DECA State is a convention held soon after DECA Districts. This year we had eleven students qualify for state convention: Skylar Tarkington, Nolan Hovis, Jenna Wood, Will Arras, Ralph Patterson, Carter Corcino, Clemens Novak, Kenny Couch, David Frazier, Sierra Sample, and Liz Hinkle. We left the parking lot on a Sunday morning and arrived that evening. This year the convention was held in Kansas City, MO instead of the usual Lake of the Ozarks, which we outgrew. However, that did not stop the hotel in Kansas City from being extremely crowded with business aspiring teenagers. The elevators were very crowded after general sessions and meals, but this provided situations to meet new people and make new friends… or get your exercise in by taking on twenty-three flights of stairs.

The events that occurred were not much different from the happenings at DECA Districts. We took a one hundered question test and role played as a certain business related being. The biggest difference at State was the competition. The competition is much harder to beat. These fellow DECA members study hard and work to go to Internationals all year round. This led to us not taking home any awards this year. However, there is always next year!

If you are interested in DECA get into it early, so that you will have the most experience and have a great chance of paving your way to Internationals!!

One very important factor in our DECA club here at FHS is Mr. Wooldridge. Mr. Wooldridge works hard to educate us on the events that we compete in and encourages us to be better. Also he comes up with great ideas to raise money so that trips like State wont break our banks. This year he decided to do a penny competition where you would get a point for every penny you bring in and you could put silver coins toward other people’s collections to subtract their points. This was a fun competition for the student body and it was very successful. However, the competition wasn’t the only incentive for participation. Mr. Wooldridge let the winner of the competition spin a wheel and get to have whatever they landed on. They landed on a pizza party provided out of Mr. Wooldridge’s pocket. Then, to spice things up, he let the winning class, along with a few runners-up, throw pies in his face at the Feel Good Week Assembly. One pie in particular was thrown by Mr. Callahan. This pie wasn’t just put on Mr. Wooldridge’s face; it was pitched like a major league baseball. This throw had the student body doubling over in laughter. DECA members would like to thank Mr. Wooldridge for everything he does.