For students nowadays there are a lot of requirements in school, especially when it comes to academics.
"There is a lot of pressure on our students. The schools, we do put a lot of pressure on them to maintain their grades," said Sand Hill Middle School Teacher, Adrienne Hartley.
But according to Hartley, she is the sponsor of a club that makes the strains of being a student worth it.
"The Junior Beta is a way to give them a reward for keeping up those grades," said Hartley.
There are other rewards. The kids of both Oak Grove Middle School Junior Beta, and Sand Hill Middle School have developed new talents through beta, and exercised some they already have. According to Oak Grove's Junior Beta sponsor Wanda Ford their musical talents won the Oak Grove club first place during the June nationals.
"We place first in songfest," said Ford.
The Oak Grove betas rewrote the lyrics to the song "Moves like Jaggar", and changed it to the beta convention theme, "Betas, Start Your Engines".
A trio of Oak Grove eighth graders, Caroline Glaze, Sally Autry, and Leslie Morris, captured their place in special talent with their voices and instruments.
Greta Thorderson's photography placed third. Thorderson says taking pictures of her little sister sparked her interest in photography a year ago.
"My pictures ended up turning into something different than just playing around, and they were better than I ever thought they would be," said Thorderson.
The awards kept coming for Sand Hill. They place first in skit, and fourth in group talent, which was clogging.
Sand Hill's Junior Beta member Kenneth Moore, was proud to talk about the club's third place achievement for the banner competition, out of more than 40 other entries.
"We're awesome," said Moore.
Ford praises both clubs for being well-rounded, but she's also quick to mention the more important characteristics beta teaches.
"It's really teaching them leadership and character," said Ford.
Copyright 2012 WDAM. All rights reserved.
