It seems that every other year, a bizarre practical joke becomes a trend in public schools. This year ‘nuggeting’ is gaining popularity once again.

Sophomore Andrew Diehl defines it as, “Killing a chicken and breading it.” However, this is not the type of nugget we are talking about. Nuggeting is a recurring practical joke among students in which someone will take the contents out of another unsuspecting student’s book bag, and then continue with turning said backpack inside-out. The question remains, however: Is this just a minor inconvenience, or a form of bullying?

When asked if they had been nuggeted, most students will jump at the chance to name the perpetrator of this less-than unfortunate event. Andrew Diehl immediately pointed out he was nuggeted by Anthony Perrico. Then, sophomore Ben Stephens then said he was nuggeted by Andrew Diehl.

However, when asked if they had commited this action, most would not answer directly.

Andrew Diehl questioned, “Are you accusing me of something?” While sophomore Matt Morris stated, “I tried.”

Most students agree it is an inconvenience, though some think of this action more severely than others.

Sophomore Jem Shafer believes nuggeting is “terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible; like crying anger.”

However, Andrew Diehl joked that, “that stuff’s wack, yo.”

Sophomore Megan Dunning believes this game is simply a joke unless taken too far, “It’s a joke if you did it once, but if you do it over and over again it’s bullying. People like doing this because they like joking around. I think this is going to die out soon.”

Senior Emily Petkosek is less hopeful that this trend will disappear stating that, “There’ll always be that one kid that will never grow up.”

In fact, it seems nuggeting has become an issue for several teachers. Mr. Herner stated, “Nuggeting is becoming very annoying. Some teachers have even made their classes Nugget-Free Zones.”

The question still remains: Is this a form of bullying? If taken to a larger extent, where a student has to actually be on the lookout for their own personal belongings every single day of the year, then chances are the joke has been taken too far. However, as a one-time minor practical joke among friends, it can be completely acceptable. The main issue is how it affects students. Most of the time it takes about one to two minutes to unfold a nuggeted book bag, which can be a problem if done in the middle of a lesson or at the end of class. Keep this joke as a joke, and do not turn it into a nuisance. Also, according to the student handbook, any “disruption of school” or “rude/disrespectful behaviors by students are subject to progressive discipline. So, be wary of your decisions and what consequences you may face.