Students Scrambled After Egg War Gets Ugly

Proof that eggs really can be bad for your health

By JESSICA GREENE

Updated 7:49 AM PST, Fri, Oct 30, 2009

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Several students at Palo Alto High School have more than just egg on their faces after an annual tradition turned ugly.

Every year, juniors and seniors target each other with eggs as part of the Spirit Week activities. The "Egg Wars" usually take place in woods at nearby Stanford University. But, this year, campus police discouraged the students so the egg-toting soldiers headed over to rival Gunn High School for the quacky event.

"It is not a harmless tradition," Paly Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson told the high school's paper, the Voice.

This year, however, the tradition became more than just a little messy when several students came away from the fight with something other than slime and yolk on their faces. It seems the projectiles at this year's Egg War were frozen. As a result of the direct hits, many involved left the battlefield with bruises and welts.

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"Someone was grilled in the eye." Berkson said. "If it was a direct hit they could be blinded. The eye is right next to the temple; they could be hit in the temple and killed. Someone had a busted lip. Someone had a swollen eye."

Many students involved were suspended and school authorities threatened to cancel the remaining Spirit Week activities. Students held a protest on campus after hearing about the suspensions.

Student government members sent a letter of apology to Gunn High and a meeting is scheduled with campus representatives there, a Palo Alto High official said.

The story has generated a lot of online comments. Many saying the suspensions were too harsh for a traditional event designed to be fun. Seems like a proper complaint. Isn't the idea of education, just that? If students are suspended for having a little fun, how does that help their education?

Some suggest the school organize the event and provide a place for the goo-tossing. Most all of the commenters are in agreement that the battle is a good way for students to "blow off some steam" after several recent suicides at nearby train tracks.