Who are you fooling?

Students gear up for fooling

One year ago today, LSA sophomore Alex Gregor stumbled out of bed, wandered into the hall and noticed some familiar-looking underwear.

"These girls from my hall had taken four or five pairs of my underwear and taped them all over the hall," said Gregor, laughing with friends as he recalled the April Fool's incident.

Gregor said that even though it was embarrassing to see his drawers on display, he didn't get mad because of the obvious planning that had gone into the prank.

"I was pretty impressed. For weeks these girls went into my room while I was taking a shower and pilfered my underwear one pair at a time," Gregor said.

ALLISON CANTER/Daily Melody Kibbel gets into the spirit of April Fool's Day yesterday, trying on a pair of X-Ray goggles at the Gags & Gifts store in Arborland Mall.

Today, as calendar pages turn to April, many other University students will join Gregor as victims of April Fool's Day pranks.

Some perpetrators said they will use gadgets to aid their mischievous schemes.

Donna Reid, a manager at the Gag & Gifts store in Arborland Mall, said that during this time of year, there is a definite increase in sales of their novelty items because people enjoy having fun with the holiday.

"Life's too serious. People like to have fun, kick back, pull a prank and get a good laugh," Reid said.

Some of the popular items people use in their tricks include fake dog excrement, itching powder, sour candy and chewing gum that turns the chewer's mouth different colors.

"But the favorite are joy buzzers," Reid said.

Most students who said they are planning an April fools joke will use items they already own. For LSA sophomore Ryan Smith, the key ingredient for this year's practical joke will be glue.

Smith said he plans to spread super glue on his roommate's pillow after his roommate leaves the room. His roommate played a similar prank on another friend last year and said it was successful.

"They actually had to cut the pillow off of his head," Smith said.

Smith said he wants to play the trick on his roommate to give him a taste of his own medicine.

"He's a prankster and deserves it back," he said.

For Music junior Ernie Nolan, the only item needed for his prank today will be a telephone.

"I'm planning on telling my parents I'm a Republican," Nolan said with a smile.

Nolan said he is afraid his joke won't be convincing. "They'll laugh; they'll know it's just for April Fool's Day," Nolan said.

LSA senior Jonathan Erber said he wasn't quite sure what pranks he would pull this year, but that his past gags of calling friends at 7:30 in the morning and pretending he needed someone to post bail had taught him some key guidelines.

"You have to do it early in the morning," Erber said. "One, they won't remember it's April Fool's Day, and two, they won't be coherent."

Erber also said it is helpful to get proof of the prank's success. "You've got to document it - videotape it. That way you can share it with the person. If they sit down and see themselves pranked, they take it much better."

Students aren't the only ones on campus who enjoy a good laugh. Some professors play April 1 antics as well.

Robert Sharf, an associate professor of Buddhist studies, has been known to give fake tests on the day.

"I have many times enjoyed giving an April fool's quiz because they are the most delicious to compose," Sharf said.

"My courses tend to be quite rigorous, and by April 1, students are fried. It's fun to see them confront the ludicrous quiz."

Although he has already scheduled a quiz for today, Sharf refused to say whether the quiz will follow past traditions.

04-01-98