by: Emily Papleaux and Mairen Brown, with Roman Morris & Christopher Aveolar

School is a back in session–it’s time for new backpacks, shoes, and clothes — and apparently for new sink installations. Over the past few days, a new trend has gained enormous popularity on all social media platforms, called the “Devious Lick.” 

These are videos containing a vulgar attitude towards the school property. Devious liks include challenges to students stealing and destroying school property items and posting them on social media, especially on the world-famous platform, Tik-Tok, and now it’s arrived at North Springs. 

Devious Licks started when a student planned to steal a litter of facemasks from school and post their spoils on Tik-Tok, stating “look at this devious lick.” The post went viral and from there, school bathrooms everywhere have never been the same since. 

This infamous trend has left schools with missing or destroyed toilets, sinks, soap dispensers, school benches, and more. This trend has set back schools all over America especially because of the Covid effects on the budget, resources, and supplies given to these public schools–which were already hurting for funding.

Prior to the incident at North Springs, not many staff or students had even heard of the Devious Lick.

“I don’t know what that is,” said Freshman counselor Mr. Ellis.

When asked if he knew what it was, one

student said, “It’s people trying to see… what they can steal from the school and get away with.”

Another student explained, “I think its when everyone is trying to take stuff from the school, so now the bathrooms are being shut done and bathroom privileges are being taken away. I think they’re doing it to try to be rebellious against the school, but they are just affecting the students more than anyone else.”

Both students expressed that while the center of attentuon at the moment, students were going to get bored and it would stop. ” I mean, they’re going to move on and find something else to do to the school…People are going to get bored in like a week.”

When asked if they knew any participants in the devious lick, both students’ response was the same: “Not that I know of.”

One sophomore said, “This trend is totally not it; we need a trend for the students.”

Another sophomore named Bryan said, “ We need to go to the bathrooms and put toilet paper back and soap in the soap dispenser”.

Assisatnt Principal Kevin Rogers said, “The student who ripped off the sink will face police charges and fines. And I do know that the people who do this will be guaranteed three things: suspension, the price of damages, and police charges.”

Mr. Rogers was no nonsense about the repercussions of the damage: ‘‘It’s a challenge or its really stupidity that is destroying and vandalizing the school. It’s not appropriate at all. I don’t like it and when I don’t like something I get to the bottom of it. It affects my job because I have to go and investigate it and it takes time from me going into classes and working with teachers and students “

Of the trend, Principal Michael Scott Hanson said, “It’s kids doing stupid things.” His explanation of the repercussions go even further as food for thought for the lickers who do take these actions without thought: “Our school district and your parents pay an awful lot to provide everything in this school for you guys so that you have bathrooms that are fully stocked and working, and things that let you reach your educational goal. And if a student does this trend and it exceeds a certain dollar value, you can get a criminal charge.”

Mr. Hanson added, “And when you apply for a collage ,one of the questions asks, ‘have you been arrested or been charged with a crime,’ and if you do this then you have to answer yes. I tell kids caught doing this, do you think a college will let you in if you answer yes? A criminal charge does not go away.”

Mr. Rogers reiterated : “Anybody that does it, mark my word, they’ll be outty five-thousy.”