FFA Captures Four First Place Titles at District Seven Competition

Six Individuals and Two Teams Moving On To Sub-State Contest
The Southern Cayuga Junior and Senior FFAs traveled to Moravia February 15 for the District Seven Career Development Event (CDE), with six individuals and two teams qualifying to move on to the sub-state competition in March.

In the Junior FFA competition, seventh graders Anna Van Amburgh and Ryan Pinckney finished fourth and second respectively in the Junior People in Agriculture competition.  The competition requires competitors to present a poster about an agricultural career and then answer questions about the subject.  Van Amburgh presented on a dairy nutritionist career and Pinckney on an avian veterinarian career.

Freshman and Southern Cayuga newcomer Hailey Mahaney took first place in the Senior FFA People in Agriculture competition, speaking about Agritourism and describing her aunt and uncle's Long Acre Farm.

Also in the Junior FFA competition, Molleigh Johnson and Avery Colton finished second and fourth respectively in the Junior Creed event.  The event requires competitors to recite the five paragraphs of the FFA Creed with feeling and emphasis and then answer questions.

Veteran FFA member Catie Kopp took first place in the prepared speech competition, speaking and answering questions about "Sustainable Water Solutions."

Two FFA teams will also move on to the sub-state event.  The Parliamentary Procedure team of Hannah Roman, Steven White, Ben Ward, Gavin Van Horn, Connor Bennett and Brett Jillson were judged best at debating motions using proper parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order.

Additionally, the Ag Issues Team of Brittney Meade, Catie Kopp, Brett Jillson, Samantha Halverson, Kelsey LaFave and Jacob Schmitt took first place.  Their competition involved picking an issue important to their community, researching it and creating a skit presenting the pros and cons of the issue without drawing any conclusions.  The skit presented a community meeting called to discuss farm labor issues.

Also competing for Southern Cayuga was Sophia Bennett and Jonathan Lewis in Creed Speaking, Gary Haff in Extemporaneous Speaking and Megan Bunnell in Personal Interviewing skills.

The Southern Cayuga team competed against teams from Homer, Tully, Moravia, Spencer Van Etten, Marathon, and Cayuga Onondaga BOCES.  The sub-state competition will be held in Carthage.