High Five For Wave Pride … A New Tidal Wave
The pastor of my church preached a sermon not long ago entitled “Legacy or Lunacy.” As he was talking about traditions (both good and bad) we have inherited and those we are currently passing on to a younger generation, I began thinking about an article that was emailed to me back in June. It was entitled, “The Tidal Wave, a story….” It was written by Tom Hanes and supplemented by the memories of Jean L. Hanes (GHS ’48), Bud Stegall, Mike Stegall (GHS ’72), Jim McCombs, and Amy Bedwell (GHS ’77) Erisman.
In it, he reminisces about how the Wave Cannon we hear today at our football games, the old fire truck known as the Wave Wagon that carries our players and cheerleaders in parades, and the street known as Green Wave Way came into existence. It is an interesting account of a group of people who began a group they called “Tidal Wave.” They, as Mr. Hanes put it, “…wanted to shake things up to see what they could do to get the community involved.” At the conclusion of the article, he made a statement that really struck me. He said, “In our short life, the Tidal Wave gave this as our legacy to our city, our school, our kids….” I am as a graduate of Greenville High School, a leader in the school district, and community member, a beneficiary of this great legacy and now someone who wants to, as that group did a number of years ago, “shake things up.”
The “High Five for Wave Pride” campaign is intended to do what the Tidal Wave did years ago, refocus our community’s eyes on our kids and schools. The negative perception that has cast its shadow over the district for the past several years must no longer be allowed to exist. Too many positive things are going on everyday. I have had the privilege to observe from an internal perspective the efforts our students and staff have put forth to improve themselves in the classroom and in extra-curricular contests of every kind. Additionally, I am even more pleased when I hear about the community service work many of them perform as individuals or as part of an organized group. High Five is intended to effectively communicate this information to the entire community.
While the Tidal Wave’s existence was short lived, I am planning a much longer life span for the High Five movement. You will continue to see and hear more about how our students, families, staff, businesses, and the community are working together to move Greenville City Schools to the next level. I want our kids to realize that they are never too young to leave or be a part of leaving a legacy of which they can be proud. One that many years later, they can fondly recall just like the individuals from the Tidal Wave.
