For many students, speaking in front of a crowd can be a scary or nerve-wracking experience, but Extracurricular Speech exists to turn that fear into confidence, all while adding some fun and excitement in a competitive way.
“Speech is an extracurricular activity that anybody can be a part of, freshman through senior,” said Brooke Grett, co-coach of the club. “And we have different categories or entries that you can be a part of, all the way from reading off of a script to a memorized story. Other events involve singing, radio broadcasting, and video editing, so there is something for everyone.”
Speech consists of two seasons: large group and individual. First is large group, where students work with others to achieve a common goal. “It’s my first year doing Speech, so I’m doing reader’s theater,” said freshman Hayden Pierson. “Which is where you have a group of people, and everyone takes turns reading off of a script.” Although readers’ theater may be a popular choice among Speech contestants, seniors Piper Clark, Carter Dudley, and Emilyn Davis are all involved in musical theater, whether that be in large groups or individually.
Dudley also does ensemble acting for large groups, and literary programs for individuals, whereas Davis performs individual storytelling. When asked why people should join Speech, the seniors and freshman all had different things to say on the matter.
“You should join Speech because it’s really fun and you get to hang out with friends and meet new people. It’s with all grades, so you get to meet people out of just your grade, and competing is really fun,” said Pierson. Davis had similar comments to Pierson on the matter of friendship, saying that “Speech creates a good opportunity to find new friendships.”
Speech also does more than just create new friendships, with Dudley saying that “You should join Speech because it helps build your confidence and gets you out of your comfort zone.”
Speech is more than just an after-school extracurricular; it’s a place where students can branch out, find their voice, and grow in many more ways than one. Their first competition (Large Group Districts) will take place Saturday, Jan. 24, at Pella High School.
