About Speech Team At Waterville Senior High School

“The strength of a team is each member. The strength of each member is the team.”
Phil Jackson – former American professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association.

About Speech Team

WSHS’s Speech Team will meet during SWAP on Tuesdays. Also, Ms. Giguere will meet with each team member individually to rehearse their selections and also as a group. At the first fall meeting, we will discuss the best schedule for perfecting our selections.

“We started the Team in 2018-2019. The WSHS Speech Team had an awesome first year. That first year our team won the fifth-place trophy at the State Tournament out of 21 teams. Also, at States in the first year William Jackson placed second in Poetry, Emily Campbell placed third in Poetry and Colette, Carrillo placed second in prose. That first year we had a small but mighty little team. I’d like to have more people on the speech team every year. There are 13 different categories to compete within. Plenty of opportunity for all kinds of competitors.”

Ms. Giguere’s comment on the first season of Speech Competition:

There are 13 Speech categories to consider; I suggest that you choose two categories to compete within. Please look at the selected category closely (see links) and find literary selections you would enjoy presenting: poems, stories, novel excerpts, speeches, and more. Ms. Giguere can help you find selections, but it is best you look too!

What Are The Benefits of Being On The Speech Team?

Students develop skills in research, critical thinking, organization, persuasion, and communication. Speech students see tangible benefits from participation while in school – confidence in speaking situations, spontaneity in interviews, improved writing in other courses, diverse perspectives. Plus, you hang out with cool people and meet many from around the state.

What Is Speech?

Speech is the art of oral communication. Maine leagues compete in 13 categories of speech:

Humorous Interpretation: Student interprets a humorous piece of literature (5-10 minutes).
Dramatic Interpretation: Student interprets a dramatic piece of literature (5-10 minutes).
Original Oratory: Student presents his or her own work on a theme with supportive evidence (5- 10 minutes).
Prose Reading: Student reads a piece of literature (5-10 minutes).
Poetry Reading: Student reads a piece of poetry (5-10 minutes).
Story Telling: Student presents a story from an oral tradition (5-10 minutes).
Ensemble: Students combine to present a piece of a literary work or play (5-15 minutes).
Duo: Two students combine to present a piece of a literary work or play (5-10 minutes).
Domestic/Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking: Student speaks on a given current events/foreign affairs current events topic (5-7 minutes).
Original Works: Students create and present their own play, story, etc. (5-10 minutes).
Oratorical Declamation: Student presents a published speech that its author delivered as a public address (5-10 minutes)
Novice PoetryReading: Student reads a piece of poetry (5-10 minutes).
Novice Prose Reading: Student reads a piece of literature (5-10 minutes).