The head, which resembled Principal David Thaden, was a senior prank, students said.

Senior Mary Beth Finegan said she and her classmates had several ideas, but decided the head would cause the least trouble.

"This is the safest, the funniest for everyone to enjoy," she said.

Tony Gualtieri, also a senior, said he and other students wanted to create something that would pay tribute to the school and the principal.

"I decided to make it more of an offer, a monument to the school," he said.

He sought advice on how to create it from Brother Peacemaker, who owns the Gates of Beauty body shop downtown and builds floats for the Chapel Hill Christmas parade. He and about 10 other students worked on it all last weekend and delivered the head at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday on the bed of a boat trailer, he said.

During lunch Tuesday, Thaden posed in front of the head for pictures with seniors.

He said he was unaware of the head until a teacher told him it was a good likeness.

"That's actually a pretty creative and clever homage," he said. "I think it's very silly."