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Episode 55: Student Board Member Hutch Fale

Sup with the Sup
Sup with the Sup
Episode 55: Student Board Member Hutch Fale
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Welcome everyone to the next episode of Provo City School District’s What’s Up With the Sup’ podcast. I am Superintendent Wendy Dau, and for our episode this week, I visited with Hutch Fale, who is the new Provo student representative on the school board. We talked about why he was interested in serving on the school board and what he is hoping to accomplish while working with the board this year.

But let’s not forget our updates.

  • Bike to School Week begins next week on September 9th.
  • The next school board meeting will be a study session and business meeting on Tuesday, September 10th.
    • The study session will begin at 4:15 in Boardroom 1 and the business meeting will begin at 7 o’clock in the PDC. Both meetings are open to the public and public comment is welcome at the business meeting.
  • The Board of Education is currently crafting a new policy on cell phones that will align with proposed state legislation. We will be sending out a survey to families the first part of September to get your feedback on how we can support our students and teachers in creating productive learning environments free from distractions.
  • I will continue to send out a weekly video cast from me with information about the work happening throughout the district. This year, these video casts will be sent out every Monday morning.
  • If you qualify for free or reduced lunch, remember to send in your application within the first 30 days of school. This needs to be done every year.
  • And please remember to update your information in PowerSchool. This needs to be done annually to allow schools and the district to contact you with important information and in emergency situations.
  • The Foundation’s Links for Kids Golf Tournament will be held on September 26th at the Timpanogos Golf Club.
    • Proceeds from this tournament are used to support afterschool programs and to provide teacher grants for innovative projects in their classrooms.
    • If you are interested in participating and putting together a team, please visit foundation.provo.edu. A team of four costs $1,500.
  • The 20th annual Walk for Hope at Timpanogos Elementary in Provo on Saturday, September 28th at nine o’clock AM.
    • The Walk for Hope in conjunction with Hope for Utah is an event to promote suicide awareness and prevention, as well as support for those who have been affected by suicide loss.

And now let’s go to our guest. Okay.

So this week on the podcast, I have Provo High student Hutch Fale. Hutch is one of our student board members on the Provo City School District Board of Education. So, welcome to the podcast.

Hutch Fale: Thank you.

Wendy Dau: Hutch, tell us a little bit about why you decided you wanted to be a student board member, because it’s a lot of meetings and a lot of preparation. What made you interested in this?

Hutch Fale: Well, I didn’t know about the position at first. And it was my dad who, he got an email about the position, and he said, I think you should do this, and I looked into it, and it was the day the application was due.

So, that day to school, I took all my signatures I needed, I wrote all my essays, and then, I believe it was due at 5, at 4:54, we submitted it, and I think one of the biggest reasons I wanted to do this, is because I’ve been so blessed and like so lucky with all the opportunities I’ve been given. And I just wanted to be in a position where I can help other people in the future get those same opportunities that I was given.

Wendy Dau: Wow, that makes me really happy. So talk to me a little bit about what are some of the opportunities that you feel like you’ve been given and how your position as a student board member can help others.

Hutch Fale: The opportunity just to I go to school in Provo City School District. I feel like the district is very well structured.

The schools, I’ve never felt unsafe in the school. I was given the opportunity to play any sport I wanted to, if I chose to. I could audition for any fine arts I wanted to. There really was no limitations except for the limitations I set on myself for choosing what I can and cannot do.

Wendy Dau: That’s great. So tell us a little bit about what you are involved with specifically here at Provo High School.

What activities have you chosen to be a part of?

Hutch Fale: At Provo High, I chose to be a part of the football team as well as our track and field team.

Wendy Dau: And what position do you play? Because I hear your name called a lot when I come to the football games because I think you’re number 37. Am I right on that? Yes, I got it right.

So tell us a little bit about that.

Hutch Fale: So I play linebacker on defense and It’s a lot of fun. It’s something special. We have, we have a good group of boys there and just as like football in general, it holds a special place in my heart. Just the opportunities and the, the coaches and the team, and the team, I think have really been influential and just, just good to me.

Wendy Dau: What are the events that you love to do with track and field? So tell us a little bit about your experience with that too.

Hutch Fale: So in track and field, I do the 100 meter dash and I throw javelin and javelin’s a lot of fun. I went to track and field my freshman year just to run, and one of my coaches just came up to me and asked, do you want to throw javelin?

And in my mind I was like. When will I ever be able to go throw a spear? Like it was this little boy in me and I just knew I had to at least try it. And so I tried it and I’ve stuck with it ever since.

Wendy Dau: Tell us a little bit about being on the student board. What are your responsibilities? What do you have to do to prepare?

Cause there’s board meetings and different things. What does that look like?

Hutch Fale: For the board meetings, they’re twice every month. Most of the time, for the board meetings, I like to go over the agenda. Just so that way when, when we’re talking about it in our study session, I’m not looking around kind of clueless trying to figure things out.

