Depending on who you ask and on what day, Vice Principal Mr. Michael Ayers is known as amusing and friendly or strict and scary. Whether someone’s opinion is positive or negative, no one can deny the impact he has made for himself with his Instagram and the video posted on it.
On Feb. 1, White Station students watched in amusement as Mr. Ayers posted a montage video of himself walking through the halls, picking up his keys and Walkie-Talkie, and driving his signature golf cart with “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Metallica playing in the background.
Ayers never had an Instagram account or any social media presence before making the “vice_principal_ayers” account. He wanted to find another way to understand his students.
“[Instagram] peeped my interest,” said Ayers. “Working at a high school as big as White Station, it’s not hard to notice the influence social media has on students.”
Mr. Pentecost, an art teacher, was the one who came up with the idea and presented it to Mr. Ayers. Every student knows the signature “You have one minute to get the class” Mr. Ayers says every day over the intercom, and Mr. Pentecost wanted to create the video off of that.
“[I was] inspired by all of Mr. Ayers’s efforts to help students get to class on time,” said Pentecost. “I wanted to help him get his message out there in a fun way.”
Ayers wishes to take a more exciting approach to the role of vice principal. The video was his way of engaging with his students in an enjoyable way.
“Everyone likes to make fun of the mean-spirited, strait-laced vice principal,” said Ayers. “But that’s just not who I am.”
Pentecost and Ayers did not expect the video to reach as many people as it did. Currently, the video has over 19,000 views. Even teachers and administration from other schools have even reached out to Ayers, explaining that they will follow in his footsteps.
“I was surprised because I didn’t think it would be something everyone saw,” said Pentecost. “I don’t have an Instagram account, so I didn’t know what to expect.”
Students wait for another video, story, or photo to be posted on Ayer’s account. For now, no one is completely sure what the dynamic duo of Ayers and Pentecost will do.
“Mr. Pentecost said to me, ‘All good things come in trilogies,’” said Ayers. “You can’t rush art and that video is art.”
