The Barstow speech team has pushed through a tough season, but pulled out on top because of their determination and perseverance.
At Barstow, speech starts in middle school, and it is an amazing way to improve students’ public speaking skills and acting skills. This is a great alternative if you want drama or theater, but aren’t the best at singing.
“Speech has impacted my life because it has opened my eyes to new ideas and has given me new opportunities. It has also taught me about life,” says enthusiastic member, Caroline Williams ‘28.
Speech is an exclusive elective that is a great once in a lifetime chance to experience something new. Middle school students who participate in this extracurricular are winning awards left and right!
One of the important aspects of speech are the warm up games. The warmup games are a good way for students to bond with each other and get a custom to the environment. Sonia Akkulugari ‘28 stated that her favorite game is, “Counting to 21: all of the players’ heads are down on the tables and you can’t see each other so it is very uncoordinated. One person will start off by saying 1 and another person will try to say the next number. And if two people say the same number together then the game starts again. You do this until you get to 21.” There are tons of different games and variations that can be played and each one improves the team’s atmosphere.
Within speech there are a lot of different categories a student could perform such as impromptu, prose, and dramatic duet acting (DDA). Williams ‘28 states that she likes impromptu and DDA “because you can talk about anything. And DDA because you can work with people and it’s like acting.” Students are not limited to one type of category. They can choose which one would benefit them the most and which they find most appealing. Speech is an amazing way to try out many different types of speaking and acting.
While enrolled in the class, students are required to participate in speech competitions. The competitions are a way for students to show off what they have learned and to receive feedback on what they can improve to enhance their performance in the future. All students will not share the same experience of the competitions as others. Sonia Akkulugari ‘28 shared that, “They are very fun and I enjoy them and they are a great experience.”
Some students find tournaments do make them a bit nervous. Madeline Johnson ‘28 said, “Speech tournaments are nerve racking and school is very big.” Despite this obstacle, Johnson ‘28 and the rest of the team continue to step out of their comfort zones.
There are many reasons to join speech. Williams ‘28 said, “People should join Speech because it gives you a new opportunity to try new things and open your mind to new ideas, and you make new friends.” The class overall helps people’s confidence and self esteem related to speaking in public. It also prepares them for future presentations and speeches.
A few peers gave their advice for new students wanting to join the class. Akkulugari ‘28 said, “I think it’s best to do Speech for self improvement. The first time you do a speech, if you do it really badly, don’t think you are going to be bad. You have a full semester to improve, have fun and enjoy it.”
Madeline Johnson ‘28 added, “Go for it and don’t be afraid to try new things!”
I hope this encourages students to take part and join an amazing school community. Speech is a great place to express your feelings and take on different personas.
