The speech team started off the year strong, placing first with 22 regional qualifiers in their Sept 30 tournament.
“We did very well. It was a good start, especially getting first overall as a team,” Speech and Debate Coach Brett Young said.
For many people on the team it was their first time competing, including freshman Lucas Welch-Bell who placed first in Standard Oratory. Welch-Bell says he felt a little nervous before competing because he had to change part of his speech the night before.
“I think with standard oratory, as just an event for freshmen and sophomores it wasn’t as nerve racking,” Welch-Bell said.
Welch-Bell found help through watching his other teammates who gave him an idea of how he wanted to present his speech.
“They’re really good, so I think just watching some of them is just an inspiration for my own,” Welch-Bell said.
For many more experienced members of the team, the tournament was a good trial run to see what they needed to work on.
“I got third, and I qualified for regionals,” sophomore Eve Moen said. “It might not have been exactly what I wanted, but I did qualify for regionals, and that just means that I can work on it and do better.”
Moen competed in dramatic interpretation.
“I think that my piece could have used a little more humor because in dramatic you want a lot of variation of emotions,” Moen said.
Seniors Asher Thorson and Brock Gowens both competed in humorous interpretation, with Gowens in first place and Thorson in second place.
“I just need to memorize my speech more to really make it polished,” Thorson said.
“I was really nervous because humorous interp always has a lot of viewers at tournaments,” Gowens said. “There can be people that can come into your room and watch just for the sake of watching instead of competing, so that makes it really scary.”
Junior Sophie Pierce placed first in original oratory.
“My speech was about parental pressure: pressure that parents put on their kids in sports or academics,” Piece said.
Young was pleased with the team overall, with many students sitting in first through third place in multiple events.
“I think we have a really good solid group,” Young said. “They are a good family group of people. I’m just so proud of them. I think they’re doing a great job. They work hard.”
