Speech team has good showing at competition
Several NDSU students polished their speaking skills and took to the road for some competition recently.
The NDSU Speech Team won several honors Nov. 10 and 11 at the Valley Forensics League Tournaments held at Concordia College in Moorhead.
NDSU team members placed in many events at both tournaments.
The first tournament on Nov. 10 put Adam Little, a senior majoring in biotechnology and political science, in third place in After Dinner Speaking and fifth in Dramatic Interpretation.
Freshman Joshua Swoyer, a chemistry major, placed sixth in Impromptu Speaking.
Little and Nigel Haarstad, a sophomore in political science, placed second in Dramatic Duo.
“ We had a lot of fun at this competition,” Haarstad said. “It’s a good feeling when you do a piece well and the hard work becomes rewarding.”
The Nov. 11 tournament resulted in Little and Haarstad placing third. in Dramatic Duo.
Little also placed fourth in After Dinner Speaking, and Natalie Lekang, a freshman majoring in chemistry, placed fifth in Poetry.
“ The team has worked very hard this year,” Amorette Hinderaker, director of Forensics, said. “I am very proud of the team and the work each of them has put in. We have a very young team this year that has accomplished a great deal.”
The speech team competes in many tournaments in the Upper Midwest during the academic year.
Involvement in speech team is more than competing at tournaments.
Students participate in oral interpretation, along with public address, debate and limited preparation speaking events.
The rest of fall semester will be spent hosting a high school debate tournament in December and gearing up for an ambitious spring competition schedule.
This includes nine regular tournaments and a national competition, Hinderaker said.
“ Preparing for tournaments requires a lot of preparation and time,” Hinderaker said. “Students research and write speeches, find and cut oral interpretation pieces and practice performances.”
The team has weekly group practice sessions where members receive coaching on their performances of oral interpretation pieces, public address speeches and impromptu speaking.
In addition to group sessions, team members can sign up for one-on-one coaching with Hinderaker.
The next event will be held at noon Nov. 29 in Minard 201.
The team members will all be initiated into Pi Kappa Delta, the honorary national fraternity of speech and debate.
Performances by team members will highlight the event after the formal initiation ceremony.
The first spring semester tournament will be at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., Jan. 12-13.
Hinderaker said any undergraduate student may compete on the speech and debate team.