Greenport school welcomes peace pole to campus
Greenport students made their way out to the lawn between the school garden and tennis courts last Wednesday afternoon to celebrate one thing: peace.
Faculty and kids came together to welcome a brand-new peace pole to the grassy area. The year-long project was taken on by the high school’s Interact Club, with some help from the Greenport Rotary.
“I thought it was something our school would benefit from, especially right now. Peace isn’t just an idea; it’s something we should actively work towards every single day,” said club president Amy Priesling. “I’m really proud of what we’ve created together, and my hope is that this project becomes more than something we can just see, and it becomes something we can all live by.”
High school principal Gary Kalish said when the club first approached him about the project, he was all for it. He said he hopes the pole can live on as a special part of the school’s campus.
Peace poles originated in Japan in 1955, created by Masahisa Goi as a way to try to spread the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” Over several decades, peace poles have been planted by supporters the world over, in every region and on every continent.
Rotary is the founder and headquarters of the Global Peace Pole project. The Rotary planted a peace pole outside Orient Congregational Church in 2022 and Southold Town installed one outside Town Hall in 2024.
Interact Club advisers Carolyn Sweeney and Rebecca Lillis said the pole isn’t just a representation but also a place for students to sit if they need somewhere to go and think.
“Peace does not begin on a global stage. It begins in communities like ours in the way we treat our neighbors, the way we treat our friends, the way we treat our classmates, the respect we show one another, and the willingness to listen, understand and care,” said Ms. Sweeney. “This peace pole is a symbol of the idea that even in a small place like Greenport, we can contribute to something much larger.”
Last week’s celebration culminated with elementary students placing rocks they had hand-painted at the base of the pole. The rocks are adorned with bright colors, flowers, smiley faces or messages of peace and love.
“The power of the message, ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth,’ lies in its capacity to bring people of various cultures, religions, traditions and political ideals together as one united global heart and mind,” said Greenport Rotary president Lisa Israel. “That’s the perfect prescription for what the world needs now.”
