School officials make effort to clear up the confusion

Dr. Michael Thorsland, Oconee Superintendent of Education, admits that during a board of trustees meeting a week ago he was not clear about the possibility of a name and mascot change at Walhalla High School.   “While many people have suggested a name/mascot change, that is not being considered,” Thorsland told reporters yesterday.  He also released a portion of an email that Walhalla Principal Steve Garrett sent to his faculty on Friday:  “First, please assure your family, friends, students, and neighbors that we are not changing the name of the school or the mascot.  It is true that we want to examine adding some colors such as gold, but we are not changing the mascot.  Our desire is to welcome the students of TSH and to respect their heritage. We have plans in place to help with their transition and we care about that community, so keep our focus on helping others with kindness, but also resolve to be fair to everyone including our current students and families.”  Changing the name of an Oconee school requires board action, but Thorsland says changing colors can be made at the school level.  According to Thorsland, the principals at both Walhalla and Tamassee-Salem high schools are trying to let students take the lead in brainstorming ways to help make Tamassee-Salem students welcome next year at Walhalla.