That way I can be a benefit to the board instead of a liability, just so I can give my input. Some of the less pronounced, I guess, responsibilities of the student board member is um, feedback from my fellow students. I try and do my best to whenever there’s a new policy or something changes to see what the students think and see how me and the board can work to maybe make things a bit better for them a little more engaging.

And just a better learning environment overall.

Wendy Dau: In our last board meeting we were talking about, for example, scoreboards for both Provo and Timpview High School’s football fields. And you and Monika, who’s the Timpview board member, talked about kind of what that means. Tell us a little bit about how that conversation went because I think you don’t realize what a huge impact you have as students.

The board wants to hear your feedback, and so share with us on this podcast a little bit about what you shared about why that might be an important thing to students at Provo High School.

Hutch Fale: Being on the football team, I’ve traveled to some fields where they have those new LED scoreboards. And it’s just something different.

Just as a player, going there, and you just, it’s almost like you can feel it. It’s, the energy’s a bit higher. They’ll play these little chants on the scoreboard, like, Defense, get loud! And like, you can hear the community gathering. Just react to it. You hear the volume just raise you. You get like chills just being there.

And I want that for Provo School District, both Provo and Timpview. I feel like our community, especially when it comes to sports, whether it’s soccer, track and field, football, we really come together for events like that. And I feel like as much as it rewards the players, I feel like this rewards the community, too.

It’s just a real treat.

Wendy Dau: Yeah, our sporting events become like these community draws, right? And so it brings everybody in. And maybe some people don’t realize, but on a football field, there are a ton of sports that are played on that, right? And just a ton of different ways you could use it, like for an assembly or different things like that.

So I think it was really great that you offered that perspective. To our board members. I think it’s really helpful. At some point, there’s going to be a student advisory council that’s going to be formed and you and Monika are going to head that up. How do you envision using the student members from Provo High School to help inform the board about things that are important to the students at Provo High.

Hutch Fale: For the student council, it really comes down to the selection. I need to make sure that I don’t just go in and just pick my friends or pick people that I’ll be like, oh, I’ll have a good time with them. As much as a good time would be nice for me, that’s not my main responsibility. So when it comes down to the selection, I need to make sure I choose people who, who really care.

And really are from different and diverse backgrounds. And I feel like through that, I’ll be able to really get a feel for the school and not just target on maybe my group of friends or just a specific group of people, whether it’s like ethnicity, athletics, but really get Provo High as a whole. And I feel like that’s, that’s the goal right there.

Wendy Dau: What are some of the issues that you’re already hearing from your peers that are things that bug them or frustrate them, or they want to know more about, or they want help with?

Hutch Fale: I think the biggest one this year is probably our cell phone policy. So, Provo High’s cell phone policy, they took it straight from the Governor, and it is no cell phone at all in class.

The first violation, the phone is taken away and given to the office, and you can pick it up at the end of the school day. Second violation, they’ll take it to the office, and a parent will pick it up for the student. And then a third or fourth violation, The phone that is confiscated cannot be picked up until both the student and the parent have a meeting with administration to discuss better ways.

And there’s been some backlash for that, like really just kids just not wanting to, it’s almost like a fight the system type of feeling. Like, some students are understanding, they know that the moment I see my phone it’s, it’s over. And so, some of them understand. They’ve really taken to it and others are just kind of stuck on the oh, they’re gonna take my phone. And so I’ve just been asking around and just trying to see what we can do to not just rescind that because I do believe that a cell phone free environment promotes better learning but maybe just making it more comfortable or helping them understand why something like this would be needed.

Wendy Dau: Are there any other issues that students are talking about that are a concern of theirs? Cell phones, obviously, because this is going to be a huge shift, right? But we’re hoping that kids will start to see the benefits of that. But what might be some other things that kids express to you or that you’ve just heard or seen even in your own experience here at Provo High?

What would be some things you want to address?

Hutch Fale: One situation that I’ve seen is maybe just a little, almost like, factions within the school. There will always be those factions, no matter what we do. But, whenever those, like, factions or those social groups start butting heads and grinding against each other, I feel like that’s when we need to step in.

At Provo, we’ve been pretty good with that. But every once in a while, you’ll hear a comment or you’ll see something and you just, Just makes you shake your head just a little sad just thinking like that’s not really why we’re here. That’s not important yeah, that’s not who we are.

Wendy Dau: That’s a great example I think every high school struggles with that right and I think one of the things we’re really trying to do as a district is trying to make sure that we are creating a really great culture for all of our students and our teachers and our families you know, we had a cancellation of a game last week Between Provo and Timpview, what do you see as you know, you’re a student board member.

I’d love to have students involved in this process of how we heal and move forward because I want us to be one Provo. Like, we’re all a part of this great community. We are so lucky. How would you help me to make sure that we’re getting on the right track and we’re moving in the right direction? What are your thoughts about that?

Hutch Fale: I just thought Principal Tu’ua of Timpview, that she did a good job. I’ve, I’ve talked to some of my friends and some of the players at Timpview, and from what I’ve heard, her and uh, Coach Atawaya, did a very good job of handling the situation, and just, almost putting to ease as much as a situation like that can be, into the right place.

