Has any one else noticed the new hand gestures that students are using at games? Finally, it seems we have a Pepperdine WAVES hand gesture.
While sitting watching a Pepperdine basketball game, I noticed someone holding up the O.K. sign at our boys on the court while chanting, “Ayo Waves!”At first, I was a little confused by people sporting this hand gesture. Maybe we just have the most polite fans in the NCAA reassuring our players that it doesn’t matter who loses because everyone is a winner — naturally, we were losing.
It wasn’t until I was courtside looking up at the crowd that I saw the difference between the two symbols. These hands were facing toward the game and fingers were straight up. They were creating a W for WAVES.
But isn’t this just like a cheap rip off an already existing sign? I started to think about other universities’ hand gestures, and noticed that all universities steal their hand gestures from pop culture gestures.
The USC Trojans taunt their enemies with their stolen peace signs.
The University of Texas at Austin Longhorns sport the “Hook ‘em Horns,” which looks suspiciously like the “Sign of the Horns” — more commonly know as the rock on sign at metal concerts.
Texas A&M Redveilles “Gig ‘em” is the same thing as a thumbs up.
ASU Sun Devils have their “pitchfork,” which looks suggestively like the “Shocker” — oddly appropriate for the school’s reputation.
If other schools are good enough to get their own hand gesture, we too need to officially coin the O.K. symbol before another university steals it from under us. Finally, we are achieving the same level of pride as other universities, but its up to us to keep this trend rolling.
Trust me, most of Pepperdine has a problem in the school spirit department.
The worst offender of not knowing the new Pepperdine sign is the epitome of school pride, Willie the Wave. He’s still using the shaka, or hang loose sign. Willie must be stuck in his glory days of his cameo role in “The Endless Summer,” and working out those glamour muscles — his six-pack-for days.
Let’s get us a little more up with the times and stop using the shaka — something no one at Pepperdine would be caught dead doing in front of other schools — and start using the WAVE hand gesture.
Since the dubbing in 1937, of the Pepperdine title as the Waves, we have grown to accept the W as the symbol of our school. The mascots may change but Waves has stayed.
All this hype about the Wave Zone debut and our recent boost in attendance at games shows that I am not the first to appreciate this renaissance of school spirit. Finally, our generation gets to add something to Pepperdine’s school pride by creating our own sign.
I’m envious of everyone staying here next year. Now that I’m graduating this semester, I’m kind of sad that it took this long to get students — including myself — to have more school spirit, because I never realized how much fun having school spirit could actually be.
So, don’t let me down guys.
“Ayo Waves!”
Appropriate Situations for Signal:
1. Sporting events.
2. Saying “Hi” to friends at Joslyn Plaza.
3. Convo.
4. Response when your girl/ boyfriend says, “I love you” too early.
Inappropriate Situations for Signal:
1. Church.
2. Anywhere near East L.A. and/or any gentleman suspected of gang affiliation.
3. Nixon exiting the aircraft on his visit to Brazil — in Brazil this symbol is the same as the middle finger in America.
Step-by-step guide to create your very own WAVES hand signal:
1. Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger to form a circle.
2. Raise your remaining three fingers (middle, ring and pinky straight up.
3. Face your conjoined circle of your thumb and index fingers towards your friend/ enemy/ frenemy.
4. Raise your hand.
5. Recite “Ayo Waves!”
6. Bask in the glory and sense of accomplishment.
