On Saturday, March 1  the speech team competed at the Battle Lake Lions Invitational at Battle Lake High School. Individual awards went to:  

Elijah Geiser – first place in Poetry with his interpretation of the poem “Ren” by Ren Gills.

Brooke Sonsalla – fourth place in Discussion. This year’s tasks surround the nature of work post-pandemic. 

Daisy Lalum – fifth place in Poetry with a variety of poems that explore the unique pressures adolescents face when transitioning to adulthood in the 21st century, including the pressure to engage with social media.

Owen Johnson – fifth place in Extemporaneous Reading. This year’s selections come from The Moth Presents: All These Wonders and The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley. Owen selects a story/poem at random and has thirty minutes to write an introduction and practice reading before presenting in front of a judge. 

Marissa Uselman – sixth place in Extemporaneous Reading. This year’s selections come from The Moth Presents: All These Wonders and The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley. Marissa selects a story/poem at random and has thirty minutes to write an introduction and practice reading before presenting in front of a judge. 

Lilly Anderson – sixth place in Drama with her interpretation of Jerry Rabushka’s monologue Wispy Boy which follows a young woman that falls in love with a deaf boy.

Soren Stout – Superior in Discussion. This year’s tasks surround the nature of work post-pandemic.

Henry Huebsch – Superior in Storytelling. This year’s fables/folktales revolve around the topic of courage. Henry chooses a story at random and has thirty minutes to write an introduction and practice retelling the story in his own words before presenting in front of a judge. Henry does not get to use any notes or script in front of the judge.

Julia Johnson – Superior in Great Speeches with her analysis of former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s 2012 speech to parliament using a simplification of Bitzer’s Rhetorical Situation. 

Ellie Koshenina – Superior in Dramatic Interpretation with her interpretation of Deborah Karczeski’s monologue, Sassy and the Boss, which follows a young woman as she navigates the aftermath of sexual assault.

Makenna Brunko – Excellence in Poetry with a collection of poems about the devastating consequences of bullying in high school.