Fort Dodge Community School District

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What's in a Speech? - from The Messenger

February 28, 2019

Victoria Pavik, 15, a sophomore at Fort Dodge Senior High, spoke about flowers Wednesday afternoon during the Individual District Speech Contest at the high school.

She spoke about how they are used to celebrate birth. Love. Life.

She spoke about how they comfort in a time of death.

"It's about the way flowers can convey emotion and how they share those emotions," she said.

Her competition category is called Literary Program. She assembled text from a variety of sources with a common theme.

Then practiced.

"About two times a week for about 30 minutes," she said.

She has taken a higher level of confidence away from her participation.

"I feel like it's easier to talk to people," she said.

After each student presents their song, speech, poem or oration, they are given feedback by a judge.

"I think I did okay," Pavik said. "I'm satisfied."

Many of the participating students run through their presentations a few times before going before the judges.

Kaylee Schulte, 17, a junior at Carroll High School, rehearsed in the gym which, from the opposite side of the basketball court, looked like she was having a conversation with the wall.

What she was actually doing, was singing the song "Home" from "Beauty and the Beast."

"I've been rehearsing three times a week," she said. "I'm a little nervous."

Fort Dodge Senior High speech, theater and English teacher Lindey Krug leads the effort to organize the event with Amber Rouse and Ken Hayes. Parents and students volunteer their time to help at the competition.

"It's all hands on deck," she said.

She said students who participate in speech get to take many valuable skills away from their experience. They include being able to communicate effectively, creativity and increased confidence.

She said 18 teams were at Wednesday's event from 12 different area schools.

Maurecia King, 15, of Carroll, found a convenient spot on the floor to rehearse her story telling as her friend Hannah Casebeer, 15, leaned up a against a locker and watched her.

Casebeer was entered in the poetry category and planned to have just as much animation and just as much exuberance as her friend.

"That's the plan," Casebeer said.

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