High School Speech Tournament Showcases Carbondale

More than 200 students from 72 schools came to Carbondale Community High School on Friday and Saturday for the 2005 Illinois High School Association Speech Tournament.

A bongo drum band greeted teams from across the state. Large black wooden signs featuring foreign flags marked individual speech events. "We were trying to find something that would make students say 'wow' right off of the buses," said Connie Morgan, chair of the Carbondale Community High School Fine Arts Department.

Morgan and Erik Berrey, the Carbondale speech team's coaches, spent the past five months preparing for the weekend. Berrey organized the event while preparing his team members for competition. Carbondale Community High School had four students qualify for state: Kit Ryan in Radio Speaking, Katy Lieder in Extempore Speaking, and the team of Ben Ponce and Emily Dennis in Dramatic Duet Acting.

To them, speech is no different from athletics. "It's a lot like every other sport," Dennis said. "There's a lot of competition and trash talking." Ponce said there is also a lot of respect between schools. Downers Grove South took first place in the meet and Carbondale did not rank in any of their events. However, there were no hard feelings.

"Downers Grove South, not only are they good, but they are also very nice," Ponce said. The speech tournament consisted of a variety of different events ranging from original comedy to prose reading. Some competitors prepare their pieces ahead of time while others don't know their subject until 45 minutes before speaking. Dennis and Ponce prepared their act for months.

"We practice upwards of eight hours a week," Dennis said. "After a while it's like beating a dead horse. The piece loses its energy." Although the students work hard every year, they said this year was special because the biggest meet of the year was going to happen at home. "Last year I don't think anyone outside of the speech team knew about it," Lieder said. "This year they do know what's going on."

Morgan said this year is different because preparation for the tournament involved a lot of the school. Morgan said shop classes built signs, art classes painted decorations and parents raised more than $10,000. Carbondale Convention and Tourism, SIUC School of Law, the SIUC Foundation, and John and Marsha Ryan were recognized on a board in the lobby as the major sponsors. Panera Bread also donated bagels and cream cheese for Saturday morning.

"All kinds of businesses gave money to make this happen," Morgan said. "The city, the school and the University all came together to make this event spectacular." The Illinois High School Association Speech Tournament is different from state athletic tournaments because every year the venue changes. "We try to go north, central, south," said Susan Knoblauch, the Illinois High School Association assistant executive director.

Knoblauch said potential hosts for the speech tournament must put in a bid five years ahead of time. She said even though the venue changes there is rarely a problem because the schools have an incentive. "I think they find it kind of fun and prestigious to open up their school," Knoblauch said. Some teams drove more than six hours to the tournament. Most of the teams stayed in town Saturday night.

The Recreation Center made it easier for out-of-towners who were forced to spend the night in Carbondale. After the tournament's final award ceremony ended Saturday, competitors, coaches, judges and family members were invited to a party there with free food and drinks, a disc jockey, an improvisational comedy room and a performance by the rock band Gimme 5. The basketball courts, racquetball courts and Olympic sized pool were also opened to them. "We think that's a nice touch Carbondale's added," Knoblauch said. "Carbondale did a wonderful job." Berrey said he couldn't have done it alone.

"I just can't say enough great things about the people and the community helping me," Berrey said. Carbondale was scheduled to host the tournament last year but Berrey said he wanted to get used to the new building first. Berry said he had to make sure everything thing was perfect because it was a once in a lifetime experience for the students.

But the students were not the only ones having a once in a lifetime experience. "This is the first time Carbondale has hosted and it will be the only time," Berrey said. He paused, took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. "At least the only time for many years."