It is no secret that high schools around Greenville use Travelers Rest High School as a comedic punching bag. Other schools hurl insults at TR students and use us for their Spirit Week days; for example, some schools have a TR Day where they dress in all camouflage. Some schools have even started using the hashtag #THWTR (The “heck” with TR.) There is a stereotype associated with TR simply because we are one of the only schools that have any individuality. So why is TR the center for ridicule? There is no real answer and no reason as to why there is this issue.

Contrary to popular belief, TRHS is a very diverse school. If one was to walk into the Commons during Power Hour, they would find people of all ethnicities, backgrounds, and interests interacting with one another. We have students involved in different types of clubs and activities, uniting us under the Devildog namesake. TR students have never been allowed to openly taunt or harass other schools, according to the administration. Our pride and our class have always been important. Not only is it on the students of other schools to check their words, but it’s on the administration to teach those students the difference between friendly rivalries and useless harassment.

I have always wondered why these schools target us. Do they think they have something to prove? Do they honestly think they are better than us because of where they sit in class every day? They may actually believe this. But that is in no way TR’s fault. When it comes down to it, this bullying, like all other types, is rooted in hatred. All this really proves is their uncertainty of who they are. Their words show how incredibly attached they are to their own image. As soon as these people realize their pompous and bitter comments can only hinder them and has no real effect on how TR students see themselves, the sooner we can all move on.

So what makes TR different? The biggest distinction that makes Travelers Rest stand out is the sense of community in this small town we call home. The pride an athlete feels when he or she sports that infamous blue and gold uniform; when you stop to talk to that older gentleman in Wal-Mart; as he tells of how proud he was of the money we raised for Spirit Week, that look in the kids’ eyes as our Homecoming floats parade down Main Street – that is the real Travelers Rest. This is what it means to be a Devildog, instead of  being “trash” as others seem to believe.

Just because a lot of us may have a country side, it does not mean we are trash. We are no worse or better than any other school, and we aren’t all that different either. Our biggest distinction is our community support, and that is nothing to be ashamed of.