Manhattan High School FFA held several events during the week of Feb. 22-28, as part of National FFA Week
“FFA week is to get people to know what FFA is,” treasurer Jibran Khmous, senior, said. “People would usually think ‘Future Farmers of America’…do farming.”
Monday, members banded together to host a MHS parking lot cleanup, where students came together and helped pick up garbage and other unwanted items from the MHS parking lots. The idea came from FFA’s mission and motto: “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.”
“We try to find ways to serve, ways to teach and to learn about ag, and we try to find ways to have fun and to celebrate that part of our organization,” co-sponsor and ag teacher Elissa Mullinix said.
Tuesday was a change in pace. KSU agriculture ambassadors in subjects such as grain and animal science sat down with a panel of officers to answer any questions they had, helping to guide them further into the path of agriculture.
“The panelists came from all areas of agriculture and provided a lot of good information and advice for high school students about what they are doing and opportunities they might have,” Mullinix said.
On Wednesday, a selective group of students had the opportunity to teach kindergarteners at both Bergman Elementary and Manhattan Catholic School about all the wonders of agriculture.
“We did an ag-literacy event,” secretary Lakyn Huncovsky, senior, said, “and taught them…about FFA.”
Along with the more educational side of things, members also have to remember to let their playful side shine — even though it might get competitive.
“On Thursday, the chapter went to Eisenhower Middle School for a recreation night,” co-sponsor Alyssa Higbie said. “We played volleyball, basketball and dodgeball.”
Friday brought some familiar people back into the world of FFA: their parents.
“My favorite was the parent competition night,” president Mason Willard, senior, said. “During this event we had our parents come in to compete in mock competitions that we compete in ourselves as FFA members.”
The parent night was a hit, challenging the old folks to think back to their high school days
“It’s fun to see people that I knew, who are long past their blue jacket days, taking pictures in their jackets,” Mullinix said. “They’re taking the time to give back to the organization and they take time during national FFA week to remind everybody in their social network and beyond, what that organization meant to them.”
Knowing that our community, especially in Kansas, is built off of people who commit to the work and labor it takes to upkeep our land and food supply is extremely important to these students — that is why they do this.
“In our school, having a background in agriculture is quite a niche thing and that’s why we drive to have the events or opportunity for students to explore that career path in life,” Huncovsky said.
