Senior of the month: Audrey Brackenridge
September’s senior of the month is Audrey Brackenridge.
She is the daughter of Scott and Cathy Brackenridge of Ostrander. She is an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honor Society, the Fairbanks youth basketball program and the Interact Club, where she serves as the club’s treasurer. She enjoys being a member of the varsity girls golf team, where she has competed with her team in two state championships. She is also the team captain of the varsity girls basketball team.
Outside of school, she is an active member of St. Mary Catholic Church and a part of St. Joseph Catholic Church’s youth group. She is currently employed at Mill Creek Golf Course and Leeds Farm. She also enjoys volunteering at Memorial Hospital in the physical therapy department, where she spends time with patients.
After high school, Audrey plans to attend a four-year university with hopes of pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering and becoming a prosthetist.
Interview with Isak Olofsson
By Erin Ward
Fairbanks High School (FHS) will host Isak Olofsson as a foreign exchange student this year.
Olofsson is a junior from Stockholm, Sweden, who is staying with the Kendall family. He’s on the soccer team, but cannot play due to a muscle strain. He said Stockholm is the opposite of Milford Center because it’s a very big city where one would know a lot of people.
His family in Sweden includes his parents and his 24-year-old brother, Karl Johan, who they call Kalle. Olofsson came to America Aug. 9 and said America is very different from Sweden, but he enjoys the people so far.
He said the biggest adjustment he had to make when he came to America was the time difference, due to Stockholm being six hours ahead of Ohio. His decision to be a foreign exchange student was very impulsive because his dad was a former foreign exchange student in America and he told him stories about it. He also went because he had a lot of exposure to American culture.
According to Olofsson, Swedish schools are different from American schools because American schools are more structured, while Swedish schools allow students to ask more questions and be more creative. When asked what he wants to do after he graduates, he said he’s getting into writing, but not sure because it always changes.
FHS is very excited to be hosting him this year.
FCCLA news
By Kira Jones
Fairbanks FCCLA has had a busy summer!
With the election of the new officers, who are president Kira Jones, vice president Marisa Nicol, secretary Madeline Weisburn, public relations officer Shannon Conroy and photographer Becca Scholl, they’ve had quite the summer preparing for the upcoming year. With new and old activities planned, it’s guaranteed to be a great year.
The officers and advisor, Laura Falk, have a brand new event they can’t wait to show off. FCCLA is hosting its first ever lock-in Sept. 22 and 23. Preparations over the summer and throughout the school year have been in full swing as the date approaches.
Other activities planned for the year include a Donato’s card fundraiser, officer fall leadership training, Cancer Crusader events, a father-daughter dance, Adopt-a-Family, Christmas caroling, Jingle Jolly Holiday, National FCCLA week, a teacher appreciation breakfast, a “Dude Be Nice” week, regional, state and national competitions and a possible alumni Christmas party.
The FCCLA is also looking for another possible service project or opportunity.
Marching band alumni nighta
By Kate White
Fairbanks High School’s marching band always welcomes their alumni and having people join them during football games, even in the winter during pep band games.
However, for those alumni who cannot make it to impromptu games, marching band director Ben Keller holds an alumni night during homecoming games. For three years, the band has hosted this event, and around 15 alumni participate.
These alumni perform the “Star Spangled Banner” with the band during the pregame performance, play cheers and cadences in the stands and perform a song or two during halftime. Afterward, Keller informs the alumi what song he has decided on for halftime and gives them the music if necessary. Although there is no formal reception after the game, Keller and former students usually head off to Benny’s Pizza after the game for catching up.
The current high school members always enjoy the interactions between themselves and those who came before them. In addition to having fun with the students in the stands, the alumni seem to get a certain glow when they step back onto the field. Any former band member from Fairbanks, whether it be concert, marching or pep band, can contact Keller at Fairbanksband.org if they are interested in attending.
Student travels to South Africa
By Koryn Bosworth
Fairbanks High School senior Marisa Nicol traveled to South Africa for two weeks this summer in a program to visit animal shelters and experience the culture through a trip sponsored by People to People International.
She, along with 40 other students from around America, stayed in hotels in Cape Town, a small town called Knysna and Johannesburg. The students were able to visit Kruger National Park, multiple zoos known as animal ranches and organizations that help children receive an education, often children with AIDS. She was able to visit a cheetah enclosure and hold an elephant truck.
