TSC April Fools' Day pranks receive attention nationwide
By Brittany Benjamin
News flash: football is not returning to Santa Clara.
But for several minutes last Thursday, The Santa Clara readers believed it might.
Last week TSC released its first April Fools' Day issue since 1999. It contained fake stories announcing the ban of skateboards on campus, co-ed dorm rooms -- and to both the delight and dismay of students -- the return of Santa Clara's football team. The publication was mentioned in news outlets across the country.
The issue's first two pages were completely fabricated, the handiwork of TSC's Editor-in-Chief Kurt Wagner, who wrote under the pseudonyms of Ferris Bueller, McLovin and Carl Spackler. The second page warning read, "Pages 1 and 2 may lack accuracy."
As word traveled, the issue grabbed the attention of both students and the university.
University officials even posted the football story on the university's Facebook page. Fourty-one users stamped their approval on the story and the prank as they clicked the "like" button.
"It definitely got me," one comment said. "I was so excited for 30 seconds."
Another comment thought the prank should have continued longer. "You jumped the gun! You should have let it play out for awhile!"
But not all reaction to the story was positive. Some comments mentioned that the prank was cruel, mean and lame because students and alumni are still bitter about losing the team in 1993.
"If I could smack the person who came up with this idea, I would," one comment said. "I hated that we had no football team. You suck."
Said another: "Not actually that funny, given how many alumni are still infuriated with the university and refuse to donate since the school got rid of football. It's still a very sore subject for some people."
Despite the mixed reactions the prank received on campus, news organizations highlighted TSC's prank as an example of April Fools' Day mischief.
The Chronicle of Higher Education listed TSC's fake issue as one the 10 best pranks from college papers. "Football fans at Santa Clara may have their dreams crushed if they find out the student's newspaper's front-page story is a hoax," the Chronicle wrote.
Additionally, The Washington Post featured a story on the best April Fools' pranks worldwide. TSC made the list, and was lumped with other pranks from Johns Hopkins University, which is dropping the "s" in "Johns"; and Starbucks, which added two new drink sizes: Plenta (128 fl oz) and Micra (2 fl oz).
TSC was also featured on KTVU.com and NBC Bay Area. KTVU.com featured a story solely on TSC's prank; meanwhile, NBC Bay Area likened TSC to Google's name change to Topeka and highlighted other April Fools' gags. According to the article, Ben and Jerry's offered virtual ice cream and FunnyOrDie.com became Bieber or Die, after teen star Justin Bieber apparently bought the site.
It will be 11 years before the next April Fools' Day falls on Thursday, TSC's distribution day. Santa Clara, TSC is warning you now; on April 1, 2021, TSC might announce Locatelli is returning.
Contact Brittany Benjamin at brbenjamin@scu.edu or (408) 554-4546.