Student firefighters crowned homecoming royalty

By Merissa Anderson

Collegian Editor

The 2017 Hutchinson Community College homecoming king and queen were officially selected at the football game on Saturday night.

Cole Hiatt and Montana Thompson, Vice President and Secretary of the Student Fire Fighter Association, otherwise known as SFFA, spent the days between their nomination and their crowning encouraging their classmates and other SFFA members to cast their vote.

“We have a very active student organization that helped us campaign throughout the fire science related classes and main campus,” Hiatt said. “The club is all about fire science students doing better in the classroom and the community. The group that we have right now is really driving this mission forward.”

In addition to spreading the word class-to-class. Hiatt and Thompson also designed some fliers that they handed out to peers and posted around the Fire Building.

“I think the fliers helped,” Thompson said. “I talked to some people and they said that they hadn’t seen any others besides ours, so it made them feel like we were trying and cared. Plus the fliers reminded people to go vote.”

Amy Weeks, Career Development Coordinator and SFFA sponsor, loves the way that SFFA has evolved over the years.

“When was a student in the Fire Science program, we didn’t have anything like SFFA,” Weeks said. “It’s a true testament to our students to create and sustain such a positive group while they are in school, and I couldn’t be more proud of them and all they’ve accomplished.”

Jacob Minson, President of SFFA, explained why the club supported their candidates so well.

“Cole and Montana were nominated because we believe they represent the program well and hold our title high,” Minson said. “We are very proud of them, it’s great to have the homecoming crown back in the Fire Science building.”

SFFA, being one of the largest clubs on campus next to student government, has been highly active within the college and community this semester.

“We have done numerous volunteer events, such as state fair parking, showing up to home football and volleyball games, and helping with Community Day,” Hiatt said. “We are going to be attending both the South Hutchinson and the Hutchinson Trunk-or-Treats, and in the future, we plan to keep going with events like this because they are fun for the students and allow us to get involved with the community.”

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