Freaky Friday! Teacher Swap.
September 24, 2021
We don’t really know much about our teachers except that they teach that one subject and maybe where they went to school. Come back in time when big poofy hair, leg warmers, and shoulder pads were a big thing, and when the teachers had the moves like Jagger. Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you to the 80s and 90s.
Our journey begins with cars. From 1974 GMC pick-up trucks to 1986 Honda Civics, our faculty drove practically everything. Mrs. Oyervides (one of our science teachers) drove a 1995 Silver Toyota Camry with 325,000 miles on it, no cruise control or passenger side mirror! How in the world she got places we will never know. Coach Smith (Mamma Bailey’s dad) drove a car that will BLOW Avery Biggerstaff’s mind! He drove a 1964 Plymouth Valiant, IKR, so cool! Mamma Bailey drove 3 cars. Not one, not 2, BUT 3 CARS in high school.
Pictured is Mr. Rainey’s very stylish car.
A lot of our teachers were athletes and nerds. Mr. Cook didn’t really have friends because he worked too much. Teachers hung out with band nerds, church friends, athletes, and everything in between. Coach Denter mostly hung out with guys because most of the girls were mean, but because Blue Ridge was a small school she felt that everyone hung out with everyone. Mrs. Derrick’s high school was very small and only had a graduating class of 32, so they all hung out together.
GMC is a fight-free zone, but some of our teachers have been in fights. Mr. Cook was never in a fight, but he was hit several times. Coach Smith never started fights unless it was on the Football field, but he always broke them up at GHS when he was an assistant principal. He also was a witness to the 1969 Asheville High School Riot. You won’t believe it and I didn’t either, but Coach Dentler started a food fight! She said, “Too be fair, the guy totally deserved a cake smashed in his face for calling me a bad name.” I think that is a great reason to start a food fight. But, most of our teachers weren’t in fights.
A lot of our staff were athletes just like some of us. They participated in Basketball, Softball, and even Cheerleading. For all you people who think that Cheerleading is not a sport, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Coach Smith juggled 3 sports: Football, Wrestling, and Track, and managed to get lettermen’s in all 3. He then eventually played College Football at Western Carolina University. Mrs. Oyervides swam on the varsity swim team when she was in 8th grade, and played Volleyball and Softball from 9th grade to 12th. Coach Dentler ran Cross Country and Track, and participated in Cheerleading and JV Basketball! She was super small back then and was the one on top of the cheerleading stunts (and was dropped a lot). She and Mrs. Rouse cheered together!
Our teachers had fun in high school. Mrs. Derrick lived in Walterboro at that time. She said “There really wasn’t much to do. There was a Sonic Drive-in, and we would ride up and down the main highway, Jeffries Boulevard, to wave at friends and visit with them at Sonic. I know, I know – not too much excitement, but it is the best we had. During the summers, we would spend every week at Edisto Beach.” Fun, right!
Proud moments our teachers had were truly moments to be proud of. Mamma Bailey shares, “Being Student Body President, I was most proud of our school when we competed against Riverside for Spirit Week. We raised more canned foods and money for Greer Community Ministries/Relief than Riverside did. It was announced at halftime of the football game and was one of my favorite memories of high school rushing the field to claim the trophy we worked so hard for!” Coach Smith’s made me giggle a little, saying that he had the same girlfriend all through High School. This little bit makes me proud of him myself because all of the times his friends drank he told them no. Mr. Rainey said that “in 1997 our marching band marched in a parade in the Magic Kingdom. I was literally the first person in the parade…I actually lead the entire parade.” So cool!
The staff wants you to be proud of your successful things and the little things. Enjoy high school and make all the memories that you can. You only live once so live with no regrets, be carefree, and be proud to be a Blazer!
