Speech students are preparing to put their talents to the test in speech tournaments this fall. They have been selecting performance pieces for contest under the guidance of coach Katie Johnson. As like any other members dedicated to their work, they build character into the pieces that they choose.

Competitions they have planned for the year are Buffalo, Sacred Heart, Lexington and Warrensburg. The team competed at School of Osage, where two poetry performances making it close to finals. The Knob Noster competition resulted in senior speech captain Cailin Easter placing two  for her prose reading and freshman Lacey Andrews winning fourth place in poetry.

”That was a rush, look at my hand, it’s shaking,” Andrews said, describing how the competition felt for her performance in Knob Noster.

  Variations of performances require the right tool to match the category students chose.

   “The performance piece really depends on the student and the category they are doing.  We have some categories that specifically require dramatic literature, others humorous.  Some categories require oration, while others require prose or poetry or play scripts,” middle school guidance counselor and speech coach Katie Johnson said.

 For sophomore Kathryn Ricke, speech is a way to reach to others on a hilarious level.

  “My goal through speech is to try to make as many people laugh as possible. I think that making people laugh is important because too many people take life too seriously,” Ricke said.

  To speak to the crowd, members have to practice on a schedule.

  “I usually stay after school 2-3 days a week for about 2-3 hours. I also practice an hour at home every night,” sophomore Alexa Scrivenor said.
  After practicing, members of the speech team “. . . feel more content, and relax after getting the hang of speech. Also speech help with happiness – to speak what is on our minds. Being in speech, allows you to escape from what is happening in life, and it allows you to put yourself into a different situation,” Easter said.

  About 10-15 students have joined but students are adding steadily to the speech team. People can join at anytime

  “More students should join because speech is fun, it’s like a family, and it helps kids grow in confidence and helps them be able to stand in front of a crowd and share their ideas. Speech is a great way to meet other people from other schools..” Katie Johnson said