Stink Bomb Epidemic

Is it the sewers, skunks, or stink bombs? According to many Talawanda students, a horrendous smell has been sweeping the hallways on a now-and-then basis.

Last year, the high school dealt with many sewage problems that left an unpleasant scent lingering in the hallways. Plumbers worked on the pipes numerous times to solve the issue, but in the last 3 weeks the smell has seemed to return.

THS Assistant Principal Chris Rhoton said he had found a broken glass vial in the hallway by the rotunda, which he said he believed to be a stink bomb. “I think it wastes time with the people who are trying to help the district, because by the time we realize it’s a stink bomb rather than the sewers, it’s already too late,” he said. “It could be a senior prank, or they just could be doing it to be funny.”

Rhoton said names have been brought up to him, but once the perpetrators were named, the act of vandalism quieted down. “The less attention it gets, the quicker it goes away,” he said.

Rhoton also mentioned that the stink bombs are dropped during class changes. “They’re the little glass vials that stink when they get stepped on, so it’d be fairly easy to slip it out of a pocket without anyone noticing,” he said.

THS Principal Tom York said it is a nuisance. “The kids have to suffer more than the adults do, so we’re not going to spend a lot of time on making it a big deal out of it,” he said.

Resource Officer Jim Squance also gave his input on the epidemic. “The person can actually get arrested for letting off the stink bombs. It’s a misdemeanor to the fourth degree for disruption of the building,” he said.

Now that names have been given, the principals are hoping the stink bomb fad will die down.