Where can you find high schoolers who will randomly break into song, do a backflip midsentence or collapse into a dog pile after someone cracks a joke? The Iowa High School Speech Association district competition is sure to have all these and more. This event will be held at our very own Northwestern College campus. NW hosted this event last year, and it was a smashing success. Volunteers when reminiscing on the event used phrases like, “sure to be entertaining,” “never a dull moment” and “an exciting, one-of-a-kind experience.” The competition is sure to have the same lasting effect as the previous years.
23 high schools, some with more than one team, will be visiting our campus on Jan. 20 for the competition. This could mean that NW could have over a thousand visitors on campus, many of whom are in the middle of their college search. The competition will take them all across campus, with performances in the Dewitt Family Science Center, Van Peursem Hall, Dewitt Music Hall and Christ Chapel. Each of these buildings will also have a room for storing props and warming up so that props won’t have to be carried through Iowa’s unpredictable weather. The participants will also get to see the lovely Ramaker building where their home base will be and enjoy delicious lunch specials in the cafeteria priced at $8 for all-you-can-eat. They will also get to experience a bit more of the theatre program here at NW with a tech expo and a performance from NW’s improv group, the Black V, during the lunch hour. But the most important thing for these students to experience is the community of NW. To do this, students should help when given the chance. If a high school student or a family looking a little lost, offer them a smile and directions. Hold the door open or offer to carry a prop. See the need and meet the need, just like God calls us to do every day. Another great way you can create a positive impact at the competition is to sign up to be a volunteer. Door monitors are needed to keep the hallways silent during performances, timers to record the times of performances and announcers who will introduce the performers. They are all fantastic jobs that allow you to meet some terrific students and see their tremendous performances. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience.
But what’s so special about speech? Why is it that there will be nearly 1,000 people on campus for this contest? Speech is one extracurricular in high school that will stick with you for the rest of your life. One day you will stop playing that sport or the instrument, but speech is something you will never be able to cut out of your life. Learning how to speak confidently to any group of people is a very important skill to have. Being a part of the IHSSA can remain a part of your entire life. Many students who participate in high school go on to become coaches or judges as soon as the year after they graduate. One shining example of this is junior Rose Hoogers. After participating in the IHSSA for all four years of high school, she wanted to make an impact on future students like previous judges had done for her. “I became a judge because I’m passionate about being an encouraging voice to students as well as giving them suggestions for improvement,” Hoogers commented. She will get to do just that at the upcoming district competition. We can all join in on the fun of the competition while being ambassadors for NW, and more importantly, for God.
