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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, Ju ly 4, 20 19 | 26 Almost two years after dropping Rebels, George- town District High School has a new name. The school's sports teams and clubs will be known as the 87s, a refer- ence to the year (1887) the school was founded. Students filled the bleachers for the unveiling, with the 22 staff members who graduated from the school removing their jack- ets to reveal Georgetown 87s T-shirts. All the stu- dents then received their own 87s shirts. A list of eight potential names was put to a student vote in November. It was then narrowed down to four, and after another round of voting, to two. Jets and 87s emerged as the two finalists. "I liked the name from the start, even before the voting process began," said Krista Nicholls, the head of the school's phys-ed depart- ment. "Jets sounded good, but with 87s, I liked the idea of honouring our history. What makes us unique is that we're in the north and that we have this amazing history that no other school in Halton has." Nicholls said the name has been well received by the students, with many of them wearing their 87s shirt the rest of the day fol- lowing the unveiling, and others who missed the un- veiling stopping by her of- fice to pick up their shirt. The name change was not without controversy. A petition started by alumni collected more than 1,000 names to keep the name Rebels. After being known as simply Georgetown for its first 75 years, Rebels was adopted by the school in 1962. Students involved in selecting the name said it was a reference to the mov- ie Rebel Without a Cause and the song Rebel Rouser, both popular at the time. But there was also asso- ciation with the Confeder- ate flag, with teams posing with the flag. Though it had been more than 30 years since the flag had appeared in any pictures, a move was started to distance the school from that associa- tion. Rebels was officially dropped by the school prior to the start of the 2017 school year. Teams had simply been known as Georgetown and students adopted a "We Are George- town," chant. "That means something to me," said Nicholls, who said she hopes that carries over with the new name. "It shows pride in our commu- nity." A GDHS graduate, Nich- olls said the name change doesn't diminish her mem- ories of her days as a stu- dent. "I was a Rebel as an ath- lete and as a coach and I cheered Rebels more times than I can count," she said. "My years of playing bas- ketball and swimming haven't disappeared be- cause the name has changed. I played for my school." NEWS GDHS HONOURS ITS HISTORY, CHOOSING 87S AS NEW NAME HERB GARBUTT hgarbutt@metroland.com SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT THEIFP.CA georgetownsoccerclub.com Congratulations to Amanda Marshall and Maria Srebernjak! The Georgetown Soccer Club is proud to award $500 scholarships to Amanda Marshall from Georgetown District High School and Maria Srebernjak from Christ the King Catholic Secondary School to support their post-secondary education. The scholarships are named in honour of Eustace Collins, a long-time Georgetown Soccer Club volunteer who exemplified hard work and a strong commitment and love of soccer. All the best Amanda and Maria with your post-secondary studies! coupon We are Diesel Vehicle Specialists! Fleet Maintenance/ Programs Available JuSt ASk! Best Pricing on All Products 20 Armstrong Avenue, Georgetown ✃ ✃ Certified Mechanics on Duty 905-877-1237 TIRES! All Sizes All Brands Silver 2018 Halton Hills Auto, Truck & Trailer Service and Certification We have Anco All Season Wiper Blades! only $7.49/ea installed. TIRES! Most Vehicles + TAX Most Vehicles $3995 only • Oil & Filter Change • Antifreeze Check • Lubrication • 52 point inspection • Battery & Wiper Blade Check • FREE FLUID TOP UPS Special!* MAinTenAnce * Up to 6 Ltr. Limited time offer • Upgrade to synthetic from $15 extra. DEKA BATTERIES • HIGH QUALITY • LOW COST All Sizes Available ~ Auto & Commercial Car & Truck, ATV, RV, Motorcycles, Snowmobiles & More! Car & T RV