Judges ready! The competitors step up to the stands with only their knowledge. They have prepared their tongue to be their deadliest weapons. The Greater Latrobe Forensics team is making waves this year with recent qualifications for states. The speakers lead with conscientiousness and integrity to any prompt they’re given.
The forensics team packed their bags and traveled to the States for a weekend of speech and debate. The team traveled to Bloomsburg University on Thursday morning and returned late on Saturday night.
“Well, we did have qualifiers for states and we had some students compete in Senate and poetry. The students who then don’t qualify in those tournaments are uneligible for some of the what they call “supplemental events”. So throughout the year, as we go on Wednesdays, we depending on what the students compete in and where they show the most promise, those are the events then they qualify to go to in states, or that I can choose to take them in the areas where we are able to take some students who’ve just been working through the year,” said Bompiani-Smith
Certain Students have shown a level of dedication and passion throughout the year and will continue on in states. “Killian Kravner is going to do impromptu speaking. His is memorized so he will receive a topic and have seven minutes to come up with a response. Henry Hogg is going to student congress,’’ said Bompiani.
“Then Haleigh Bruno and Karlee Clark are going for be news broadcasters together. Chase is going in storytelling, which is good because he’s a natural storyteller,” said Bompiani.
“They will recieve a topic and have seven minutes to think of a speech and give it. and then Karlee and Haleigh have to write three scripts. International, national, and lighter side, so three different scripts on each of those. and then they will present each of those and see where they end up. and then, Henry has gotten a packet of student-written bills and he can take her to choose which ones he wants to write about.”
The forensics team holds its practices on Wednesdays to get them ready to compete.“We go most of the year through Wednesdays, more so in the fall. Once states hit, we’re usually done,” said Bompiani. “We’ll have a district banquet where the local schools we compete with will get together and celebrate. We pretty much run from September until whenever states are.’’
Dr Bompiani-Smith is on the executive board and helps to run the tournament and has already planned the activities for the trip. “Thursday, we can get there and get situated, and the kids have time to practice. Then the tournament starts at 8 o’clock on Friday morning, so that way we get there and get situated.”
All teams compete in the state tournament in hopes of bringing home a trophy and a morale boost. “It is the PA high school speech league, state tournament, so you do get acknowledgment. I think there might be some opportunities for certain groups and certain events for scholarships. But it’s mostly just, you know, the recognition, the trophy, and the pride that comes with winning,” said Bompiani.
Public speaking is a huge part of communicating and preparing for the real world. “I think public speaking is one of the most valued trade skills. Being able to communicate in any career or field or wherever you go into. People don’t give enough credit to people who work at McDonald’s. They have to be able to communicate. You know, even in construction, you have to be able to talk to customers, give them a bid, and explain to them what something is. So, yeah, I think that being able to communicate an idea in front of a group of people is something valuable, no matter what trade you go into.’’
“The state level is much different, it’s a little higher up, but we have done really well with impromptu. Chase is a natural storyteller, and he loves the myth and mythology, so has, you know, vested interest in the myth that he chose. Haielgh experienced news broadcasting, and Karlee can adapt to anything. Hank has done well in student Congress, so they’re very fitted into the events that they represented,” shared Bompiani-Smith.
“Forensics, especially the state group, is such a family. I have friends that I only see once a year and so that’s exciting. It’s also exciting for the kids because they get to get out and get experience,” she shared. “ A lot of times, I think this event is seen as, for the nerds, but it’s not really. They get to see kids that are like them across the state, it’s not a lot of recognition for academic events sometimes. And I think this lets the kids see what it’s like on a grander scale. Yeah, that definitely gives them that tight little family in our area.”
A returner for the state competition. Karlee Clark shows how experience makes a difference. “My freshman year was exciting, so it was like, oh, I’m the freshman, and so last year I took it a little for granted, and I kind of wish I had spent more time with everyone,” said Clark. “So this year, I’m just excited to put on a nice outfit and kind of hang out with everyone. My favorite part is always just hanging out in the hotel. We always sit around, in a big circle and talk; that’s also when they announce who goes to finals, and it’s just a really fun experience.”
