Over the past weekend, many students could be seen flocking to and from the Carlmont library. These students were part of the well-known trivia hunt: Friends of Millard Fillmore (FOMF). This year only Carlmont participated in the event, so the school was split into two teams, grey and blue, based on which history teacher students had. Nevertheless, all who took part in FOMF this year had lots of fun finding obscure tidbits of information to answer their questions.
Sophomore and FOMF member Michael Atkin said, “I enjoy doing FOMF because it’s a collaborative effort — each member of the team contributes something unique and together a lot is accomplished.”
This year in FOMF is a turning point, as two current leaders are graduating this year. This opens up the position of FOMF leader for someone new, and Atkin is one of those ambitious enough to try for the spot.
Atkin said, “I want to be a FOMF leader because I enjoy it quite a lot, and I feel that being part of leadership will let me be more closely involved.”
Not only does one learn leadership skills while participating in FOMF, but they also learn research skills. It was created as a competition for students to use and improve their research skills. These skills are developed since members have to find new and innovative ways to find answers to the questions that FOMF officials cook up each year.
FOMF member and sophomore Patrick McDonough said, “FOMF is a great way to learn new things and expand your knowledge.”
Throughout the day, students were seen searching for books in nearby libraries and even calling libraries across the country to get pdf printouts of the books they were looking for. FOMF members are always looking for a new way of solving problems, as each year is always different from the last.
FOMF member Marco Brocchieri said, “I did FOMF because it allows me to use critical thinking and problem solving, while doing something interesting and fun.”
This year’s competition concludes on Monday, Feb. 13, where the answers that the students found will be judged to see if they are correct or not. The winning team will walk away with pride, bragging rights, and a pizza party.
