Hello, fellow fairgoers! My name is John Ross Amigh, or hotdog on here, and I am the newest State Fair public affairs intern at the N.C. department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. I am very excited to join the State Fair team this fall, just in time for the fair itself! In my free time I am a senior at NC State University, right here in Raleigh, majoring in English. I have always been a member of the Wolfpack, and I never imagined myself going to any other school; especially a blue one. The fair has always been a tradition of mine, but I never thought I would get the chance to work within it until now!
If I were 10 years younger, I would probably tell you my favorite parts of the fair were the rides and games, but today, the food takes the cake. My favorite items are things like fried cheese, French fries or Howling Cow ice cream, but one item reigns supreme: The simple hot dog. My record is eight in one sitting; I was particularly hungry that day.
I grew up just down the road in Clayton, NC, and I have always called North Carolina home. In high school I served as the president of my FFA chapter where we planned chapter trips to the State Fair. My favorite competition was always livestock judging at the Hunt Horse Complex. Nowadays, when I am not at a tailgate or hollering at basketball game, I am an editor at one of NC State’s newspapers, Technician.
After spending my summer writing for The Pilot newspaper in Moore County, I learned that I love writing about local stories and community staples. While friends of mine could be focused on the biggest investigation, or breaking news, I’ll be writing about topics like local trivia nights or events at the bowling alley.
This fall I’m excited to write more and cover the local stories that come together to create the fair. Once the fair starts, maybe look for some stories for yourself, every booth or stand you go to could be hiding special stories of its own!