“I could barely sit in the art hall because the smell was so bad.”₁

“It was stinking up the classroom for weeks and we couldn’t tell what it was.”₂

“The smell was so bad it gave me a headache.”₃

For weeks, reports of an unpleasant skunky odor have been filling the halls.

Rumors ran amok as to the source of the funky scent. But in a tale that smells more like adventure, students and staff were greeted with an unexpected surprise Wednesday morning: skunks on campus.

The unconventional guests made their debut in the early hours of the day. 

Art teacher Emily Delarios was the first to suspect that something might be wrong. 

“I never actually found any skunks; my room has just smelled for about a month,” she said. “I submitted a work order, and the rest has been up to the maintenance department. The maintenance crews and animal control have been setting traps and have caught two skunks!”

Rather than causing panic, the sight of the skunks sparked a wave of curiosity among the students, excited at the potential to see a furry friend.

“At first, we thought it was a prank,” said junior Amogh Thantry. “But it makes sense. There has been a smell in the art hallway for some time now, and it being a skunk was the last thing I expected, but it’s still pretty cool.”

Principal Stacey Whaling, although initially concerned about potential odor issues, quickly rallied the staff to ensure the safety of both the skunks and the students.

”A skunk was out front, so we had to call animal control to safely remove it and make sure no one gets hurt,” she said.

The memories of the unexpected visit by skunks may linger on in the halls, but Whaling has a plan in place.

“We do have traps outside trying to catch them so animal control can safely cart them away,” she said. “So that’s the plan right now, is just to catch them out back.”

1 – senior Amna Faisal

2 – senior Zikra Juwaria Mohammed 

3 – junior Alanna Chang