Stressed out extroverts with big personalities frantically talking to walls, rehearsing over and over, and walking around in their best business attire.  This describes the typical speech meet, where students participate in a variety of events that showcase their talent for public speaking and the dramatic arts.  Speech team is not the most popular activity at GHS, but some think that it should be.

“If you want to improve your confidence or ability to think on your feet, or both, speech team is a great place to learn and have fun at the same time,” said Linda Howard, English teacher and former speech coach.

To get ready for a speech meet, students must pick their event and practice.  People competing in Informative, Oratory, or Special Occasion put their speeches on notecards and rehearse until they have them completely memorized.  Poetry and Prose participants pick out their selections and rehearse as well.  Dramatic Duet Acting, Humorous Duet Acting, Humorous Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, and Original Comedy competitors rehearse their lines like actors and actresses in a play.  The Impromptu, Extemporaneous, and Radio categories can not be memorized, as participants have to think on their feet and create their speeches the day of the competition. Radio and Extemporaneous are given 45 minute prep periods as soon as they arrive. Impromptu competitors are given two minutes to prepare a six minute speech. They practice by running through mock scenarios with the speech coach, Mrs. Rosenthal.

Mrs. Rosenthal is the speech coach who  approves all pieces to be performed.  The meets occur on Saturdays, and the team traveled to Lena and River Ridge for local meets and to Freeport for regionals on February 4 to compete.  The meet consists of three rounds- Round 1, Round 2, and Finals.  Everyone is guaranteed two rounds, and then the top six students qualify for the Final Round.  At regionals, the top four competitors from each category move on to sectionals.  Sectionals took place on February 11 in Huntley.

On Saturday, January 7 at the Lena- Winslow Meet, Stephanie Hyde placed first overall in Impromptu and sixth overall in Informative Speaking.  On Saturday, January 14 at the River Ridge Meet, she placed first overall in Impromptu (again) and third overall in Informative speaking.  

“I like Informative because you show off your expertise on a certain topic. Impromptu is the exact opposite of me. I have two minutes to prep a six minute speech. It definitely goes against my Type A ways, but I love it,” Hyde said.  She has been competing in these two events for the past four years, and continually finds success.  Her goals for the season are to be the conference champion of impromptu for three years running and to advance to the state competition.

Like Hyde, a few other team members found success at the River Ridge Meet.  Ben Behlke placed second in Extemporaneous Speaking.  Emma Eaton placed third in Original Oratory.  Robert Schuh placed third in Impromptu.

Luc Pham, also a member of the speech team, made his season debut at regionals.  “I do Radio and Dramatic Duet Acting because of my voice and ‘Of Mice and Men’,” Pham said.  He described speech meets as “long, annoying, and painful,” but said students should join speech “to hang out with the cool people and Steph Hyde.”  Luc Pham and Christian Gronewold placed fourth in Dramatic Duet Acting at regionals, so they advanced on to sectionals in Huntley.

Two other speech team members qualified for sectionals on February 11.  Stephanie Hyde placed fourth in both Impromptu and Informative Speaking, while Ben Behlke placed fourth in Extemporaneous Speaking.  Four out of the ten team members advanced on to sectionals, which is one of the highest percentages ever at Galena.  Emma Eaton and Evelyn Larson did not compete at regionals due to scheduling conflicts.

“Speech team is a great addition to any education, and public speaking is an important skill to have,” Howard said.  The speech team’s last meet is yet to be determined. If members go on to state, their season will not be over until the end of February.