Senior of the Month
By Morgan Rutledge
October’s senior of the month is Mylie Green. Mylie, daughter of Polly and Kevin Green, is an amazing individual who values her friendships and connecting with her community. She has made her impact on Fairbanks through her devotion to many extracurricular activities such as National Honor Society, Interact Club, P.L.U.S and Gatekeepers – all organizations that share selfless ideals and aim to benefit others. Mylie is also involved within her community outside of school through organizations such as 4-H and youth group, where she expands her personal connections and enjoys learning. Additionally, she plans to attend a four year college where she hopes to major in early childhood education, preferably to become an Interventional specialist. When asked why she wanted to pursue this career, she replied that she wanted to be responsible for helping shape young kids into their future selves, and to provide a space where children can feel safe and protected. (Photo submitted)
Warm Welcome: Conversation with a foreign exchange student
By Haley Julian
Going to a new school can be quite difficult, and even more so when you are coming from a completely different country with different customs and traditions. Eline Ribbers is a foreign exchange student visiting Fairbanks High School this year. Having grown up in the Netherlands, deciding to go to school in the United States was a big change. When asked about her experience in regard to her first day of school, she said she was nervous about it. “All I was feeling was anxiety,” she said. She had just arrived two days before her first day of school, which was about a week after everyone else had started. This caused her to have a very small amount of time to gather school supplies and emotionally prepare for her first day.
However, over time she got more used to the school and thanks to her welcoming host family and her host sister, she was able to meet new friends and settle into her new temporary home. In her words, “My experience in the United States has been better than I ever could have imagined. I have made such great friends already and I’ve already had so many amazing experiences.”
Seniors partner with underclassmen
By Daniel Montgomery
Peer collaboration is about building relationships with underclassmen and helping them with their course work. A peer collaborator is typically an upperclassman who has taken the class they are helping with. Part of a peer collaborator’s job is to work with the teacher to take notes for absent students and help catch them up on work they missed. For teachers this provides a break and lets them focus on grading work and giving feedback to students. For students, having a peer collaborator gives them a person who can relate more with their struggle and make them feel better about being confused. Having a peer collaborator helps students feel more comfortable asking for help and keeps teachers from having work piled up. Peer collaborators aren’t only there to help the class, they also gain skills. They learn how to teach and build relationships with underclassmen. Ultimately, peer collaboration benefits the classroom and lets a peer collaborator experience what it’s like to teach.
FCCLA goes to leadership training
By Caroline Wilson
This year, the officers of Fairbanks FCCLA were given the opportunity to bond and sharpen their leadership skills at the Ohio FCCLA Fall Leadership Training. President Drew Lafon, Vice President Brooklynn Bosworth, Secretary Julia Dingledine, PR Caroline Wilson, and Photographer Kyle Eischen were chaperoned by FCCLA advisor, Laura Falk during their stay at the Heartland Retreat Center. Experts on vehicles, psychology, and law enforcement spoke on safety and wellness. From building small bridges to maneuvering through string mazes, the officers realized what made them a leader and how to help others when in a leadership position. Out of all the activities, the night hike was the most memorable. The officers laughed as they relied on each other for direction and safety underneath the bright moon. Before leaving, a scavenger hunt began where participants needed to complete various wilderness activities to complete the challenge. The two days spent at the leadership training were a joy for the officers. When asked about the trip, President Drew Lafon states, “That was the best experience I could have ever hoped for. I feel like everyone enjoyed themselves and learned a lot.”
Class of 2023 starts final year of H.S.
By Kate Coy
The Class of 2023 is finally coming to terms with the fact that they’re seniors. Ending their last first nine weeks has not been easy for many of them as they balance school, work, athletics, and just trying to enjoy their senior year. Figuring out what they want to do for the rest of their lives has been a challenge for many, but they are so incredibly thankful for the support system from the Fairbanks staff. A highlight for many of the seniors this quarter has been cheering on the sports teams in the 109 student section and competing in sports and other activities. They continue making lasting friendships and memories that will last them a lifetime.
Marching Band season wraps up
By Reese McCain
As the end of October draws near, the 2022 Fairbanks Marching Band season has come to a close. The band competed at their last competition on October 22, 2022, at Lancaster High School. Later that night, they were awarded second place in Class C out of three bands. “The season went by really well. I think we grew a lot in our abilities,” the drum major, Kennedy Knurek, said, “and there’s a lot of growth to do for next year.”
When asked about his goals for the band next year, and what he learned from this past season, Mr. Ahlborn, the Director of Bands at Fairbanks, replied, “At the end of the day, I just want us to be better next year than we were this year. And I think we met that goal this year! Obviously, I would love to be able to earn a superior rating at a contest and have the band qualify for state too. We came close again this year, so I think we definitely have that on the horizon in the near future.”
Students enjoy homecoming
By Callie Kitchen
On October 1, 2022 Fairbanks High School Student Council hosted their annual fall homecoming dance. Tickets were set at $8 each and from 7-10 PM, over 300 people attended. Due to Covid-19, there was a falling decline in attendance from the previous years but this year homecoming attendance skyrocketed. From multiple comments, homecoming was a great night overall. One student even commented that, “Hoco was totally tubular.”
In addition, the theme for homecoming was ‘Hollywood’. Student Council decorated the foyer representing ‘Into Hollywood’ with the court names and fall sport athletes on the red carpet. Spirit Week and the Pep Rally were also held. There was great attendance in dressing up for the spirit days and games such as ‘Hungry Hippo’ were played. One of the popular spirit days was ‘Barbeque Dad vs Soccer Mom’. Joy Litzke and Caden Green were elected Fall 2022 Homecoming Queen and King. Congratulations to them both!
AP classes take field trip to Museum of Art
By Ellie Carter
On September 27, 2022, the AP Literature and AP Spanish classes took a field trip to the Columbus Museum of Art. It was a relatively small group with around 20-30 students, all of them seniors. This was the first field trip many seniors have taken in a long time, and it was one of the more enjoyable ones they have experienced in their school careers. Students enjoyed walking freely around the museum and observing the many types of art on display, with only loose guidelines for how to spend their time. They looked for the meaning in the art, noting qualities they could analyze more in the classroom. There was something to pique the interest of every student at the museum, and when the group finally returned to the school, it was with the satisfying feeling of a productive field trip.