28 November 2023
MAIZE, Kan. (KSNW) — What started out as an idea for a typical senior prank at Maize High School turned into something else. Something good.
The high school is located just off of 45th Street. This is the street that has been renamed after Principal Dr. Chris Botts.
“It’s hard to surprise me, but today I had no idea,” Botts said in the Maize High gymnasium. “So, they all did a pretty good job of keeping it a secret today.”
Botts was presented with a replica street sign signed by a handful of seniors during a surprise mid-morning assembly.
One of those seniors, Owen Johnson, says the senior class was trying to come up with a prank, but instead of vandalizing something, they came up with this.
“We really just wanted to do something that we could raise awareness for our principal. We know he’s been battling cancer for the last two years. We just wanted to raise money and awareness for him,” said Johnson.
Botts’ bout with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma has lasted two years.
“What a treat. What an honor for the kids to think about doing that,” Botts said while holding the replica street sign. “And for the city of Maize to allow it, I mean, that’s pretty special.”
“So, we came up with the idea. We didn’t think it would be possible until we contacted (The City of) Maize. They were like, ‘We’ll bring it to our legal team,’ and it went from there,” Johnson explained.
Johnson says the seniors wanted to surprise Principal Botts with something good.
“If you think of a senior prank, you think of something that’s funny or bad, but we just really wanted to do something nice for our principal,” he said.
“This whole journey I’ve been on over the last two years, the support from the Maize community has been unbelievable, and I’m just very blessed and thankful that I am a part of this community,” said Botts. “I’m appreciative of the students and staff that took it upon themselves to honor me this way.”
The Botts Boulevard sign was posted by the city this morning at the intersection of 45th & Carriage. It will be up there until the end of the calendar year.