District Speech Contest took place at Perry High School on January 21st. ADM Speech team, led by teachers Jacque Seidl and Tammy Smith, had a successful day with two freshman teams and nine varsity teams moving on to the State competition. The groups going to State include four Improv groups, two Reader’s Theaters, Choral Reading, two Ensemble Acting, one TV News, and one Mime.

“There are so many performers at one school nervous for their performances. There are groups rehearsing in the hallways trying to get one more run through in before the judges,” said Seidl about District and State competitions. “It’s also fun to see students meeting new people and watching other performances.”

Emily Neumann will participate at State Speech in a Reader’s Theatre group and Ensemble Acting. “It’s exciting because we get to compete on a new level that not everyone gets to compete on, like at Districts everyone gets to compete and it’s exciting to get that opportunity,” Neumann said.

“What’s great is that many of them (students) are new to speech,” Seidl said.

Seidl encourages students to participate in speech. She said, “There is something for everyone in speech. We can work around athletic events and other commitments if you want to commit to getting better at public speaking and having fun.”

The State Speech contest will be held West Des Moines Valley High School on Saturday, February 4.