Ketchikan students followed the first pilotage on the Alaska Airlines plane designed by Crystal Worl on the evening of Friday.
The ex-salmon-thirty-salmon wraps itself in Worl’s vibrant formline salmon pattern.
Houghtaling elementary school teacher Starla Agoney said her fourth graders don’t mind a formal design on all planes.
“Some of the discussions were where students thought that all Alaska Airlines planes should have these designs, a formline designs, and be flying all over all of the United States,” she stated.
Agoney stated that one her students arrived at school on a Friday morning with the information that the plane was going to be landing later that day.
She seized the opportunity to show them photos of the plane and also track the flight’s progress through Alaska Airlines. As it approached the plane was close, everyone gathered out to take a look. A conversation about culture began.
“We discussed how it is one of the clan of artists and that the artist has always desired to see a salmon image on one plane,” she explained. “So it was really deep discussions about the significance of it to our community.”
It was particularly engaging for the students as they’ve been learning about formline design through the school’s artist-in residence program.
“And that’s why my students were able to discuss about ovoids and U-shapes as well as what they believed the designs meant,” Agoney added.
The plane’s journey to take off and land was a chance for students to relate the lessons they’ve learned with the real world.
“We’ve been learning about our cultures and the different cultures from the Southeast Alaska people,” she explained. “And that’s why they could connect the two with the lessons they’ve learned in the class. That’s really something special and distinctive.”
Agoney claimed that students from other classes at Houghtaling were also watching. Revilla Junior Senior High School students were also watching.
Raegan Miller is Raegan Miller is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your contribution that matches our RFA grant will allow her to continue creating stories such as this one. Consider making contributions tax-deductible by visiting KRBD.org/donate.
