By Jeanni Ritchie
Thousands of junior high students, nonstop energy, and a schedule packed tighter than the Cajundome food court line — the Louisiana Beta Convention was back in Lafayette last month.
For some, the sight of nearly 10,000 preteen students in one space might sound overwhelming. For me, it’s an environment where I tend to thrive. There is something uniquely energizing about being in a room full of young people who are excited, nervous, competitive, and hopeful all at the same time.
Once a Beta sponsor, I now volunteer my time at the state conventions, judging and coordinating events. Without students to chaperone, my schedule is open and flexible. It is an honor to serve.
Coincidentally, that is the key purpose of Beta Club: service. This year’s theme, Wired for Success, focused on unleashing creativity, leadership, and service.
Competitions ranged from academic challenges and visual arts to onsite painting, apparel design and Quiz Bowl.
While I have judged nearly every competition over the years, this year my schedule included Service Learning Showcase, Performing Arts: Large Group Preliminaries, Songfest Preliminaries, and Speech Finals.
It is the Speech competition that is nearest to my heart. A few years ago, while judging a Senior Beta speech competition, I witnessed something that changed me.
One young speaker addressed anxiety, speaking eloquently about her struggles and the quiet dismissal she often received from adults who believed she didn’t have “real” problems yet. My conscience was pricked — hadn’t I said similar things when my own daughter struggled?
As she described physical symptoms and intrusive thoughts, I realized how wrong I had been. You can’t quantify mental health struggles — pain is not proportionate to age. Her anxiety was as tangible as anyone else’s.
I never again made the mistake of minimizing someone’s struggles.
Words are powerful, and that day a young Beta student taught me how to be a better mother, a better writer, and a better friend.
And it all started at a Beta Convention.
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
