The spring breeze blew gently as students frolicked on Freshman Hill. It was the last week before spring break and everyone was loudly chatting about their plans
However, conversations abruptly quieted to murmurs, as students looked up to see the sun being inexplicably covered.
Soon, the sunlight bandit crept into the view of students and appeared to be made out of a latex material.
It was then evident that the object was a giant balloon with a whitish hue.
The balloon rose approximately 150 feet over the school before traveling over Freshman Hill. The tension was palpable as everyone was trying to figure out who and what was behind the balloon.
Was it just a gender reveal party gone wrong?
The Chapel Hill Police Department (CHPD) arrived at approximately 12:58 p.m., but did not shoot down the balloon out of fear of harming students.
There were nine police cars gathered in the bus lot as they waited for the perfect moment to shoot down the balloon. Soon thereafter, the balloon helplessly fell to the ground and was recovered at the baseball field.
After a short investigation and brief investigation, it was discovered that Principal Jesse Casey was behind the balloon, though Casey denies any relationship to the balloon.
“I had no connection in any forms to the balloon,” Casey said. “However, if I did, the balloon was purely a weather balloon, designed to make sure there was no inclement weather in order to keep our students safe.”
The CHPD firmly rebuffed Casey’s claim.
“It was evident that it was his creation because the balloon had a massive image of his face on it. And the balloon was at least 100 feet in diameter,” CHPD spokesperson Brad Thames said.
Finally, Casey revealed the real reason for the balloon’s appearance.
“I am just tired of students leaving trash on Freshman Hill,” Casey said. “The balloon was designed to monitor students to make sure students didn’t leave any trash. I just wanted the symbolic center of East to be clean.”
Image by Hammond Cole Sherouse/The ECHO
