Contributed by Jonathan Gipson/Magazine Schools Media Relations

MAGAZINE – Magazine School’s Beta Club has had a longstanding tradition of success at the organization’s yearly state convention, and that level of excellence reached new heights this week during the convention at the Hot Springs Convention Center in Hot Springs.

Magazine’s senior high Beta Club had seven students earn individual awards, won three group awards and had four individuals selected to perform during the opening ceremonies of this summer’s national convention. Its junior high Beta Club had two students earn individual awards and won one group award. 

“Our Betas have been increasingly successful over the past decade, and this year set a new high-point for us,” Magazine Schools Beta Club Sponsor Donna Riddle said. “I think success breeds success, and our members are hungry for it. They are willing to work hard to be competitive in many different areas.”

Magazine High School Principal Matt Binford said that Beta Club, an honors organization, represents excellence at Magazine Schools and that “is demonstrated in the classroom and in their Beta performance.”

“Our performance at state was a David vs Goliath story,” Binford said. “Little Magazine took on the biggest, most prestigious schools in the state and won. These students let me know that our future is bright. I can not say enough about our parents and sponsors. Their support, modeling and accountability are critical in Beta’s success.”

This is Riddle’s 36th year as Beta Club sponsor. She was recognized for her years of service during the convention. This year’s performance at the state convention ranks high among her memorable moments, and there have been many during her time as sponsor.

“I was thrilled that we won first place in both Show Choir and Group Talent,” Riddle said. “It seemed like the culmination of our efforts over the past several years, but, to be honest, I was probably more excited back in 2019 when our group talent made it into the Top 5 for the first time. We had been giving it our all for several years at that point, and, unlike our show choir that had achieved immediate success, qualifying for nationals the first year we entered the competition, we just couldn’t seem to get over the hump in Group Talent. We finally broke through in 2019, and it was exhilarating.”

Magazine’s senior high Beta Club won first place in Show Choir, which included students Nat Ervin, Serenity Mora, Kalynn Downs, Phoebe Hopper, Dessi Carolan, Carissa Webster, Brock Gentry, Tempest Dickens, Mattie Terry, Daniel Green, Callie Nicholas, Briare Harding, Trinidy Harding, Ainslee Chappell, Zoey Thurman, Josie Oliver, Bryson Smith, McKenzie Morris and Kauree Bennett.

It also won first place in Performing Arts Senior Large Group Performance, which included Ervin, Mora, Downs, Phoebe Hopper, Carolan, Webster, Gentry, Dickens, Terry, Green, Nicholas, Briare Harding, Trinidy Harding, Ainslee Chappell, Thurman and Oliver.

Both of those groups qualified to compete at the national convention.

Magazine also had a candidate running for State President, Cain Harmon, and his campaign skit, which featured  Morris, Green, Caleb Staton, Terry, Nicholas, Briare Harding, Trinidy Harding, Carolan, Webster, Ainslee Chappell and Phoebe Hopper, finished second.

The junior high Beta Club also earned fifth place in Performing Arts Junior Small Group, which included students Madison Kilgore, Everlee Chappell, Eli Young, Corbin Canada, Gabby Shomber, Aura Turner, Kendra Schriver, Halo McLeod, Garrison Lovell, Michael Crutcher and Libby Slate.

That group also qualified to compete at the national convention, but the junior high Beta Club will not be attending the national convention.

There were many “wow” moments for Riddle throughout the talent performances, but the Senior Large Group Performance may have been the most exciting, particularly the performance of Ainslee Chappell.

“It’s hard to pick just one (moment), but I guess for me it was when Ainslee Chappell walked out on stage for her solo in the finals of group talent. We’ve been telling the kids that one of the things holding us back has been stage presence, and (Beta Club Co-Sponsor Thomas) Riddle made that point again during solo, duo and trio finals on Tuesday when he sent a text to our group chat telling our vocalists to pay attention to the performers’ stage presence,” Riddle said. 

“Ainslee has developed into a pretty confident vocalist, and she is willing to dance, too, but she has never felt comfortable doing much more than standing still while she is singing. Tuesday afternoon, she decided it was time to get out of her comfort zone, and she asked for help from our choreographer, Brock Gentry. She and Brock put together a couple of moves to add some sass to her performance, and it was outstanding. Really, all of our performers just seemed to turn it up a notch.”

The success of the group performances is the result of a lot of hard work by the students and time and effort put in by sponsors and teachers mentoring the students.

