We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Participants at last year's speech and drama tournament hosted by the CHS Speech and Drama Club checked the times they would be competing.
The Chinook High School's Speech and Drama Club expects about 20 regional high schools to participate in an upcoming tournament scheduled in Chinook for Saturday, January 16. There will be more than 150 students participating in a wide range of competitive events throughout the day. Locals are being asked to serve as volunteer judges for the events throughout the day.
Bonnie Ortner, who directs the CHS Speech and Drama Club, said judges are needed for all of the varied events, ranging from debate to impromptu speaking. Typically three judges hear each participant in a category and the judges' combined scores rank the participants. Asked what qualifications are needed to be a judge, Ortner said, "Anyone who enjoys watching a performance, from live plays to TV productions, can be a judge. There are no special skills required except a desire to help these students hone their skills." She added, "What these performers need is feedback from the judges. The students want to improve and they rely on the comments from the judges to help them prepare for their next competition."
To help judges prepare for their role in the tournament, Ortner will host two 'clinics' a few days before the actual tournament. At the clinics judges learn about the judging process and are given tips to make the judging most useful to the students. There will be two clinics at the high school-on Thursday, January 14 at 4pm and 7pm. Judges, especially those judging for the first time, are encouraged to attend at least one of the sessions. Judges will learn which competitions they will be hearing at the training clinics.
During the day of the tournament both the Meadowlark and CHS facilities will be used for the tournament. Ortner said, "The big crunch time will be around 2pm when the finalists from the various initial competitions will be judged. That's when we need the most judges. Even if someone can't attend earlier sessions, we could really use the help in the early afternoon." She added, "We can't host a successful tournament without volunteers, and judges are critical to making the tournament happen."
If you are interested in volunteering as a judge, have questions about how the judging works or need additional information, call Bonnie Ortner at Chinook High-357-2236. You can email her at ortnerb@chinookschools.org.
The competitions are open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend the tournament events.
