HannahTaylor

You walk into school to find hundreds of kids in suits talking at the walls, screaming at little black books and laughing at their own posterboards. This might sound like a strange fever dream, when in reality, this is what an average Friday and Saturday looks like for a member of the speech team.

Speech is an activity that has shaped many great speakers and actors, from Josh Gad to Oprah Winfrey. While speech has different events spanning from individual speeches on whatever the speaker wants to stay to full 15-minute plays, events can be broken up into two main categories: interpretation and public address.

Interpretation events include dramatic interpretation, where one will perform a dramatic monologue, book cut or short play in 10 minutes or less. Humorous interpretation is the same story except with a funny script. Duet involves two people doing this, and oral interpretation of drama (OID) can have up to five people. 

The public address events include informative, entertainment, original oratory and persuasive, among other events. These events often include research and visual aids, and need to be originally written, not taken from another speech. It’s like a more fun version of a research paper. 

Senior Helen Christen this year wrote her speech on nothing (yes, nothing… speeches in public address can be about almost anything.) “I do speech because… it gives me a good outlet to express my creativity and… constantly work to make myself a better performer, a better speaker, and make new friends,” Christen said. Her love for the activity won her a third place medal in Class A state speech and placement at numerous other competitions, but she knows that it’s not all about the hardware. 

“If you want to go into any field… presenting is something that you need to do. So, it’s good to get this experience and be good at it” Christen said. Speech has benefits that go far beyond the lengthy competitions. In fact, it sets you up for success. 

Now often, the misconception with speech and debate is that they are one and the same, when they couldn’t be more different. While they both have to do with speeches, fierce competitions and a business professional dress code, they differ in every other instance. 

Speech is largely individual and doesn’t involve another person (unless the event is duet or OID) and it is often the speaker and the judge with a small audience of other competitors. Additionally, competitors don’t know how then rank until finals are released. However, it is important to note that whether in speech or debate, the same interpersonal and speaking skills are developed and have seen similar success between the two activities. 

Speech feels more like mini-skits or performances rather than a dialogue between two or more people, which can feel scary, but has boosted confidence in many. Junior Violet Christen has been on the speech team for three years now, and has seen a noticeable difference in her confidence and communication skills. 

“The most rewarding thing is the opportunity to speak and the skills you build through this activity,” Christen said. Further, speech can serve as a creative outlet. “It’s an opportunity for me to share my ideas and opinions with other people, as well as advocating for something I believe in,” Christen said. 

While any type of competition can be stressful, the passion and performance speech can inspire makes Christen feel that it’s worth it. 

At Marian, the speech team is coached by Ms. Elizabeth Fagerland, a new addition to the English department and a proactive advocate for all things speech and debate. 

She is assisted by speech alumnae Jenny Philbin and Mary Pistillo, as well as support from Assistant Principal Mrs. Jen Christen. When speaking on speech, “I love seeing students continually work on a speech to perfect it,” Fagerland said. 

The level of time and dedication it takes to put together and perfect a speech takes longer than one might imagine, but that never stopped Fagerland from supporting her students to the fullest. 

“I love the nitty gritty details of it all,” said Fagerland. While this might sound intimidating, it  can actually be an exciting opportunity in Fagerland’s eyes. “Growth happens outside of your comfort zone,” Fagerland said. And, specifically within Marian’s speech team, there’s no better place to “grow than at a safe community at Marian,” Fagerland said. 

Speech is an event for everyone and anyone, no matter the skill level. With the myriad of different events and topics, anyone can find a home in Marian’s speech team. Whether students want to gain confidence in public speaking or want to meet some new friends, speech can be a new opportunity.