Since 1990, Central Hardin has continuously hosted a Beta Club for students.

Jan. 15-17, our Beta Club traveled to Lexington, Kentucky, to the annual state convention.  

As a whole, our school placed in 13 different categories.

Beta Convention is an opportunity for students of every age to participate in arts, academics, and even speaking categories. This gives young children and young adults the chance to do something they enjoy doing while representing their school.

The event is usually held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in nearby Louisville, KY, but was moved to Lexington due to the national convention being held in Louisville this summer. 

As one of the three sponsors who coordinated the trip, English teacher Lindsay Corley said that no matter the location in Kentucky, state conventions are pretty stressful to plan. 

The competitions can get intense, but other factors of the trip help level out the nerves for whatever students  chose or choose to compete in.

 “The environment was very nerve racking at first, but my hotel mates made it better,” sophomore Nicole Sisoumankhara states. 

Sophia Stover, a junior, ran for state vice president at this convention. 

When asked about how she felt about the atmosphere surrounding the trip, her response was very positive. 

“The environment was amazing. I got to meet so many amazing Betas from all across the state whilst spending time with my Central friends. When it was time to give my speech on stage  I felt strong support from my peers and sponsors,” Stover said. 

There were a lot of fun activities around the downtown Lexington area, and freshman Maddex Adams shared with us his favorite memory from the trip.

“My favorite part of the trip was going ice skating with my friends and then scrambling to get ready for Sophia’s campaign skit,” Adams said. 

Freshman Sarah Wall sang in the Performing Arts: Solo, Duo, Trio category. Despite not placing, she said that her favorite part of the convention was getting to sing “Traveling Soldier” by The Chicks in honor of her dad who is a veteran. 

Beta Convention is an anticipated event that a lot of members look forward to. While a lot of people still have multiple years they can go, some seniors are not looking forward to not having the ability to go to conventions any longer.

“What I will miss the most is getting to spend time in the city with my friends,” senior Tanner Maxwell said. 

While Stover has one year left of being able to go on the trip, her biggest takeaway was inspiring for us all.

 “The biggest takeaway from convention I have is gratitude. I am so thankful that the sponsors would allow me to represent our school and this county. But I am also grateful for all of the people that helped put this project together- y’all are the real ones that stuck through with me until the end. Thanks for Stayin’ Alive with Stover.”

Corley said that they have some of the best kids in the club and Beta definitely has a lot of fun competitions. 

“It’s not all about academics but about service and showing off things that the students are proud of,” Corley said.