On Saturday March 24, the middle school speech and debate team had their first competition of this year. The team’s sponsor Ms. Jessica Champion stated that they had a great time at this event. At these tournaments there are 7 different categories including:  Duo Interpretation, storytelling, and duet acting. Out of the whole team, of the 9 students that went, Alex Kepes and Cooper Zumwalt were the only duo that placed, taking 1st in duo interpretation. Alex was also the only individual that placed, taking 3rd in storytelling.

Duet Interpretation is a pair of students completely memorizing a script and then they go to the tournament and perform that piece to their judges. Performing includes moving around and using several different gestures. Where storytelling is one student memorizing a whole childrens story, they go before their judge and sit in a chair until they recite the entire story from memory.

“Our student worked hard before and after school, memorizing their pieces and blocking them. Mrs. Holland and her high school speech students have been an incredible help to the middle school,” stated Ms. Champion. Two of the high school students that helped, Georgia Whalley and Dane Psyhos, went with them to the tournament to help the performers up to each of their individual performances. Georgia mainly helped students with showing more emotions of the pieces. Which means she helps the students put more facial expressions and hand gestures to make the piece move easier and better. While Dane would help them with more of a comedic side of it, showing them how to get and keep the attention of the judges and whoever else may be in the room to watch. Both, Dane and Georgia, stay after daily as well as being judges in some of the tournaments.