It seems everyone is preparing for a busy Fish Fry– except me.
For me, this Fish Fry is over. I’ve done the calculations, given the speeches, and clocked in the hours. But how did I manage to get off the hook for Friday, which, being the actual day of the event, should be a flurry of work, sweat, and exhaustion?
Voted in during the fall of my junior year, I am an elected “fish head.” My job, in short, is to plan and execute the biggest fundraiser the school provides. Yes, my work is cut out for me. However, I’m not alone in this endeavor. Accompanied by a partner fish head from the same class (traditionally of the opposite gender, but last-minute changes have forced the class of 2013 into a two-man headship), we fish heads work together to accomplish our tasks.
Which brings me to my agenda, the sole reason why as of now, 8:03 on the day of the Fry, I am entirely carefree.
Two months til Fry: I dust off my binder and sort its contents. Any unnecessary papers or handouts from previous Frys must go. Digging through this library of information, I come across my flash drive. This will be my best friend for the next eight weeks.
Lucas Morgan (a senior and my fellow fish head) has done the same and we meet over a lunch period to discuss plans for this Fry. Do any significant changes need to be made? Has anyone from the senior class transferred out or in? If so, job positions will need to be rearranged. Inventory of supplies must be taken; numbers need to be crunched to ensure that required amounts of everything, including money, will be supplied; and all facilities must be cleared for Friday, October 26, a date that seems extremely far away.
A month and a half til Fry: My cell phone is ringing off the hook and I know that if I hear my “Star Wars” ringtone one more time I will scream. Confirmations on ticket printing orders, table and chair reservations, and supply donations are flooding my conversation over the phone. Several documents, such as a parent letter from my flash drive, need to be updated and printed.
A month til Fry: Time to actively engage my peers. A big meeting is held in which Lucas and I introduce the student body to our expectations and procedures. Tickets are distributed to seniors, who are responsible for selling enough tickets to bring in $421 per person.
Three weeks til Fry: Lucas and I are spending lots of time buying items not found during inventory and following up with nearly fifteen donors and providers over the phone. Crying myself to sleep at night officially begins.
Two weeks til Fry: Since nearly everyone in the senior class has a specific job such as section head, coffee head, or carryout, there is plenty going on that I have no knowledge of. Nevertheless, Lucas and I still take the time to meet with everyone individually, answering any questions and making sure everyone is on task.
The week of the Fry: My eyes are bloodshot. My cell phone won’t stop ringing with calls and texts. My email inbox has ten new fry-related messages every time I check. There is no elegant way to describe everything I have on my to-do list, so I’ll just list the basics: Gather tools for setup, including staple guns, meter sticks, duct tape, and scissors. Post copies of every major document throughout the hallways. Get students to fold carryout boxes. Find walkie-talkies. Tell the students folding carryout boxes that they need to get back on task. Make sure seniors have turned in their money. Have awkward conversations with the ones who have not.
As Eileen Becker-Hoover tells me, I should call a timeout and take a deep, long sigh. But this takes yet another chunk of time. Time that I do not have.
Three two-hour blocks of time throughout Wednesday and Thursday are used for setup of the gym. All seniors are required to work one or two of these times, depending on their job during the actual Fry. Tables are taken down from the loft. The gym is measured and placement of tables is taped off. Tables are set up. Signs are hung throughout the school. Tablecloths are cut. Tablecloths are taped and stapled to the tables. Pie room boards are washed and placed. Lucas and I track down those few items that nobody seems to be able to find. We track down those few workers that nobody seems to be able to find. Paper products, utensils, and other supplies are moved from the kitchen to the gym. Set the tables. Lay rugs. Finally, tell everyone how helpful their work has been and let them leave.
After pondering for a few seconds, Lucas and I can usually figure out a few smaller things we have forgotten to do and get those done. Now there is nothing to do but sit and wait.
My job has not been an easy one. And simply because you have read this article does not mean you are fully informed about everything I do. A word count of 1000 has forced me to pick and choose which parts of my job to describe. And yet, I am proud of this work. I know, deep down, that Lucas and I have grown incredibly from this experience. Called on to be leaders, we have risen to the challenge. Yes, there will be odd jobs and miscellaneous tasks to perform today, Friday, October 26. But the Fry is now up to all the workers I have overseen, parent volunteers, and our wonderful customers.
Time for that deep, long sigh.
~ Jesse Bontreger