Adrian Stocker, Bria Fowble, Calvin Lundquist, Jonah Baker, Linnea Jungers, Makenzie Bounds, Mara Fontana, Mason Baas, Nghi Nguyen, Owen Hammett, Rory Bellmont

Do you like to talk?  Do you enjoy acting?  Are you interested in current events?  Do you like to read or write?  Do you like to research new topics?  Do you like telling stories?  Do you like to argue?  Are you ALWAYS right?   Do you like to win?  Do you like to meet new people and make new friends?

If you answered "Yes" to ANY of these questions, then SPEECH is for you.

Competitive Speech has something for everyone, and it is probably nothing like you think.  If you have any interest, please reach out to head coach Nick Ingles at ningles@plsas.org or talk to any of our Speech Leadership Team.  Auditions are November 20-22.  We hope to see you then!

PL Speech had 4 students compete in the 2024 NSDA National Speech and Debate Tournament.

Over 6,700 students from around the country competed in the most prestigious and competitive speech competition in the nation this past week.  Alex, Radcliff, Chloe Erickson,  Katie Weaver, and Makenzie Bounds competed in a variety of different categories.  Below are their final results:

PL SPEECH NATIONALS UPDATE!

Katie Weaver is TOP 30 in the NATION! Katie has advanced to Quarter Fiinals in Dramatic Interpretation at the  National Speech & Debate Association 2024 National Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa.

Alex Radcliff, Chloe Erickson, and Makenzie Bounds continue their Nationals experience today competing in the Supplemental Tournament in the categories of Poetry, Prose, and Storytelling.

#bestyet

We had 7 finalist at the 2024 National Individual Events Tournament of Champions in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Below are their final results:

Congrats to all of our amazing speakers competing at NIETOC this year: Addison Trice, Aimee Weaver, Alex Radcliff, Annabelle Presly, Brandon Kaisersatt, Chloe Erickson, Katie Weaver, Makenzie Bounds, Mason Baas, Sanya Pirani, TK Thongvanh, and Wyatt Gillis. Thanks for your hard work and dedication.

Makenzie Bounds is going to NATIONALS!

Congrats Makenzie Bounds for qualifying for the National Speech & Debate Association 2024 National Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa June 16-21! 

Makenzie earned her spot by finishing top 16 the NATION in Drama Interpretation at this year's Last-Chance Qualifier April 26-27.  Makenzie  joins Prior Lake teammates Katie Weaver, who previously qualified, and Alex Radcliff and Chloe Erickson, who will be competing in supplemental categories.   Can't wait for these amazing speakers to share their stories in June.

I also want to recognize all of the hard work of our other Last-Chance competitors: Alex Radcliff, Abby Leach, Amy Watters, and Sanya Pirani. This weekend was a grind!  Thanks for your continued commitment and hard work.

#bestyet

STATE RESULTS!

Congrats Alex Radcliff and Sanya Pirani  for advancing to State Finals at the 2024 MSHSL Class AA STATE Speech Tournament!  Alex finished 4th in Storytelling and Sanya finished 6th in Original Oratory.

Congrats also to Himeeka Sunbeeb, Isabelle Ohlmann, and Owen Hammett for their phenomenal performances at State as well!

Below are the results:

SECTIONS & STATE 2024

Alex Radcliff, Himeeka Sunbeeb, Isabelle Ohlmann, Owen Hammett, and Sanya Pirani are going to the 2024 MSHSL AA STATE Speech Tournament!

Here are the rest of the Prior Lake finalists from the 2024 MSHSL Section 6AA tournament.

Students on the 2024 PLHS Speech Team may now register using the link below:

https://isd719a.cf.affinetysolutions.com/

$135 = Registration fee

*Only register if you have auditioned and made the speech team as stated below.

Thank you for your patience, Lakers!

We are very excited to announce the 2024 PLHS Speech Team!

This year we had the most auditions in the history of PLHS Speech.   Due to our limited coaching resources, it was very difficult trimming the roster down to our final roster.  We thank everyone for auditioning, and we encourage every to audition again next year if you did not make the team.

Below is the link to the team.  The roster includes category placement and your assigned coach. 

Our first ALL TEAM meeting will be Wednesday, November 29 in the auditorium @ 3:00 PM.

Students in Original Oratory (OO) will also meet in room C-203 during Laker Time.

Congrats to all of our new team members!  We can't wait to work with you this upcoming year!

