The Speech Team is hosting a speech tournament at Plainfield North on November 21 to create competition opportunities for the team.

There will be sixteen teams attending the tournament from all over the Chicagoland area.  They will compete in multiple events. There is no fee to attend.  

“I like to talk about speech and compare it to track, as there are multiple people working to meet a goal for the team,” said Sarah Hass, senior and longtime speech team member.  

The tournament is set up with each team playing fourteen individual events that add up to the team total.  The events are split up into three categories: acting, interpretation, and public address.   Acting splits into three events, interpretation into four events, and public address into seven events.  

“It’s another competition opportunity, but it’s also a means to bring in revenue for the program,” said Harlan Brook, speech team advisor.  

The tournament will kick-off at eight a.m. with the preliminary rounds.  There are three preliminary rounds, each are approximately an hour and a half apart.  Limited preparation events are given 45 minutes to prepare starting around 7:15 a.m., and another at 12:45 p.m. if they qualify for finals.  Finals rounds will start around 1:30 p.m.  Award are set to wrap up at 4:30 p.m.  

“We look forward to seeing many familiar faces and welcoming new coaches and competitors we will surely see elsewhere this season,” said Brook.  

Being a spectator at a speech tournament is different than going to a sports event.  Spectators should not interact with judges or express any affiliation with Plainfield North.  Phones should be turned off, because any noise made during a piece would be disrespectful. At the end of a piece only applause is expected, nothing else.  

“Ultimately, when it comes to our competitors, we want them to be remembered for the caliber of their performances above all else,” said Brook.  

The tournament gives the speech team an incredible competition opportunity, and is a way to further grow the program.