MHS forensics team shares the love as state approaches
Sports reporter
They might not have a field or a court. They might not have hundreds of fans at every meet. And for the most part no one hears about their accomplishments. But don't tell the 34 Marion High School students, and teacher Janet Killough, who participate in forensics, they aren't a team.
Especially don't tell senior Megan Hudson who is competing on the team for the first time. Coach Killough said Hudson came up to her after a meet where she had reached the finals. Other members who hadn't made it were there cheering her every move.
"That is what a team is all about," Hudson told Killough. "Well, yeah," Killough thought proudly to herself.
Regular season
For an activity that receives little acclaim, the competitors on the Warrior team take it seriously. This year MHS participated in 10 meets, taking home a team plaque nine times: five firsts, two seconds, and two thirds. Individually, the team racked up 125 medals handed out to the top six in each category.
"We are a good team," Killough said. "But all I ask is they do the best that they can. And I hope they ask that of themselves too."
While the regular season is over, the competition is just starting to heat up. The "playoffs" of the forensics season, as senior Michael Brookens puts it, will be May 6 when team members compete at state. The state competition has two categories: festival and champs. "It's the best part of the year," senior Rachel Davidson said.
The playoffs
While festival and champs are similar, there is one big difference. At festival everyone who attends is given a rating. No one wins, and everyone could receive the possible highest rating, a one.
At champs they compete just like the regular season: three preliminary rounds, a semi-final round, and finals round composed of the best six performers. To qualify for champs a performer must finish in the top two at a regular season meet in their category. MHS qualified 22, but the rules state you can only take 16.
A problem that can be good to have.
Forensics in a nutshell
The average person outside of forensics has no idea how it works. In fact, many students who participate don't know what they are getting into.
"I was really scared when I first started," senior Rose Taylor said.
What they have to get used to is not only speaking in front of strangers, but acting as well. The competition consists of seven events broken into three categories. The speaking category includes oration or persuasive speaking, extemporary speaking, and informative speaking. The reading section includes interpretation of prose and poetry, and the acting category has solo humorous, solo serious, duet acting, and IDA, impromptu duet acting. Some of them consist of reading prepared items, and others are on-the-spot sketches where the students write a script in 30 minutes.
"People don't realize it, but it really is a spectator sport," Brookens said.
An accepting group
The current MHS team consists of cheerleaders, football, baseball, basketball, softball, and volleyball players, and students involved in numerous other activities. In other words, the team is diverse from top to bottom. They also, according to Killough, are thoughtful of others.
"They are the most accepting group of kids," Killough said.
Not only are they accepting, but they are good sports as well.
"We always stand up and clap for the first-place winner," Davidson said, "even if they aren't on our team."
But if their team member does well, as newcomer Hudson can attest, they become more supportive.
"They are happy in each other's success," Killough said. In May the 16 who qualify for champs will do their best to take home the team event. Fourth place is the highest MHS has finished in the 3A competition, the highest in the state. Whether they take first place or not doesn't really matter to Killough.
"I'm not going there just to bring home the trophy," Killough said. "I want them to learn from their experiences."
But don't think Killough doesn't work them hard.
"I push them," she said. "It's just not all about winning."
No matter how well they do during the four years, each forensic participant will have something to add to their resumes: public speaking.
"These activities will help them no matter what they do the rest of their life," Killough said.
Successful season
Even though the students have "learned to deal with" the fact sports get more attention according to Taylor, that is fine with them. But it doesn't mean they wouldn't mind seeing more people participate.
"There is an amazing amount of energy involved," said Brookens, who was introduced because his brothers participated. "Of course the competition is great, but also it's just fun."
Anyone interested in finding out how much fun the competition is can catch a sneak preview of the champs students next week. Some of the performers will be at Marion City Building at 7 p.m. Monday to share some of what they will be doing in Wichita at the Mary J. Teal Theatre.
No matter what happens, Killough will be proud of her team.
"If they feel like they are successful, I feel like our season was successful," she said.