Auditions: November 20-22 after school, in room C-106.   This will be on a first come basis.  If you earned a SPEECH TEAM LETTER LAST YEAR, you do not need to audition this year, but you must fill out your AUDITION FORM.

Here is the AUDITION PACKET.  Prepare as much or as little from this packet as you want for your audition.

Please contact Mr. Ingles  by email ningles@plsas.org if you have questions.  

Contact any of of our Speech Leadership Team for more information on speech or any of the categories.

            Speech is an extra-curricular activity that is sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League.  It includes thirteen categories, which are explained below.  The categories are divided into two general areas.  Public address categories include Original Oratory, Discussion, Informative Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Great Speeches.  Interpretive categories include Serious Interpretation of Prose, Serious Interpretation of Poetry, Serious Interpretation of Drama, Humorous Interpretation, Creative Expression, Duo Interpretation, Extemporaneous Reading, and Storytelling.

WHAT IS MY TIME COMMITMENT?

               We begin practicing “officially” right after winter break, but team members are encouraged to locate pieces before then. You will need to practice only 30 minutes a week. These are individually scheduled, and so students can also be involved in sports, the spring play, or other activities and still do speech.  Meets are generally held on Saturdays from late January through March. 

WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES LIKE?

The thirteen categories are as follows:

1. CREATIVE EXPRESSION -- Creative Expression is the performance of material written by the contestant, of which no more than 20% may be material from other sources.  The piece is typically funny and utilizes multiple characters.  This category is for actors who also enjoy writing creatively.

2. DISCUSSION -- Problem-solving discussion is an effort on the part of a small group to reach a solution to a problem through informal interchange of facts, inferences, and judgments. This method of discussion seeks consensus rather than majority rule. The focus of this event should be the encouragement of cooperation and critical thinking to arrive at the collective goal of better understanding and problem solving.

3. DUO INTERPRETATION -- Duo interpretation features two students interpreting together one or more selections from a single published source or a single anthology of prose, poetry, and/or dramatic literature serious and/or humorous, with literary merit and appropriate to the readers.  This is an acting category.

4. EXTEMPORANEOUS READING -- Participation in Extemporaneous Reading will train a student to introduce and read excerpts from prose or poetry for the purpose of appreciation or enjoyment.   Readings should be delivered utilizing a variety of expression.

5. EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING -- The Extemporaneous Speech should be an original synthesis of current fact and opinion on a topic drawn by the contestant. Speakers may choose from either U.S. or International topics.  Speeches are prepared thirty minutes prior to speaking.

6. GREAT SPEECHES
Great Speeches is an event in which the contestant performs a great speech from history as well as provide analysis into the speech’s composition.  Speakers should be able to deliver an interpretive performance as well as provide strong analytical writing.

7. HUMOROUS INTERPRETATION -- Humorous Interpretation uses any published selection either prose, poetry, or dramatic literature with both literary merit and appropriate to the reader.  Speakers utilizes multiple characters to deliver a humorous performance.  This is an acting category.

8. INFORMATIVE SPEAKING -- Informative Speaking is an event in which the student presents his or her own original informative composition about a topic of interest to them. Students will utilize visual aids as well to convey their information.

9. ORIGINAL ORATORY -- Original Oratory is an event in which the contestant presents his/her own persuasive composition citing research to support their position.

10. SERIOUS DRAMA INTERPRETATION -- Serious Drama Interpretation uses any published selection of dramatic literature.  Speakers should have a good sense of character and emotion to deliver a dramatic performance.  This is an acting category.

11. SERIOUS POETRY INTERPRETATION -- Serious Poetry Interpretation uses any published poetry selection, including lyric novels.  Speakers should have a good sense of character, emotion, and rhythm to deliver a dramatic poetic performance.  This is an acting category.

12. SERIOUS PROSE INTERPRETATION -- Serious Prose Interpretation uses any published selection of prose, fiction or non-fiction.  Speakers should have a good sense of character and emotion to deliver a dramatic performance.  This is an acting category.

13. STORYTELLING -- Participation in storytelling should train students to recreate a familiar story extemporaneously. A selected list of fifteen (15) stories will be announced in the fall of each year. Thirty (30) minutes before the contest begins, the first storyteller shall draw three titles. The storyteller shall immediately choose one of them and return the other two, which will then be placed with the other stories remaining to be drawn.  Storytelling should not exceed 7 minutes in length.