Rather than just commemorate the occasion, however, the hand-made signs were a tribute to the school’s custodians.

In the middle of the party, as students hugged, cheered, danced to music and took selfies, seniors Madeline Barron and Carlton Cooper temporarily paused the celebration to publicly thank the custodians.

“We really love y’all and we wanted you to know that all your work doesn’t go unnoticed,” they said, standing atop chairs above the crowd.

To thank them for their work, the students filled large baskets with some of the custodians’ favorite things. With that, the students erupted into applause, and once again, the selfies began—but this time, with the school’s custodians in them. Student after student lined up to take pictures with Tim Waldrup, a custodian at the school for the last two years.

“The seniors decided they wanted to honor us this year,” said Waldrup. “That’s special.”

Unlike in previous years, where the seniors “pranks” have sometimes left the custodians working in overdrive to clean up, the “Sweet 16” seniors—as they refer to themselves—pledged that today, it would be them cleaning up the mess. One of the event’s organizers, 17-year-old Barron, said senior prank day has in the past, been the “worst day” in terms of cleanup for the custodians. But today, with trash bags, brooms and ladders in tow, the seniors worked to clear the school’s hallways and lockers from remnants of the party.

“Instead of making it the worst day for them,” said “Barron,” we wanted to make it one of the best.”

Barron said the idea for the reverse prank of sorts came to fruition a few weeks ago on the heels of unimaginable tragedy. In a matter of days, the MBHS family both grieved the passing of one of its own and worked to comfort another after he lost all his possessions. When students learned that custodian Joe Askew had passed away, and that another custodian, Leny Miller, had lost all his possessions when his apartment burned down, they all resolved they had to do something, said Barron.  

Speaking just steps from a hallway sign that read “Fly high Mr. Joe,” Miller spoke on what the MBHS community has meant to him.

“It’s a blessing,” said Miller, of his last two years working as a custodian at the school. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

MBHS, he said, is the “best place in the world” to work because of the school’s discipline, smooth operations and respectful students. That environment, he said, is what has kept him around. Despite losing his home, Miller hasn’t missed a day of work.

To help with his recovery costs, the school, he said, has helped raise approximately $1,000 for him.

“What’s incredible,” said MBHS Principal Amanda Hood, “is that in turn, Leny turned around and donated some of the money to help the family of Mr. Joe with funeral expenses.”

Hood said that when she first heard word about what the senior class was planning to do on its last day at school, she was incredible moved.

“I read Madeline’s email late one night and started crying,” she said. “This entire class has been so kind. I couldn’t think of a better way for them to say goodbye than to thank those who always work behind the scenes. I’m so proud of them.”

Hood said she was impressed by the student’s selflessness.

“Today is supposed to be all about them,” she said. “But instead, they decided to make the day about others. Their selflessness is pretty powerful.”

Experiencing two catastrophic events back to back helped unite not just the school, she said, but the community as well. The school’s family-like environment, she said, was especially evident as the donations for Miller included not just those of current students and their parents, but also of MBHS graduates.

“We’re seeing the best side of this community,” she said. “It is generous and full of kindness.”

For the rest of the day, on top of cleaning up the school, the “Sweet 16” will enjoy a day of games and fun outside, said Hood, as well as food trucks and yearbook signings.

“They deserve it all,” she said.