delight
A prank turned kind. Now every freshman hugs mom goodbye.
The seniors could have gone crueler. They went with a kiss.
Freshmen arriving at Bishop Kelly High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma face one demand from the senior class on day one. Kiss your mom, dad, or grandparent goodbye before the opening bell, in front of everyone. The seniors swarm the parking lot, mob the arriving cars, and make sure the newcomers do what, as one put it, "we all had to do." Asked by CBS News' Steve Hartman what could possibly be more embarrassing for a 14-year-old, a senior said, "That's why it's perfect." The tradition is younger than it looks. Seniors used to prank freshmen like everyone else, until the class of 2001 decided the ritual should be kinder, if no less mortifying. The result is a parent driving away feeling good and a freshman walking in with red cheeks. Parents, it turns out, are the ones who need the goodbye more.
