One month ago, the Galena High School Speech Team embarked to schools over two hours away to compete against dozens of other schools—most of them extremely populous—and see who the best orator, comedian, and actor was. The results were hopeful for the upcoming season.
“This is the first time since Covid that a team has actually felt like a team,” said coach Susan Bookless, who also teaches College and Sophomore English classes at GHS. “[The team] takes care of each other, supports each other, and genuinely seems to care about each other.” And the results seem to reflect the progress the team has been making in past months.
In their season opener, Seven Smith ‘28 made school history, becoming the highest-placing speaker from GHS for that competition and outranking multiple talented challengers from far bigger schools. “I just try to have fun out there, perform, and entertain people.” He’s looking for a shot at the State Series in February, where he will bid to be in contention for the State Finals at Peoria.
Similarly, Liliana Asta ‘26 became the tournament champion at another competition with over 30 speakers in her event, a moment she now talks about as her favorite part of the season. “Speech allows me to spend more time with friends, as well as meet people and develop important skills for my future.” Once a Sectional finalist, Asta is also trying for a spot at the State Competition.
Undoubtedly, they are also inspiring the minds of new Speech members—also known as novices—and their approach to Speech. “I joined Speech because Sofie [manager] encouraged me to,” says Briar Winter ‘29, who competes in Dramatic Interpretation. “I’ve only been to two tournaments, but my favorite moment has probably been getting fourth place in the novice division for a tournament.”
Similarly, Andy Issleb ‘28 remarked that he joined Speech because “it’s fun and I got to meet a bunch of friends at tournaments.” As a competitor in Humorous Interpretation, he battles stage anxiety by “just sitting with it and then going up and doing it. That’s the way I’ve always handled it.”
For students interested in joining the Speech team who find it daunting to actually speak, managerial positions are always an option at the club. Sofie Lin ‘27, who is the current manager, “writes note cards for people, as well as organizing scripts for certain events and helping set up tournaments.” Aside from that, she helps encourage and spectate speakers at tournaments, as well as give advice and criticisms to novices and experienced members alike.
It will be extremely exciting to see how the rest of the 25-26 season plays out for the GHS Speech Team, considering that this is the largest and most skillful ensemble of speakers that it has ever been. Heading into the State Series, the competitors will now start honing in on minute aspects of their piece, where a select few will ultimately represent their school at Regionals, Sectionals, and hopefully State. If you want to see the speech team in action, come see them at the Regional Speech Showcase on February 5 at the Galena Center for the Arts at 6:00.
