Kennedy’s Large Group Speech students filed into a bus headed to their district competition in Monticello early in the morning on Saturday, January 24. This year’s competition, as every year does, marks the beginning and the end of speech for many students.

“I’m not really sure what to expect, so I’m definitely nervous,” Sam Bennet, fr., said. This is Bennet’s first year participating in speech, competing in the category of Ensemble Acting.

For Grant Barton, sr., this year will be his final year of speech.

“I like being a part of a huge group that loves each other,” Barton said., “It’s bittersweet. I’m happy because competing kind of wears me out, but it’s gonna be sad when I’m done.”

Speech students can compete in both large group speech and individual speech, which practice for begins two weeks after the large group district competition. This year, Kennedy will host the State Individual Speech competition.

Practices for speech take place every week, either after school or during smart lunch, and can often go into weekend practices as the competitions draw nearer. This time commitment can be strenous not only for the students, but also for the coaches.

One such coach is Sarah Collingsworth, who began her third year of assistant coaching at the start of the season. While Collingsworth is involved in speech at Kennedy, she spends her primary time teaching at Metro High School.

“What makes me want to do this is not only the wonderful students who have so much talent but also because of the memories that you make and the enthusiasm the kids bring to it,” Collingsworth said.

Groups moving on to state include Choral Reading, Readers Theater, Ensemble Acting: Greater Tuna, Amical Parting, and Goldilocks on Trial, Musical Theater: Aladdin, Annie, Footloose, and South Pacific, Group Mime, two Individual Mimes, Short Film, Radio News,One Act, and two Group Improv teams