I’m, I’m sad that the game got cancelled. But, at the same time, safety always should come first. It was a bummer, but we’ll be able to yeah, we’ll be able to move on

Wendy Dau: How do you think that we could do a better job of bringing our Timpview students and our Provo students and those communities together?

Because I actually feel like our students often get along better than sometimes the adults do in the situation. So what are your thoughts about that? How can we help with that?

Hutch Fale: I think we just need to move forward with the relationship. Just leave the past as the past, not just athletics, but I know sometimes Timpview and Provo do activities together as a school district, and I feel like just that connection and the interactions, whether it’s through football, basketball or student government, I feel like that will just help us move on and just help us see eye to eye.

Wendy Dau: Well, and I think if we can be cheering for each other and celebrating each other’s successes, right? And I think that goes a long way, right? What are your plans after high school? What do you want to do? How do you feel like this experience as a student board member might help you in the next phase of your life?

Hutch Fale: So first and foremost, I’m going to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. It’s a two year mission. Right now I’m in the middle of college applications. So, as they get back, I’ll kind of figure it out and feel my way through that way. As a student board member, I feel like I get a lot of value and experience working with the school board.

Not every kid can say they got to work with people like that and people who help a school district run as smoothly as ours does. And so, I feel like that’ll just give me experience in the social skills for the workplace as well as just basic business mindset, I guess, like wearing shirt and tie for a board meeting or just being prepared, reviewing the agenda beforehand.

Don’t just show up and try and play catch up to a meeting that you should be on top of things.

Wendy Dau: Those are great skills that you’re picking up. What are you hoping to major in or study? Have you gotten that far down your journey as to what you’re interested in?

Hutch Fale: The plan right now is to eventually become a pilot, an airplane pilot.

Right now I’m looking into aerospace engineering, just the aviation field as a whole. That’s the plan for me right now.

Wendy Dau: That is incredible. I’m excited. I hope you pursue that, but I will be happy with whatever you pursue. So, I will support you 100%. This is your senior year. So, what are your goals or what are your hopes as you’re getting ready to exit Provo High School and make this your last awesome year of public school?

Hutch Fale: It is pretty crazy that I am a senior. Like, I feel like it was just yesterday I was, just a little freshman walking in through the front doors for the first time. As my senior year got closer, like during the summer, me and my friends were just thinking about like what we really wanted to do. Obviously there’s like the, oh have fun and like make the memories.

But one thing that I’ve really been thinking about is just leaving behind something that outlasts me. Whether it’s on the football field or just in the school as general, just leaving behind something that will influence those who come after me for something good. I don’t want to come to Provo High and just leave and it’s the same place.

Even though it is a good place, I, I, I want to make it better than how I found it.

Wendy Dau: Well, and I think you’re going to find that there are probably a lot of underclassmen that look up to you quite a bit and are like, I want to be just like Hutch. You’ve got to know that that’s happening, right? You’re just shy though.

You’re like, thanks. You’re very humble, but you know that’s happening. So do you have a shout out to anybody that you want to say, I am here today because of these people have made all the difference? Are there individuals that you just want to say, Thank you. Wow. I wouldn’t be in this spot right now. I mean, you already mentioned your dad and the school board application.

That was brilliant. Good job, dad. But maybe some others.

Hutch Fale: So first and foremost, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, all things are possible with him. And the next, probably my parents, my dad, Hutch Fale, and my mom, Gayleen Fale. I’d be a wreck without them. They do, they do too much for me. And then next would probably be my teachers and coaches.

My teachers have I’ve been so lucky, like, as I said, they work with me when I don’t get stuff. Whether it’s test retakes or trying to get down a subject that I don’t understand, they’ve really been there. And as for coaches, I started 8th grade year and I did not know what I was doing. My 8th grade coach, he coached here and moved up with me.

His name’s, uh, Peter Lohieffel, and he, he really, uh, pushed me and my sophomore year. I that was when I first started varsity, but going into that year the plan was just play JV and keep my head down and varsity take whatever came my way, but he he was there and he pushed me he he saw what I was capable of and he-he helped me get there and then my coaches now coach Chambers Coach Frackrelle, Coach Holosema, those are good men. Thank you.

Wendy Dau: It’s so heartwarming to hear about all of these individuals who have made such a difference in your life because you’re just an incredible young man and an incredible leader in our school. And to see you speak so highly of of Provo High. It speaks a lot about your character as well as just that there are lots of people that have influenced you and impacted where you are.

Thank you so much for talking with us today. It’s been delightful.

Thank you everyone for joining me for this week’s episode of What’s Up with the Sup’. As always, all episodes will be posted on the district website, YouTube, and anywhere you get your podcasts. If you have any topics or questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast, please email us at podcast@provo.edu.

We will be back again next week with an all new episode of What’s Up With The Sup’. Have a great weekend.

Alexander Glaves
  • Social Media/Marketing Specialist
  • Alexander Glaves
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