OHS Speech Team: All is Not Yet Lost

Speech Team is one of the many extracurricular activities that Oswego High School offers, but this year, the activity risks not running as the school looks for a new head coach.

Speech entails students either acting or giving speeches competitively against students from other schools. Both individual students and the team as a whole have the opportunity to receive awards for their performances. This gives students the chance to improve their own abilities, yet learn to be apart of something bigger than themselves. Speech helps people develop their public speaking skills, which are crucial to have in the real world. Ashley Sanders, a senior and member of the team, adds, “ builds traits and experiences that a lot of people are afraid to do, but once you conquer the skills of speaking, you’re going to be more professional and have better experiences.”

The team has been very successful in recent years. In 2015 and 2016, the team was Conference champions. Last season, the team advanced five total individuals and acts to Sectionals, including the student written and directed Performance in the Round that placed third at Regionals.

Many speech members expressed their concern when they learned that the former head Speech coach, Mr. Guido, had stepped down, and that the team may not run if a new head coach is not found. Senior member Tegan Zoephel said, “ has helped me grow a lot as a person, and so the idea that I wouldn’t be able to do Speech team this year, especially when I feel like our team would be really successful this year, because we have a lot of strong varsity members, a real shame.”

Mr. Nunamaker, the Assistant Principal for Operations and Activities, says that the search for a new head coach began last school year. Once teachers returned this year the search was brought back up again. Now, with school in full swing, Mr. Nunamaker says, “I feel like we’re in a pretty good place”. Varsity members have expressed their willingness to help newer members and there are several candidates for the open position.

Mr. Nunamaker encourages those who are interested in speech to join once more information is released. Those wanting to learn more about speech or joining the team can talk to older members to receive more details.