Agricultural
Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) are back again to help run social media accounts
for The American Rodeo.
The American is
one of the biggest rodeo events held every year at the Dallas Cowboys AT&T
Stadium in Arlington.
The event consists
of the top athletes in the world competing alongside underdogs who advanced
from the semi-finals and competed for the biggest paycheck of their lives. The
American is the richest winnings in rodeo, with the winner receiving $1
million.
“ACT is still a
small and growing organization, and so every time we get big opportunities like
these, we take them,” ACT President Kinley Mueller said.
Before any
individual is considered for the semi-finals and regular competitions, there is
a set of requirements and submission forms that they must complete.
Semi-finals were
held Feb. 27 through March 1 at the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards. During
these days, fans were also able to enjoy musical entertainment, western fashion
shows, vendors and many other attractions.
This was not the
first time ACT ran the social media accounts for The American. In the past, they were given social media
control before contestants started competing, giving them the opportunity to
capture the pre-show nerves.
Several ACT
members attended this year and had plenty of hands-on experience in conducting
on-field interviews for social media, helping with the pre-game show and
working in the broadcasting booth, according to ACT Treasurer Yuzmara Garcia.
Opportunities like
this allow students to get a real idea of their progress as well as see ways
that they can improve and be better for the next year’s competitions.
Other
organizations and colleges from around the United States were also in
attendance to help run social media accounts.
“We here at SHSU
were thrilled to be one of the schools chosen,” Mueller said.
ACT prides itself on giving members real life
experiences in a variety of areas such as its most popular outreach—
interviewing at rodeos.
Within the
agricultural industry, The American provides an opportunity to gain experience for
college students all around the world.