*All names with an asterisk have been changed to maintain anonymity
Seas of yellow have infested Staples High School, duck by duck. These tiny creatures with small orange beaks and bright yellow bodies have made their way through hallways, classrooms and offices, brightening the days of everyone who crosses their path. What has been labeled as The Duckening is a result of three students who have hidden hundreds of small ducks around the Staples campus for two years.
What began as a light-hearted joke has since taken on a path of its own. The Duckening isn’t just a random act of chaos but rather a student-led movement that blends humor, mystery and community together.
“It started as an April Fools Day prank but then it just kept going. Now it’s just because it’s funny and makes people happy,” Penny* ’27 said.
Although it began as a joke, they have found that the reaction from their peers has become the most rewarding part. The uprise in Staples’ Duck population has proven itself to be positive and uplifting to students and staff alike. One student especially enjoys collecting these small ducks.
“It’s a fun distraction during the school day,” Jessica Willis ’27 said. “It’s like an easter egg hunt.”
Before the ducks became a familiar sighting around campus, it began with a casual conversation.
“Me and Alice* were talking about April Fool’s pranks (months in advance) and ducks somehow came up,” John* ’27 said. “We bought a bunch of ducks just before April (and used some that Alice already had) and just… went crazy.”
Though it might seem like there are only a few ducks scattered around the school, the scale is much bigger than most people realize.
“So far for this year I’m pretty sure it’s 420 [ducks], last year was 1200 and we’re hoping to reach those numbers again this year,” Alice* ’27 said.
With ducks growing in numbers, the students behind this lighthearted joke hope that the Staples community will allow for the fun to continue.
“If you search for the ducks,” Penny* ’27 said, “first of all, thank you, second, please try to re-hide them.”
