Announcements

Spirit Weeks Hidden Heroes

By Amelia Bowles

Fountain Inn High School's Student Council will kick off Spirit Week 2026 on Friday, Feb. 6, with all proceeds benefiting March of Dimes. The week-long event is packed with activities and festive dress-up day themes designed to raise money for a worthy cause.

March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting healthy mothers and babies through research and community programs, will receive all proceeds from the fundraiser that spans five days of school spirit activities.

Lillian Fortenberry, senior Student Council vice president, is the "heart of Student Council," according to Chelsea Elkins, Student Council director.

"She shines through her organization, responsibility and dedication. Lillian helps to create agendas and run meetings. Lillian assists with coordinating all spirit week events and manages major responsibilities like the Phoenix Festival and the Masquerade Dances," Elkins said.

"The purpose of Spirit Week is to raise money for a nice cause, but also giving students a break and giving them a week to have fun and show school spirit," Fortenberry said.

The process of planning Spirit Week is spread out throughout the year, with organizers splitting it up into different sections for various events and activities.

"In the fall we have a planning day and we meet up with the sponsor that we chose to represent and we work with them to create ideas and everything we need to get done before Christmas break, and after that it turns to calling places, making sure everything is lined up and creating the calendar," said senior Student Council President Brantley Cooper.

"Brantley is the community outreach coordinator for the Student Council. She works with all the businesses and community members to coordinate sponsorships, profit shares and our sponsor. Brantley works hard to communicate all important details and create opportunities for parents to be involved at Fountain Inn High School," Elkins said.

Spirit Week would not be possible without the Student Council members, who spend weeks preparing and organizing to make this week successful for the entire school community.

"I am so excited for the check reveal at the end of the week, seeing all the recipients' faces and realizing it was all worth it," Fortenberry said.

While it is their responsibility to plan Spirit Week and special events, the workload can be overwhelming, and council members often forget they are supposed to enjoy this week too. The celebration should be a reflection of the hard work and dedication they have put into the planning process.

"It's not that deep. Just have fun," Cooper said.

Being a part of the Student Council comes with learning important life skills. For senior Alexa Morgan, the experience has been transformative.

"It has taught me empathy, especially for underclassmen who were unaware of the workload and stress Student Council brings. That can be scary for them, and giving them reassurance and confidence is probably helpful," Morgan said.

"Alexa has been an integral part of the planning and social media advertisements leading up to spirit week. Alexa attended countless meetings to plan with INNvision, JackPot productions and Entrepreneurship. Alexa is accountable, kind and creative, which are ideal qualities in a Student Council member. Alexa represents FIHS at InterHigh Council," Elkins said.

Spirit Week includes many engaging events, such as the Mardi Gras dance, Mr. Fury competition and various buyout opportunities for students.

Participating in different activities throughout the week not only provides entertainment and school spirit but also supports an organization dedicated to helping families and improving maternal and infant health outcomes.

Sports Chatter Podcast - Episode 3 - LaMerria Fowler & Victoria Ta

Check out The Fury Flyer here:

“Final Shot, Forever Memory”

By: Preston Courtney 

With this season winding down, the seniors for both boys and girls have one last game in front of their home crowd. 

Aniya Brown, the ‘Fury Girls’ only senior, is committed to Newberry University and has a future ahead of her.

With Brown’s commitment, her college future is set, but the same is not said for her High school career. Brown played her last high school game on her home court last night. 

Brown has played her fair share of games for the Fury. Brown has been on the Varsity basketball team since her freshman year. 

It wasn’t just Brown having a special night. Five of the 12 ‘Fury boys’ also played their last high school game on their home court. 

One of those seniors, Aaden McDowell, is the team captain. McDowell has been on varsity since junior year. 

Auston Williams, third in scoring for the Fury, is also a two-sport athlete.

Lucas Eubanks, another senior who has been on varsity since junior year, Eubanks leads the team in assists with 30 and also leads in blocks with four.  

Gabe Chapman is once again a senior who has been on the team since junior year.

Last but not least, Mikell Gray is the final Senior for the ‘Fury boys’.

With Fountain Inn having five seniors on this team, it ties for the most seniors on the ‘Fury boys’ team.

Last night, both boys and girls played the Emerald Vikings, which is an in-region rivalry. With that being said, both boys and girls shone bright, winning both games by a hefty number.

With the girls only having one senior [Brown,] they made sure that Brown’s night would be nothing short of greatness. 

Brown led the team with 15 points and seven FGM (Field Goals Made). Brown started the game off strong, making it known that she was gonna have a great game!

All five of the ‘Fury boys’ seniors scored points during their senior night game. 

Auston Williams led that charge,e scoring 24 of the 77 points. Nine of those points were threes. 

It was a great night “INN the 44” for the Fury seniors.