Editor’s Note: As outlined in the Wildcat Chronicle’s editorial policy, the identities of confidential sources are protected unless disclosure is required by law. The Chronicle identified and interviewed the student responsible for spraying fart spray at West Chicago Community High School; to preserve confidentiality, their name has been withheld.

For weeks, a mysterious smell has drifted through the hallways of West Chicago Community High School – faint at first, but quickly overwhelming. The culprit? Fart spray. And while the prankster has been identified, their name will be withheld in this story to protect the mystery.

Still, the smell lingers – literally.

Over the past few weeks, a strong smell – so strong, it can be detected from afar – has filled the air. As students pass through the math and science hallways, especially near the staircases, a noxious odor has become part of their routines. Students wonder who is behind the prank, but something so discrete can be hard to detect from people walking by. 

The smell has slowly started to become a noticeable part of the school environment. Many students talk about it, especially when walking with friends. While some believe that it is a prank, others do not know how to react to the fart spray.

“I think it is annoying because it’s disgusting, and I don’t really want to be smelling that all throughout the day,” senior Itzel Barrera said.

Although this fart spray seems to be sprayed in the hallways, it seeps into classrooms in the area. It is unclear how that happens, but it has been noticed in different parts of the school building. The smell has even been apparent during class time, and some teachers have acknowledged it when it becomes unbearable.

The smell has also caught the attention of school deans who walk through those hallways in the mornings.

“It smelled really horrible, and every kid was walking by,” Del Real said. “But it’s interesting because nobody reported it.”

According to Del Real, however, there may be consequences moving forward.

“You may be looking into — nothing like super addressing right away — but maybe an in-school suspension,” Del Real said.

The lingering smell has annoyed a lot of students, and some teachers have also had to take measures to deal with this issue.

“Yes, first time, luckily, I was down in the business room. So I was able to open the windows. But up here in TSI, we leave our door open for students, so kind of seeps into the room up here on the second floor when it happens,” Career Tech Education teacher Kevin Jarosz said.

For the most part, fart spray usually costs anywhere from a couple bucks to about $20, depending on how strong or what brand it is. The fart spray can be purchased in stores like Amazon or in prank and toy stores. Most of the commercial fart sprays use a mix of chemicals that can contain sulfur to create that rotten egg smell, making it irritating for most.

As the days go by, the fart spray has become more than just a prank – it is turning into a distraction for many in the building. Students have started to speculate who might be behind this smelly stunt.

In an anonymous interview with the Wildcat Chronicle, the student behind the prank shared their motivation.

“I thought it would be a funny little prank to spray it and leave a trail of fart spray behind me, just to see everyone’s reaction,” the student said. “Usually, I do it when a bunch of kids gather by the vending machines near the bio and math hallways.”

Despite the rising attention, the student said they have not been caught by teachers or administrators.

“I just try to stay quiet and keep myself from laughing out loud,” they said.

Although the school staff is focused on larger issues, they recognize that spraying substances like fart spray indoors can pose health risks, particularly for students with asthma or other respiratory conditions. Consequences such as in-school suspension could apply if a student were caught.

Some find the prank funny; others, not so much. For now, though, the mystery — and the smell — continue to linger.