Freshman speech team member Emma Blaum is this week’s Pirate Competitor of the Week sponsored by Galena Culver’s and the Galena Gazette.  This week at the Galena High School Invitational Tournament Emma placed first in Oratorical Declamation. According to coach Susan Bookless, “Emma has a natural talent for public speaking.  She has the ‘it’ factor that you can’t teach. I know that Emma is going to be very successful in the next three years if she continues to perform like she has this season.”  Next week the speech team will compete virtually in Freeport. Emma was honored with a gift basket from the Galena Culver’s, as well as a newspaper courtesy of the Galena Gazette.