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Spotlight on Youth - Dec. 17, 2008

Amanda-Clearcreek FFA team fourth in nation
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The National FFA Organization recently awarded members of the Amanda-Clearcreek FFA Agricultural Communications team a gold emblem.

The team competed in the National FFA Agricultural Communications Career Development Event (CDE), held during the 81st National FFA Convention. Winners were announced at the annual awards banquet. As a sponsor, DTN/The Progressive Farmer and The National FFA Foundation provided funds for plaques, medals and scholarships for winning teams and high scoring individuals.

Members of the team include: Alyssa Jenkins, Teran Pinkstock, Tara McCalla, Ryan Davis II and Josh Cordle. Their advisor and CDE Coach Scott Sharp, of Amanda, Ohio accompanied the team. Alyssa placed an amazing 8th place individually earning a gold rating and a $500 scholarship. Pinkstock placed 13th with McCalla placing 17th, both earning gold ratings. Davis placed 50th earning a silver rating. Earning a silver rating, Cordle placed 96th. The team only missed a total of 33 points out of 900.

The National FFA Agricultural Communications CDE is a competitive activity that tests students’ skills in all areas of the agricultural communications field and evaluates how well they can apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations.

Participants attend a simulated news conference and use the information gathered to complete individual practicum in news story writing, press release writing, radio broadcasting, web design, and graphic design. Prior to the event, students compile communication project proposals related to innovative agricultural practices, management techniques and marketing tools. Each team then creates a 15-minute presentation based on their proposal.
Members also compete in an editing exercise and a general communications quiz. The event is one of many educational activities at the National FFA Convention in which FFA members practice the lessons learned in agricultural education classes.

UoI Dairy Judging Team tops Louisville contest
URBANA, Ill. — Capping a successful 2008 season, the University of Illinois Dairy Judging Team finished first at the North American International Livestock Dairy Judging Contest in Louisville, Ky. It was the third top four finish for the team in as many contests.

Katie Boesche of DeKalb, Ill. was the high individual among the 19 teams competing at Louisville and finished fourth in the reasons category. She was also high individual in the Brown Swiss and Jersey categories and fifth in Ayrshires. Erin Lyons of Rockford, Ill. was the eighth individual overall and third in Brown Swiss. Clint Harre of Nashville, Ill. was ninth in Jerseys.

Earlier, the U of I team did well at the 2008 National Collegiate Dairy Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., placing fourth out of 22 teams in the overall and reasons categories. Steve Fluty of Bloomington, Ill., Harre, and Lyons reached All-American status by placing 12th, 20th, and 18th, respectively, overall.

At Madison, the team placed first in Brown Swiss, sixth in Jerseys, eighth in Milking Shorthorns, and fifth in Red and White Holsteins.
Individually, Fluty placed second in Brown Swiss, fourth in Holsteins, and sixth in Jerseys. Lyons was eight in Brown Swiss and second in Milking Shorthorns. Boesche was 10th in Milking Shorthorns.

At the All-American Judging Contest in Harrisburg, Penn., the UoI team finished third overall out of 17 teams. The team placed fourth in oral reasons, fourth in Ayrshires, ninth in Brown Swiss, sixth in Holsteins, fourth in Jerseys, and sixth in Guernseys.
12/17/2008