Students help ranchers

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
Weather and flooding in the neighboring state of Nebraska have impacted that state — causing damage to fences, debris in fields and so much more, according to Taylor Rieniets, agricultural instructor at Newcastle High School. Members of the local FFA chapter and students in Rieniets’ ag class developed a strong desire to help the state, Rieniets said, and bring relief to the struggling community. 
The idea initially sprung up from a Bell Work activity proposed to students. They researched and learned about what Nebraska was going through, which piqued their interest, Rieniets said. The first ideas thrown around were aimed at raising funds to send to Nebraska, but that eventually evolved into a tentative plan to raise funds to travel to Nebraska to aid the community. 
The students who participated in the trip were Allie Auch, Peyton Crinklaw, Leo Orban, Kaden Curren, Chauncey Jenerou, Cody Qualheim, Garrett Emmons and Gabe Rose. Each student was responsible for finding a sponsor, and the students also brought letters to numerous businesses around town to request funds for the trip, according to Rieniets. A total of $2,880 was raised. 
After several weeks of planning, the students, along with Rieniets and a couple of other adults who assisted on the trip, left on Friday, May 24. They arrived in Springview, Nebraska, that day and stayed in that area for the remainder of the trip. While in Nebraska, they helped a couple of ranch families with fencing — tearing down damaged fences, putting in new fences — cleared debris and more. The relief force worked Saturday and Sunday, before heading home on Monday, May 27. 
“I was amazed with how much debris actually moved into fields,” Rieniets said.
“We got a lot out of it (trip),” Rieniets said. 
The experience will stay with everyone for a very long time, Rieniets said, and the benefits that came out of the trip are multifaceted. The trip broadened the students’ “horizons” and it exposed them to a new place and new experiences, according to Rieniets. 
Rieniets also expressed pride in her students, noting that they really had to step up and make things happen. 
“It takes a lot to go down and get your hands dirty,” Rieniets said. 
Those who went on the trip put hard work into practice, quite the advantageous experience, she said. 
However, beyond those benefits, Rieniets said that the experience really allowed her and her students to put part of the FFA motto “living to serve” into practice and impact the community in a priceless way. 
Additionally, despite some challenges that the adventure presented, such as bad weather, Rieniets and her students also got to connect with and develop relationships with the people of the community. 
“We met some amazing people,” Rieniets said.
“We realized that our neighbors really needed help,” Crinklaw said. She is going to be a junior at NHS in the fall, and she said that she desired to give hands-on help to Nebraska, beyond just sending money. 
Something that stood out, Crinklaw said, was how everyone came together to help each other out. Even those who were part of the community pitched in to help each other, and they also supported Rieniets and her students. Crinklaw said she also learned the importance of hard work and of working together. She said that she was amazed by the impact they made on the struggling community. 
“I think we had a really good impact,” Crinklaw said. 
Jenerou had worked in Nebraska in the past and knew how bad the weather could get there. Still, he wanted to go.
“I just wanted to help them,” he said.
Jenerou’s goals for the trip were to get as much done as possible, he said, and he felt like they helped a lot because the students got a lot done. He also said he enjoyed the beautiful scenery and spending time with friends, along with meeting new people. 
“I just wanted to give back to them,” Jenerou said. 
Rieniets said she appreciated the generosity of all those who contributed to the trip, including people in the community who helped and those in the ag and FFA program that aided. Rieniets also told the News Letter Journal that the students have already expressed interest in doing more relief trips like this in the future. 
“They really want to expand on it,” Rieniets said.