Students Attend FFA National Convention

Three Marion Junior-Senior High School students attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in October.

Rebecca VanCamp, Ava Sirkin, Emery Sirkin and Mrs. Lachnor took part in the week-long trip with other FFA District 8 schools. About 65,000 students attended the convention.

The first stop on the trip was Hershey, Pa., where they learned how chocolate is produced and enjoyed the rides and Fright Fest at Hersheypark.

On Monday, they toured the Utz potato chip factory in Hanover, Pa., to see how chips are made, flavored, and packaged. After that, there was a tour of Gutchess Hardwood Lumber to learn about their operations and experience the inside of a lumber kiln.

On Tuesday, they toured Dickinson Cattle in Barnesville, Ohio, where they learned all about grass fed longhorn production and got to hand feed the cattle "cow cake." The next stop was The Ohio State University to learn about controlled agriculture.

On Wednesday, they kicked off the first day at the National Convention with a tour of Cummins Engines in Columbus, Ind., where they saw engines being developed and tested and got to speak with an FFA alumni who now works there. They attended the Opening Session in Lucas Oil Stadium and listened to comedian Kevin Wanzer deliver the keynote speech. Lastly on Wednesday, they attended a Nate Smith and Megan Maroney concert that was only open to FFA members.

Highlights of Thursday and Friday at Convention included watching national competitions and attending workshops. Students got to explore hundreds of companies such as John Deere, Perdue, and Dodge, as well as many colleges from across the country.

Friday night, District 8 members had a catered dinner from Pa and Ma's (featured on The Food Network's "Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" with Guy Fieri), then attended a rodeo.

Students departed the convention on Saturday afternoon. The group returned Sunday afternoon after an exhilarating, educational, fun-filled week.