Written by Allison Reaves, ALEC Senior
The Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications (ALEC) department was allowed to host the first East Tennessee Regional FFA agricultural communications CDE following contest changes from National FFA. The CDE now comes in four parts. Each team has a member compete in videography, website design, journalistic writing, and opinion writing. Three total chapters across the eastern region participated, with the top two contestants competing in the state competition at the 96th annual Tennessee State FFA Convention.
ALEC faculty and staff were largely involved in hosting this event. Dr. Tyler Granberry, Mrs. Victoria Beasley, and ALEC and AREC staff Mrs. Ally Lay were coordinators. Dr. Taylor Ruth, Dr. Shelli D. Rampold, Dr. Jamie Greig, and Dr. Emily Paskewitz, each an expert in their respective Agricultural Communications concentration, judged sections of the contest that aligned with their proficiency.
ALEC also had the opportunity to work with the Food Science Department. The UT creamery was chosen to be the subject of the competition due to its recent reopening and interest from participating contestants. This choice not only highlights various facets of agricultural communications but also provides students with insights into UT offerings, including hands-on experience with the software and materials utilized by our students.
Dr. Molly West, ALEC faculty, was placed as coordinator for the event.
“I was happy to lead the competition. Knoxville is so big, and hosting events like this one makes UT feel more like a family for potential students.”
Dr. West also addressed the participating teams, mentioning that most of the contestants were high school freshmen. The schools’ choice to bring younger students promotes earlier learning among these participants.
“Overall, this was such a successful event. We made connections with advisors and potential students in a way that we don’t always get to. Spending time with these students and seeing what all they can do showed us that the future is bright for ALEC.” said Dr. West.
The Ag Comm CDE will be hosted again next year at UT, with Dr. West reporting that they are already brainstorming speakers for the event.
