The Nest celebrates what FFA is all about; Students become involved in community

STELLA MANNS Sports Editor

National FFA Week was Feb. 18-25. The Hawk’s chapter of FFA hosted a week full of interactive activities for the community to be involved.

Junior FFA President James Ortt said that FFA is hosting events including, “Greenhand Degree, community service, scavenger hunts, social events online, and spirit days.”

Last year the FFA club held similar events. However, this year is different, because according to Ortt, last year they had “specific times and dates for activities to take place. This year, the members can take part and do as much or little as they would like throughout the week.”

Sophomore FFA sentinel Dakota Bonaccorsi said that last year there “were different spirit days.”

“Texas Roadhouse Fundrais- ers” will also be an event surrounding National FFA Week, according to junior co-Vice President Cole Hellwig. “Greenhand Degrees” are also available at this time “for freshmen who are more interested in being involved in FFA,” Hellwig added. He also said that in White Hall, MD, students are hosting an event for “donations for the Humane Society at Southern Sol.” In past years, the club has “volunteered at Tractor Supply to raise donations for National FFA,” the junior expressed.

Senior Chaplain Maggie Layman said that during FFA week students were to participate in spirit days. “Tuesday was career day, Wednesday is dress like a farmer day, Thursday is ‘step into FFA day’ and Friday is official dress/gold and blue day.”

Around the school, students who have FFA jackets could be seen “giving them to teachers for the week,” sophomore FFA re- porter Waverly Iriarte said. Similarly to her fellow officers, she said that freshmen were being encouraged to get their Greenhand Degree during FFA week.

During this celebratory week, the FFA social media pages run by the school make posts about each officer. The posts have a picture of the student accompanied by their SAE, CDE and LDE. “An SAE is a Supervised Agricultural Experience.

A CDE is a Career Development Event. An LDE is a Leadership Development Event,” according to Ortt.

All agriculture classes use SAE to “persuade a student’s passions for a topic in the working world,” Hellwig explains. He also said that a CDE is “where students compete in teams under a certain topic of agriculture against other schools.” Finally Hellwig added on the definition of an LDE by saying that though it is very