Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
During the extended weekend of Friday, June 16 through Tuesday, June 20, 17 students from the Madison County High School (MCHS) Beta Club attended the 43rd National Beta Club Convention, in Louisville, Ky. These students were accompanied by their sponsor Susanne Griffin, along with chaperones MCHS teacher Brigitte Gudz, Robin Hill, Jonas Chirinos and Michelle Rasmussen. While at the convention, the students participated in various competitions, meetings and a few sight-seeing opportunities. On top of all that, the students had the chance to develop friendships that will certainly last a lifetime.
One of the highlights of the trip was when the MCHS Beta Club Robotics Team took first place nationally with their robot. Earlier in the year, the team took first place in state competition in order to qualify for the competition on the national level. During the competition, students were required to design, program, construct and implement their robot to take on this year’s challenge dealing with search, rescue and retrieve. “The Beta Club Robotics Team could not have been successful without the guidance of Brigitte Gudz, the MCHS Robotics teacher,” said Griffin. “All of the Robotics Team members have been enrolled in one or more of Gudz’s classes at MCHS and have gained so much knowledge and experience in robotics, power and energy. Our robot was one of the few in the national competition that was fully autonomous. Most, if not all of the others, were powered by remote control.” Members of the MCHS Beta Club Robotics Team were: Josh Hill, Jonas Chirinos-Sanchez, Ian Rogers and Jamesia Ray. “I’m pretty sure we made school history,” added Griffin. “I don’t know of another MCHS Beta Club that has won a first-place National ranking at convention. This was the first time MCHS has ever had a robotics team. To win first-place at State and Nationals is unbelievable!”
The MCHS Robotics Team was not the only MCHS team to receive national recognition. The MCHS Beta Club’s Collaboration Connection Team took fourth-place in the National competition. They were tasked with engaging in “quick, creative and critical thinking challenges by applying collaborative leadership skills to produce a response in a given time frame.” Teams were observed and critiqued by a team of judges as they were doing performance-based and task-based problem solving. Members of this team were: Lucy Frakes, Karen Ferguson-Conner, Chakeria McCrary, Hope Horne and Breann Rasmussen.
Other teams from MCHS competing at the National convention included: the Book Battle Team of Judy Anderson and James Ray, A Performing Arts duo of Raul Duarte-Santiago and James Dice, a Project Proposal Team consisting of Arely Serrano, Anna Ebberson and Zar’Reyon McDaniel; finally, a Reimagine, Recreate, Recycle Team consisting of Chakeria McCrary, Fontasia Davis, Bethany Glover, Lucy Frakes and Judy Anderson.
While in Louisville, the students were able to see some of the sights in the area, including: Chruchill Downs, Muhammad Ali’s childhood home, Heigold Façade, a tour of the Louisville Slugger Museum and a special Beta night at Kentucky Kingdom Theme Park.
“I am so very grateful for our wonderful chaperones,” said Griffin. “Not only did they give up a week of their summer to be with teenagers, they also cooked delicious meals for us at our Aribnb. We had late nights, early mornings and action-packed days and I am so very appreciative for the sacrifices they made for MCHS Beta.”