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 Olympia
High School celebrated National FFA Week from February 19-23.
FFA members participated in various activities throughout the week
including dress up days, drive your tractor to school day, bring
anything but a backpack to school, the truck competition, kiss a
pig, multiple assemblies, and relays.
Senior, Chase Litwiller, took the prize for the straw bale tossing
competition. There was a great turn out with 16 tractors driven to
school on Tuesday morning.
Our FFA Officers spent Wednesday morning cooking and serving a home
cooked breakfast to FFA members and staff at OHS.
At Tuesday’s assembly, Kamryn Rader shared ‘The FFA
Creed’ with the student body.
At another all school assembly, FFA Chapter president and Illinois
State Scholar Logan Demling delivered a great speech about the value
of FFA as youth enter the real world of adulthood and adult
decisions and responsibilities.
We had a fun-filled week of activities and sharing our love for FFA
with our school.
FFA members serve a homemade breakfast for FFA
members and staff!
FFA members enjoy the free breakfast.
These students won their respective divisions of our
truck competition.
Olympia FFA members drove their tractors to school
during FFA Week.
Olympia FFA members celebrated FFA Week with an all
school assembly on Friday.
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FFA Speech
What Is FFA All About?
By Logan Demling
When most students think of FFA they think of farmers
because it’s honestly hard not to, Especially at Olympia [High
School], where the majority of FFA members are farm or country kids.
But the truth is, FFA is so much more than just farming. Anyone who
has taken Intro to Ag with Mr. Hoffman knows that he starts the
class with the three circles of agricultural education.
For anyone who hasn’t taken the class or needs a refresher, the
three circles are a Venn diagram of classroom instruction, a
supervised agricultural experience, and leadership.
For me personally, the experiences that I’ve gained through FFA are
worth far more than the classroom education itself. I’ve heard time
and time again from many of you in the bleachers that school doesn’t
prepare us for real life. That is something that I’ve never heard in
FFA.
Personally, I’ve learned public speaking skills, interview skills,
gained a better understanding of finances, and how to build things
with my hands, along with generally becoming more social. The list
could go on and on about millions of other small things that I’ve
picked up along the way, but I can summarize them by saying that FFA
gives you experience and knowledge as a high school student you
won’t get anywhere else.
Within four years, all of us will be in the real
world. We aren't going to have parents paying our bills, scheduling
[our] appointments, or fixing a flat tire. It’s going to be on us to
solve these problems ourselves.
This is the reason that I love FFA. Even if you brush aside the
classroom education, it prepares you for real life in millions of
tiny ways you don’t even realize. Now, I know that there may be some
FFA members in the stands that think I’m crazy right now, thinking
that I’m just saying this and FFA isn’t all that awesome.
Well, my answer to you is that you get out of it the work you put
in. Get more involved, try some career development events.
I want to encourage everyone who has ever felt underprepared,
worried, or curious about real life to join FFA. The experience that
you gain is completely worth your time. And this isn’t only to the
freshman out there. Sophomores, juniors, it’s not too late to join.
I know it can sometimes feel weird to be in class with
underclassman, but I promise that it will be totally worth it in the
long run.
Joining FFA and becoming involved was the smartest decision I ever
made in high school, and I hope that you make that choice too.
[Bryce Hoffman] |