South Africa has 11 official languages, primarily Afrikaans and English, so it was easy to communicate with the locals. She was able to visit a community of Rastafarians. An interesting fact she learned about South Africa is, in many places, social statuses are based on the color of someone’s skin and whether or not a pick would stay in their hair naturally.
Related to the trip, she said, “I missed my cat… and my family, but first my cat.” She said her favorite part of the trip was meeting new people.
“I learned about everything,” she said. “Everything was new, and I would go back in a heartbeat.”
National Honor Society news
By Shannon Conroy
Fairbanks High School’s (FHS) National Honors Society (NHS) is a community service organization focused around specifically helping individuals and families.
Its members are among the most academically successful students at FHS. They are very excited for a new year with 54 juniors and seniors. The officers this year include president Koryn Bosworth, vice president Jenay Kocsis, secretary Marisa Nicol, treasurer Evan Hamm and reporter Shannon Conroy. Lisa Keller is still the advisor.
The program participates in the Adopt-a-Highway program, visits both the Gables and Brookdale nursing homes, providing Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas gifts to families in need, hosts blood drives, donates canned goods monthly to local food pantries and much more.
The NHS requires its members to volunteer for a total of 27 hours during the school year, with nine of those hours coming from school related events, such as going to the Gables, Brookdale, Adopt-a-Highway or any other activity. Members are also required to work at the ticket booth for at least three sporting events.
Members are looking forward to taking on a new school year, making a difference in the community and turning their bright, talented members into successful leaders and volunteers.
Fairbanks cheerleaders to host Pink Out
By Jordan Curry
Fairbanks High School’s (FHS) annual Pink Out game will be held Oct. 20, during senior night, against Triad High School.
The Fairbanks High School Cheer program is taking many steps to prepare for the game. Some of the events that will take place over the course of the night will involve hosting the junior Panther cheerleaders and the junior varsity cheerleaders to cheer with the varsity cheerleaders. A raffle for a $50 Amazon gift card will be held for those wearing “Fairbanks Panthers Wear Pink” shirts, and passing out a variety of items during the game.
This year’s Pink Out game will be dedicated to the Diedenderfer family. Sarah Diedenderfer, one of the junior Panther cheerleading coaches, was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Her children currently attend Fairbanks schools, and the schools want to do everything they can to help support them as they fight this battle. All of the proceeds from the donations collected at the game and shirt sales will go to her family.
Those interested in purchasing a shirt to support the Diedenderfer family can go to the school’s website at www.fairbanks.k12.oh.us and clicking on FHS’s page. A link to the form can be found under “Happening Now at FHS.” Orders can be dropped off at the office at FHS. For purchasing details or questions regarding the pink out game, contact varsity cheer coach Mollie Auchmuty at mauchmuty@fairbankspanthers.org. Orders are due Sept. 28.
For those interested in attending the game, admission is $4 for students and $6 for adults.
Interview with Fawcett
By Coree Gifford
Not only has the new year just begun for Fairbanks students, but a new teacher has also arrived to the Panther community.
Mr. Fawcett has started teaching accounting, business and technology classes for high school students, as well as careers for seventh graders and technology for sixth graders.
“I hope to help grow the business/ technology department here at Fairbanks in many ways,” Fawcett said. “By collaborating with Mr. Rebmann, we would like to offer courses that are relevant to the needs of our students at Fairbanks.”
He also said that, for the future of Fairbanks and its students, he hopes to “update the course offerings, increase enrollment and to prepare students with the skills they need to succeed, not only in the classroom, but also the professional world that they will one day work and operate in.”
When asked why he joined the Panther community compared to his previous Benjamin Logan community, he said Fairbanks is “right in my backyard” and “everything that I heard about the district was positive and, because of that, I wanted to be a part of such a climate.”
He lives in Marysville with his wife and two 15-month-old twins, Quinn and Ryan. He also said he wants his children to “be in such a positive, welcoming area and want them to grow up as Panthers.”
Besides teaching, he has many other interests, such as raising his children. He also said he liked to read and learn about events in history. He coached the baseball team while teaching at Benjamin Logan, and said he hopes to be able to eventually get back into coaching after some time.