The Fair Grove Speech Team took their talents to Hillcrest on February 17th. Fair Grove took second overall out of twenty three schools, beating out Strafford and Clever amongst other schools, with Branson taking first.

Amy Holland, the speech team sponsor, was pleased with the performance. “I think that overall we did very well. We had many people place in their events and that helps the team place overall.” Some of the placements include Mark Cockroft (12) and Makayla Hodges (11) placing first in improv acting, Mark Cockroft and Josie Schenherr (9) placing fourth in improv acting, and Emma Hackett placing third in dramatic interpretation. “Many of our competitors placed and did what they needed to do,” states Holland.

Mark Cockroft, who has been with the speech team for three years here at Fair Grove placed competed multiple times at Hillcrest in improv acting. “You and your partner draw three topics, and you and your partner choose one of the topics. You and your partner then create a scene that is between five and seven minutes long and then your perform it in front of judges.”

Senior Amanda Orr competed at the tournament with an original oratory. Amanda Orr wrote her original oratory over sexual assault and placed second in the tournament. The point of an original oratory is to persuade the judges to see your point of view over a varying array of topics and has to meet a time of ten minutes.

The Fair Grove SPeech Team will next compete Central High School for MSHSAA districts on Friday, March 2nd, and if they place well enough, will advance to state. “Amanda Orr went to state last year in her departments, and Dane Pyshos (10) has been doing very well on his humorous interpretation. I have high hopes for state this year,” states an optimistic Mark Cockroft.