BOONE, Iowa—The Boone High School speech team traveled to Nevada High School on Saturday, March 9th, to compete at the State Individual Speech Contest. Eighteen of twenty-three performances earned the highest rating (1). Ten of Boone’s performances earned straight 1 ratings from all three judges.
Three judges evaluated each performance, awarding students a rating on a scale of 1-4 as well as offering a written critique so students can continue to grow as performers.
One student earned straight 1’s in both of her events:
● Senior Keirra McFadden in the events of Spontaneous Speaking and Expository Address with her
speech on the Me Too movement.
Additional students earning straight 1’s in their events include:
● Senior John Ben Bloem in Reviewing for his speech about the album American IV: The Man Comes
Around by Johnny Cash,
● Senior Alyssa Kastenschmidt in Spontaneous Speaking,
● Senior Alaney Parker in Solo Musical Theatre with her performance of “The History of Wrong Guys”
from Kinky Boots,
● Senior Emma Runestand in Radio News Broadcasting,
● Junior Lacoda Collier in Solo Musical Theatre with his performance of “Today for You” from RENT,
● Sophomore Catherine Pollard in Reviewing for her review of the movie The Hate U Give,
● Sophomore Regan Peter in Expository Address with her speech on organ donation,
● and Freshman Jason Prazak in Improvisation.
As a result of their outstanding performances, three students were nominated to perform at All-State on
Monday, March 25th, 2019 at University of Northern Iowa. Seniors Alaney Parker in Solo Musical Theatre and John Ben Bloem in Reviewing and Freshman Jason Prazak in Improvisation.
Other BHS students who garnered at least two 1 ratings from judges also earned an overall 1 rating. These students include
● Junior Amber Lozier in Literary Program performing the self-written prose selections “Stars in our
Hearts” and “Sailing Above the Stars” as well as the poems “We Almost Collided,” “Bruised,” & “A
Child of the Universe”by Nikita Gill.
● Junior Danielle Lozier with her prose selection “I’ll Ask You One More Time,”
● Junior Margaret Van Dyke with her Public Address interpreting J.K. Rowling’s 2008 Harvard
Commencement Address,
● Sophomore Carlee Carpenter in Acting with the selection Crafty by Paul Rudnik,
● Sophomore Frorence Mtimukeye in Original Oratory with her speech entitled “Normal is Wack,”
● Sophomore Catherine Pollard in Original Oratory with a piece about the impacts of child separation
policies,
● Sophomore Akela Salter in Poetry Interpretation with Shel Silverstein’s poems “The Search,” “Silver
Fish,” “Alice,” and “The Little Blue Engine,”
● Freshman Jason Prazak in Literary Program for his interpretation of the short story “The Crossing” by
T.A. Barron and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Excelsior.”
Also competing at State and earning an overall 2 rating were
● Junior Amber Lozier in Prose Interpretation,
● Junior Lacoda Collier in Improvisation,
● Sophomore Cassidy Hasstedt in Prose Interpretation,
● Sophomore Alyssa Pierce in Original Oratory,
● and Freshman Caitlin Alber in Expository Address.
Cassie Alber reported that the All-State nominations were only made last Saturday. She also wanted to recognize the volunteer help from Bradley Meyer and Jessica Wayson as well as Assistant Coach Jill Isley.
(contributed article)
