JCHS Beta Club Team Travels to Savannah
Members of the JCHS Beta Club attended the Beta National Convention held in Savannah, at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center June 17-20.
In order to qualify for nationals, students were required to place first through third at the state competitions. Back in January, JCHS students placed first in both the engineering Beta Build competition and in the robotics competition ensuring their eligibility for national competition.
Students practiced in the intervening months and the robotics team revamped their project. For robotics, they created a robot to help solve the parking problem in Savannah (specifically at the convention center) by automatically sorting vehicles by type and then parking them. The robotics team consisted of Chris Arnold, Ansley Atkinson, Landon Collier, Tyler Cooper, Avery Jacobs, and Cameron Snyder.
The prompt for Beta Build this year was to create an invention (with a minimum of 5 steps) to put a paperclip on an envelope, flip a cup over, and/or prepare a marshmallow for roasting. Teams that accomplished all three goals would receive extra points. The Beta Build team was able to accomplish all of the goals; unfortunately, a misaligned cup caused the creative invention to fail at the critical moment when the judges came by. The Beta Build team consisted of Ciara Christopher, Alina Jablonski, Chasity Joyner, Haley Pitchford, and Meghan Terry.
In addition to these competitions, JCHS students competed in two national-level only competitions: Meeting of the Minds and Convention Invention. In Meeting of the Minds, students are given an unknown task and then given an hour to complete that task; this year the task was to create an original board game. Convention Invention is a competition where students are asked to brainstorm and create a new product that fits in one of three categories: consumer products, electronics and sensors, or sustainable technologies. They are required to create a prototype and then to pitch it as part of the competition. Avery Jacobs and Jack Johnston competed in this event and came in tenth at nationals.
In addition to the various competitive events, the JCHS Beta Club representatives went to the beach, took a ghost tour, attended a scholarship ball, and climbed the Tybee Island Lighthouse. During the final closing session, students were inspired by Paula Deen. Asked about their experiences, rising senior and upcoming beta club vice president Ciara Christopher said “The leadership and connections that were developed there were beyond amazing. Who knew you could bond while standing in line for a food truck in a raining downpour.”
A special thanks goes to the businesses and organizations that helped to sponsor the trip: Bank of Monticello, Berry’s Tree Farm, Hooper Trailers, JCHS Faculty, Staff, and Students, McMichael’s Pizza, Mot-J Management, Inc, Venture Medical, and Woodmen of the World.
JCHS Beta Club ended the trip already discussing plans for conquering nationals next year in a variety of competitions.