It’s been quite a ride for our speech team this year with some success and lots of promise for the future.

At the beginning of the season, the team competed every Saturday at different schools in the Chicagoland area such as Sandburg, Revis, and Burbank, and farther areas such as Joliet and Lansing. They competed mostly on the south and west side, and traveled to places all throughout Chicago’s suburbs. 

At every competition, they did well with the majority of the team making it to the final round, however, they never placed in the top five as a team. 

Seniors Addison McBride and Kathleen Godsel performed a DDA or dramatic duo act, a speech performed by two people, by putting on a mini play for up to eight to ten minutes. The speech revolved around the story of two women who were on the run for murder, and this performance gained them the title of regional champions in the dramatic interpretation category, but the season ended before they could continue to sectionals. 

“Winning regionals is possibly the best outcome I could have had during my final season on the speech team, and I’ve been to regionals all four years of high school, which is largely unheard of,” said McBride. 

“It’s been an honor to compete in my favorite categories every year, so to end on such a positive note meant the world to me.”

McBride expressed that the team has become vital to her. The friendships formed, learning to step up, and finding confidence through voice has been a great help. Once she’s graduated, she believes the team should “do their best and put everything they have into their performances.” As for future members, they should continue the tradition and work towards making the team welcoming and supportive. 

Two years ago, two students won regionals in a different category, and this season, one student also won regionals in a different category as well, meaning that a win for next season will result in three consecutive wins in three years in a row for Marist. 

Strengths gained this year was a higher level of confidence both on the stage and within themselves, learning to command attention from those in the audience, and most important of all, improving the skill of public speaking. 

“From the beginning of the year to now, I’ve noticed everyone has improved. That’s just something that will keep improving as the years go on,” said Mr. Mayer, coach of the speech team.

Despite this being Mayer’s first year coaching the team, he is confident that being able to make it to regionals is a sign to keep going. With this experience he felt “just a little more stable,” and was ready to take on bigger challenges later on in the future.

The team themselves are very confident and are looking forward to next year as they’ve gotten used to having a new coach. Some goals the team is setting for next year would be to make it to regionals again with at least one more person winning, and to place in the top five as a team.

With how far the team has come, there will definitely be more to see from the speech team.