“We have had several mentors. (Beta Club Co-Sponsor Alisa) Green is our vocal coach for both, but Mr. Riddle and (Beta Club Co-Sponsor Andy) DeWitt have also worked with kids over the years. The kids have provided most of our choreography, but, just this year, they’ve had help from (Construction Tech Instructor Jayson) McGaugh and (Counselor Shanna) Moore, and Mrs. Green is good to help with it and make sure that it fits with what we are trying to do vocally. Ms. DeWitt and Mr. Riddle have taken over the planning areas of group talent, guiding students in choosing a theme, selecting songs and developing the overall entertainment value.”

That, and getting the opportunity to perform in front of the student body and the public during the Beta Club’s annual Variety Show has been beneficial, too, Riddle said. 

“The fact that our administrators have allowed us to perform for both campuses in our annual Variety Show for the past several years has encouraged more students to strive to get into Beta Club so they can perform with us,” Riddle said. “It has made our students more comfortable with the idea of performing in front of their peers because they have seen it done by their role models for several years in a row. Another thing that has helped with that comfort factor has been the elementary music program developed by (former Magazine Elementary Music Teacher Amanda) Powell. By the time kids get invited to join Beta, they have performed in several shows already.”

Ainslee Chappell, Trinidy Harding, Briare Harding and Ervin earned a “Golden Ticket” as Premier Performers and will get to perform during the opening ceremonies at the national convention.

“Beta has a big opening ceremony on the first night of the national convention. The individuals who received the Golden Tickets – Nat Ervin, Briare Harding, Trinidy Harding and Ainslee Chappell – are invited to perform as vocalists during that opening ceremony,” Riddle said. “They will be sent music to practice, and then they will attend a couple of practices after we reach the convention site before they go on stage for the opening ceremony.” 

Magazine’s Beta Club members also excelled in individual academic and talent competitions.

Abby Crandall finished first in Quilling (Division I), Webster finished third in Sophomore Agriscience, Phoebe Hopper finished second in Sophomore Language Arts, Isaiah Ward finished fifth in Sophomore Math, Morris finished third in On-Site Painting (Division III) and second in Painting (Division II) and Trinidy Harding finished second in Performing Arts Senior (Solo, Duo, Trio Variety Act). 

Crandall, Morris and Trinidy Harding will compete at the national convention. Webster, Hopper and Ward qualified for the national convention, too, and their tests are administered online in May.

In junior high, Connor Hopper finished third in Eighth Grade Math, and Kendra Schriver finished third in Pottery. Even though the junior high Beta Club won’t be attending the national convention, there is a possibility that Connor Hopper might be able to compete since the math test is online in May.

“Individual academic honors have been achieved by students who generally test very well in their subject areas. For example, Phoebe Hopper, who got second place in Language Arts, already has an incredibly high ACT score in that area, especially for a sophomore. I think we’ve done particularly well the past few years because we’ve done a better job of identifying which students need to take which tests,” Riddle said.

“For those who have had individual achievements in the arts, I give a lot of credit to (Art Teacher Rebekah) Hittner. As our K-12 art teacher, she has created an environment where students are comfortable expressing their creativity in the visual arts, and she has been very helpful when our students need someone to critique their entries. I know that McKenzie Morris, in particular, has credited Mrs. Hittner’s mentorship in accomplishing a first place in painting and a Best of Show in Division I (ninth and tenth grades) last year, as well as a second place in painting in Division II this year.”

The diverse areas of competition, whether it be talent competitions, skill competitions or academic competitions, that Beta Club offers at its state and national conventions provides something for students of all interests, Riddle said.

“Beta is an honors organization, so academic tests make sense, but even in that area, they’ve added a few categories since the 1990s, like agriscience, Spanish and French. I’ve been going to convention since January 1999, and we’ve always had talent and quiz bowl competitions, as well as scrapbook, speech and onsite painting and drawing, but the number of categories has continued to expand over the past decade or so,” Riddle said. 

“There are now 15 categories of visual arts as well as such diverse competitions as robotics, marketing and communications and living literature in which students create a wax museum type of exhibit based on a book with them portraying the characters. I believe it really does provide something for everyone, and that creates a sense of belonging for some students who don’t find it in athletics and other extracurricular activities. To quote one of the seventh graders who attended state convention this year, ‘There were kids there who are like us.’”

Riddle, her co-sponsors and the students now turn their focus toward the national convention, which will be in Savannah, Ga., on June 16-19.

“The kids get about a month off to finish off basketball season, and then, we will start having practices about every other week. Meanwhile, I will be planning logistics for the convention (how we are going to get there with all of our costumes, props and backdrops, where we are going to stay and how we are going to travel between the hotel and the convention center),” Riddle said. “I will also be planning fundraisers and petitioning for financial support. All of the talent coaches and mentors and student choreographers and set designers will be thinking of ways that we could improve our performances and/or appearance on stage.”