Competitive speaking events are available to students year-round. There is debate in the fall and forensics in the spring.

Forensics students headed to Ellis on March 1 to perform.

Senior Alex Green placed fourth in extemporaneous speaking, in which competitors are given three questions about current events and given 30 minutes of preparation to make a seven minute speech about those issues. He also placed seventh in oration, in which students give a memorized, original ten minute speech.

Green gave his reasons for competing in these areas.

“Because of my prior knowledge, awareness and speaking skills, I decided I was best suited to do speaking events,” Green said.

The title of his oration was “War, What is it Good For?”

Green said he thought he did well.

“I just need to get out of my debate speed speaking and slow it down so my performance doesn’t get shunned,” Green said.

Sophomore Isabella Lee has competed in forensics since she was a freshman. This was her first competition this season.

“I competed in poetry,” Lee said. “My selection was ‘Tin Foil and Hair Ribbons.’”

Lee said she did well.

“Mr. Butte said I was only a point away from making it to finals,” Lee said.

Another sophomore, Emily Prine, competed in prose with the piece “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” by Judith Viorst. Prine is also a two-season participant who had her first outing on Saturday.

“So far I’ve only competed in prose,” Prine said. “I chose to participate in it because I still get to act out a piece, but I don’t have to memorize it.”

Prine plans to expand her repertoire by taking a duet to a future competition with freshman Hannah Norris.

“I think I did pretty well,” Prine said. “I mean, almost breaking into finals when I only had the piece for a day seems pretty good.”

Forensics will host their home tournament Saturday, March 8 at Hays High.

14nfeyerherm@usd489.com