2007-2008 Speech Team

By Kelsey Miller

Being on speech team gives students a chance to stand out from everyone else and express themselves in many different ways.

The 2007-2008 Yutan High School speech team has 23 students and plans to attend seven meets in January and February, plus the state meet. The speech team may also attend a couple meets in November or December if the students are ready.

“I enjoy being on the speech team because it’s fun and it’s a challenge,” said senior Beth Dooley.

Speech team coach Ginger Eikmeier does many different things to prepare the students for their competitions.

“I help them pick out topics for scripts, cut down the scripts, revise and write speeches and then I give them pointers on many things like delivery and movement,” Eikmeier said. “They also must practice at least once a week with me.”

More students are involved in the speech team this year.

“Hopefully we’ve grown and now some of the varsity teams know what to do,” Dooley said.

The speech team received first place at the conference meet last year for the first time since 1982.

“This year’s team will be different from last year’s team because we lost a lot of good people, but now a lot of us have grown and we are now more mature,” said junior Cheyenne Nelson.

Eikmeier lists goals for the season: winning conference again and placing as a team at districts or any other meet.

“My biggest goal would be to qualify as many people as we can for the state meet,” Eikmeier said.

Dooley said she also has many goals for the season. One of her major goals is to win some medals and as always, have fun.

“Being on the speech team has helped me throughout my life,” Dooley said. “It is easier to speak to people and it has given me more confidence in myself.”

Nelson said that doing speech has really helped her with acting and now she is able to speak in front of people.

Nelson was one of the students who qualified for the state meet last year.

“My biggest goal this year would be to go to the state meet again,” Nelson said.