Ah, April Fools Day- a great tradition. What could be more fun than a day in which pranksters can reign supreme and defer blame to the date on the calendar?

I’m hoping that by now, anyone reading this will have realized that the cover pages of this Ionian are meant to be in celebration of this fun-filled holiday. For those of you that thought the stories on our front page were factual, just remember- you can’t believe everything you hear!

The origin of April Fools Day, according to experts and the Internet, is shrouded in mystery. There are countless theories as to how the holiday came about, but none have been singled out as the definitive source of mischief.

But who really cares to know how April Fools Day started? The important thing is, the holiday is fast approaching and the possibilities for pranking are endless.

Fresh out of ideas? Well, don’t you fret, Gaels! I’m here give you some inspiration for your own celebrations. I would say ‘don’t try this at home,’ but where would be the fun in that?

The Memo: Run to Staples and buy as many sticky notes as you can afford, then wait until your victim is at class and spend the hour covering every inch of their room in sticky notes.

Extra! Extra!: Get as many old magazines and newspapers as you can find. When your victim is out, remove everything hanging in their closet and fill the closet with crumpled newspaper- the more the better.

Topsy-Turvy: Turn everything in your victim’s room upside down. Furniture, bedding, posters, pictures- make sure you get it all.

Rainy Day: Open your victim’s umbrella and fill it with confetti and glitter. The next time it’s raining, watch as your victim stays dry but has to pick confetti out of their hair for the whole day. Forget about the glitter- that’ll stick around for weeks.

Good Morning: Wait until your roommate/victim goes to bed. Tape down a few pieces of saran wrap in the place they would normally place their feet to get out of bed in the morning. Then, cover the saran wrap in whipped cream. Set your alarm for a minute or two before your roommate’s so you can watch the show. (This one works best on heavy sleepers!)

Hair Hell: Buy a bottle of baby powder and pour some into the front of your victim’s hairdryer, making sure to clean off the front so it doesn’t look funny. When your friend goes to dry their hair, the baby powder will blow everywhere, covering their head.

The Fountain: Place a clear piece of tape over the mouth of the faucet so that it covers all of the mouth except a small sliver in the front. Complain to your victim that the faucet isn’t working, there must be a problem and they had to shut the water off. Most people want to prove claims like this to themselves, so they will feel compelled to test the sink themselves. Stand back and watch the waterworks as they get soaked!

In the spirit of April Fools, try some of these pranks on unsuspecting friends or come up with your own variations. Most of these jokes are the funniest if you can find a way to stick around and gauge your victim’s reaction.

Just keep in mind that the best pranks don’t actually hurt anybody (permanently) and that, in the end, nothing should be permanently damaged. Also keep in mind that you may have to clean up a mess.

Get out there and have a little fun, Gaels. Life is too short to pass up an opportunity to create laughter. Choose your victims wisely!

To contact the Ionian’s Julie Donato, e-mail her at [email protected]