The Chesterton High
School Speech Team qualified nine students in eight events for the National
Speech and Debate Association’s national tournament to be held in Dallas,
Texas in June. This brings the Speech and Debate team’s total number of
qualifiers to nineteen students representing the team in all nine of the
national events. The team also won the speech sweepstakes award for its top
eight entries at the Northeast Indiana District Tournament.
Six schools with
about 50 students competed in two preliminary rounds and a semifinal round,
with the top six in each event advancing to the final round. CHS had 21 of
its 24 entries advance to finals. The top two in each of the six events then
qualify for the national tournament.
The tournament,
held last Saturday at Plymouth High School, is the second of three national
qualifying tournaments. Debate took place in February, and District Congress
will be on March 21.
Seniors Carley Lowe
and Galen Wong qualified in original oratory, for their second trip to a
national tournament. Lowe’s original composition calls for empathy in order
to “foster care” and Wong’s urges people to remove their masks and be
themselves.
Joining Lowe and
Wong in final round oratory were sophomore Natalie Beglin and freshman Emily
Coleman, who placed fifth and sixth, respectively.
In humor junior
Lexi Justak and sophomore Isabella Portugal took top honors and will attend
their first national championship. Justak did a cutting from the play Miss
Beth, and Portugal won with her version of I Love My Job. Sophomore James
Van Drie placed fifth in humor as well.
In the
extemporaneous speaking events sophomore Hayden Hodge qualified in domestic
and sophomore Stone Freeman qualified in international. Junior Tim Vincent
and senior Nate Burris also qualified but gave up their spots to alternates
because they had previously qualified in debate. Also placing in domestic
was sophomore Mark Wilcox in fifth. In international senior Andrea Drygas
was fourth and freshman Connor Wantuch was fifth.
In dramatic
interpretation junior Ayesha Khan qualified with her interpretation of
Madras on Rainy Days. Carley Lowe also qualified in drama but, because
students can only qualify in one event, opted to do her oratory at
nationals. Also placing in drama was sophomore Karly Carden in fifth.
Competing and
qualifying in their first district tournament ever was the duo
interpretation team of junior Sam Lee and freshman Emily Coleman. They won
with their cutting from How to Survive a Horror Movie. Also placing in duo
were Portugal and her partner, senior Jake Williger, third, and freshmen
Simon Williger and Josh Hogan, fifth.
At the beginning of
the awards ceremony the district committee announced that Chesterton senior
Abby Burke was selected as the District Student of the
Year. Burke’s name will now be entered in the NSDA consideration for the
National Student of the Year.
“This is a really
great group of young people, who will represent Duneland well at the
national tournament. They demonstrate how attitude and effort can contribute
to a tradition of pride and excellence,” said program Director Chris Lowery.
Coaches Lowery,
Kirsten Reed, Eric Schaefer, Bob Kelly, Josh Coots and Kayla Fleming
accompanied the team. In addition, they got judging help from parent James
Vincent, and former students Heather Augustyn (class of 1990), Kevin
Miloshoff, Mikaela Meyer, Layla Mooradian, Sharon Coleman, and Danny
Vincent.