Junior high speech team dominates

Halee Young, Staff Writer

The junior high speech team hit the ground running with two great meets this week.

In two meets spanning last Friday and Monday, B-A had five first-place finishes and two fourth-place finishes.

Grades 7-9 compete and prepare to perform their works. Poetry, drama, informative, and improv are just a few of the options students can choose from. Specific rules apply to each speech, some have time restraints, others require staying in an imaginary box on the floor.

All of these however, require memorization and skill. Participants this year are giving it their all and doing fantastic!

Many of the team members placed! At the first meet on October 16, Derek Stivers placed 1st in the poetry category, Briley Campbell and Emily Zacker placed 1st in the duo category, and Ryan Marinak placed 4th in the persuasive category.

At the most recent meet on October 19 Derek Stivers placed 1st in the poetry category, Briley Campbell and Emily Zacker placed first in the duo category, and Ryan Marinak placed 4th in informative.

The last meet is set to happen on the 9th of November at Windber.

Last year, a speech competition was a very difficult task. Covid-19 regulations prevented a “normal” meet. A virtual meet was held over Microsoft Teams.

“We are very excited to have these events ‘live’ instead of virtual! The students have worked hard on their presentations and being able to perform in front of a live audience has returned to some ‘normalcy’ to the experience. I am glad we were able to assemble a team to compete many schools were not able to participate this year.”