Pranksters Are Never Gonna Give This Up

ABC News on Campus Reporter Nadine Maeser blogs:

Tassels were turned and caps soared into the air last week as University of North Carolina seniors said farewell to their undergraduate education.  However, it would not be a Carolina graduation, or any school’s graduation for that matter, without the senior class leaving its mark.

Creativity, imagination, ingenuity and above all originality are what shape a senior prank—and those who just graduated agree the prank was a success. 

UNC alum Becca DeMore said, “Yes, it was hilarious.  I had to click it twice just to make sure I wasn’t missing out on something important.”

Click twice?  Yes, with the simple click of a mouse, the UNC Class of 2009 had its prank.

The bait: an e-mail sent out to former seniors saying that, "The University has just changed its policy regarding methods for obtaining diplomas after graduation. Details on the new procedure for getting your diploma can be found here:” which was followed by a URL.

Of course, any graduating senior would click once, or twice, on any link claiming the university had changed its procedures to delivering diplomas. 

Hook, line, and sinker.

But where exactly did the link take you?  Well, for a class that grew up listening mostly to ’90’s music in their teenage years, they decided to throw it back a few years to 1987.

The Class of 2009 was “Rickrolled.”

“Rickrolling” refers to using a link to send people, who think they will get some useful information, to a site where instead they get 1980’s music star Rick Astley singing his hit, “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

Facebook statuses were quickly changing in regards to the e-mail and prank.  Alum Herman Davis laughed and said, “That was awesome.”

Despite an annoying pop-up box with lyrics to the 80’s hit, which supplemented the music video, graduates seemed to enjoy the fun.  The prank was a success.

The graduating Tar Heels managed a harmless, entertaining and amusing prank.  They avoided any kind of physical destruction to the university and its constituents.  They also had nearly the entire senior class fooled by email. 

Alum Mackenzie Babb said, “I was confused at first but then I got up and just started dancing.  I love that song.”

And so the UNC Class of 2009 left their mark.  No harm, no foul, just good ol’ Carolina fun!