By GRISHMA ADENKAR, sophomore

The Myth: There is a family of ducks who call the JP Stevens Courtyard their home.

The common North American duck lives in a multitude of settings: the woods, small ponds, marshlands, and…high school courtyards? Yet, ducks living in courtyards is not such an outlandish idea if you go to JP. After all, these are the very hallways where rumors thrive, especially a certain one about how a family of ducks may have chosen our school courtyard as their new humble abode. I mean, not that it’s a bad place to stay or anything – cheap rent, well-kept grounds, and lovely foliage to show off to visiting relatives is what makes the courtyard a dream piece of real estate for any duck family. However, before I get ahead of myself, are there actually waterfowl tenants inhabiting our courtyard?

The Verdict: (partially) TRUE

The incentive to bust this myth had me asking around, searching for clues, hints, anything that could bring me closer to my goal. The information I found all pointed to the one person who might have the power to answer my questions, and the next morning I was in her room, curious and eager to find out more about the mysterious duck sightings. Mrs. Plesnarski, business teacher and advisor to the Courtyard Club, revealed to me the truth behind the ducks. Indeed, there were once ducks and adorable little ducklings frolicking around the courtyard. But the sad twist to this happy tale is that those ducks are no longer there, and some of them are no longer with us at all.

While this quickly escalated into a delicate topic, it is important to understand that our courtyard was not meant to be a shelter, and therefore couldn’t be expected to shield the animals entirely from danger anymore than the wild can. In the case of these waterfowl, the biggest threats posed were lingering hawks (yes, I mean the animals), as well as hostile neighboring ducks. As you know, ducks are very defensive animals when it comes to their territory. Though we cannot say for sure what happened to the ducks who flew away, we do believe that they have found a better home and have happily started afresh. To the others, rest in peace, for the students at JP miss you and will truly never forget you.