LIGHT THE NIGHT: FFA'S LIGHT UP OXFORD

This past December, our school’s FFA committee hosted the ‘Light Up Oxford’ on Friday night. On December 5, the event was hosted to kick off the holiday season. At Light Up Oxford visitors stroll the streets and get to enjoy the festive lights and decorations. This event was a great chance to further strengthen and build the community: not just the community of Oxford but as CCA as a whole. Teachers such as Virginia Dominguez Rodriguez attended Light Up Oxford with family, describing it as, “A lot of fun!” Families, staff and students alike gathered to exercise the tradition. 

FFA MEMBER GUIDING AND LIGHTING THE WAY FOR PASSING PEOPLE; PHOTO BY TAYLOR VITTETOE

From around 4 pm until 8 pm, downtown Oxford was filled with craft vendors set up at local spots such as St. Mary’s Hall and the American Legion, where people could shop for seasonal goods, gifts, and other such items. Community staples like the Oxford Fire Department, local businesses, and nonprofit organizations came together alongside the school to put together the event. All of this involvement across different parts of the city draws in the entire community. Clear Creek Amana High School’s FFA team takes pride in representing their chapter through our community here in Johnson County. Despite all of this, coverage of the event on the internet and in school news updates remains limited. That does not dismiss the fun night that it was! When asked about her thoughts on Light Up Oxford, one member of the FFA team, Hayden Coughenour, said, “I love how even though our community definitely isn’t the biggest in Iowa—a lot of people make sure to be involved in it.”

For CCAHS FFA members, Light Up Oxford was an opportunity to be present and involved as a strength of the FFA team. FFA is built on virtues such as leadership, service, and success. Light Up Oxford allowed members to enact those virtues whether that meant helping with activities, interacting with community members, or simply showing up to support the event. FFA members contributed the most in lighting up the night. Hopefully as years pass and the community continues to grow, the students of CCA, specifically students who decide to join FFA, can continue playing an important role in local traditions. Although Light Up Oxford has no direct correlation to agriculture or competition, participation in community events such as this reflects the broader mission of FFA at Clear Creek Amana High School: "Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve". 

In the end, Light Up Oxford and Clear Creek Amana FFA come together through a shared focus on community, connection, and tradition. Both emphasize the importance of showing pride in a community—no matter how large or small, irrelevant or well-known—and giving back to the community in any way we can. Through their involvement, CCAHS FFA members helped make Light Up Oxford happen!

Another important aspect of Light Up Oxford is the way it gives students a chance to see the results of their efforts beyond the classroom. For many FFA members, participating in a community event like this helps connect leadership lessons to real life experiences. Planning, organizing, and supporting an event that serves a collection of people builds confidence and responsibility, even when the work happens behind the scenes. Light Up Oxford also reminds students that community involvement does not always need to be large-scale or widely publicized to be meaningful. Small towns thrive on participation, consistency, and care, all of which were present throughout the evening. By contributing to an event that brings joy to families and neighbors, FFA members gain a deeper appreciation for service and teamwork—values that will continue to guide them long after the holiday season ends.