Photos Courtesy of: Dibo Elango, Will Brent Inzana and Alesha Waldron

Soap dispensers. Paper towel holders. Toilet paper. Microscopes. Entire Toilets. 

For the past few weeks, Grandview and countless schools throughout the country have fallen victim to increased vandalism under the name of the Devious Lick Challenge on TikTok. 

While petty thefts were just the beginning, the robberies soon increased to vandalism and complete destruction of public property. 

We’ve all seen the pictures of the Kool-Aid covered toilet circulating on social media platforms. Not to mention the gaping holes that have been left in the drywall of the bathrooms. 

Dr. Roberts has now been forced to close all bathrooms except the 200s, with the boys being down to only one functional restroom. 

Not to mention, we are still in the middle of an active pandemic, and are running out of soap. This is not just a matter of damaged property, this is a risk to the health of the entire Grandview population. 

 A TikTok challenge has now been taken to the extreme, where people’s health and lives are being toyed with. 

What have we come to?

The sheer lack of community during these times are astounding. We are all in this school together, and have a shared responsibility to uphold a standard of care for both the building and the grounds. 

We have been left with damaged property, a littered-strew cafeteria, teachers on edge, hesitant to let students leave the class. We are now having to spend five to ten minutes just to use the restroom, all due to the horrible actions of certain individuals. 

To the few perpetrating these actions, is this the kind of school you want to have? 

We are young adults here, able to be held to a certain standard of behavior, and these actions are childless at least, below middle-school behavior at most. 

Not to mention that these actions have consequences that affect the entire student body. 

These actions are vandalism.

These actions are illegal. 

We all have a role to play in returning the school to normal. Students, please speak up if you hear of something happening so that this situation can be resolved quickly. 

This school is a place of responsible freedoms, which we have now seen can be stripped away as quickly as they can be given. 

Please think consciously about what actions you choose to take going through. Remember that your actions have consequences, both for yourself and others.