Freeman Students Attend National FFA Convention
"Blue Jackets: Gold Standards" Theme of this Year's Convention
by Jasmine Hagemeier
October 31, 2006
Three students were participants in the National FFA band and chorus: Stephanie Dorn (saxophone), Jerod Nieveen (percussion), and Megan Milke (soprano). The five students selected to attend the general convention were Jasmine Hagemeier, Natalie Lenners, Jamie Buhr, Nathan Milke, and Taylor Hesseltine. Tim Nieveen, a sophomore at UNL, also attended the convention to receive the coveted American FFA Degree, which is the highest award bestowed upon an FFA member.
The theme of this year’s convention was “Blue Jackets, Gold Standards”. More than 50,000 high school students from around the country gathered in the Conseco Fieldhouse to make it the world’s largest gathering of youth in the nation. Featured keynote speakers included Terry Bradshaw, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and past Super Bowl Champion, and Clark Kellogg, who was a standout basketball player at the Ohio State University and the Indiana Pacers, before turning to a broadcasting career. Students attended leadership workshops, visited the career show, and shopped at the FFA Mega Mall during the four day trip. Students also visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500, and attended the National FFA Band and Chorus Concert. The concert, a culmination of a week’s practices, was held Friday evening before the 7th session of the 79th National FFA Convention.
Overall, the trip was a great learning experience for all those who attended. The students were proud to represent Freeman High School and experience the National FFA Convention.
