Leigh Ivey, Charger Staff
The CHS Speech team is back for another season. They've been practicing and perfecting their acts for the tournaments ahead.
Competing this year on the team are Jessica Anderson, Sarah Ball, Stephanie Bates, Tiffany Birdwell, Summer Burton, Amy Byrne, Laura Calcote, Rachael Crook, Billy Dalton, Merry Davis, Gianna Delossantos, Afton Ealey, Elizabeth Garret, Joanna Gerold, Callie Higgs, Jessie Holloway, Elizabeth Phelps, Rebecca Ray, Allyson Richardson, Sam Spurlock, Hillary Taylor, Laura Tilton, Taylor Trenthan, Brandi Williams, and Jonathon Wilson.
The only tournament to have taken place this year was held at CHS on Oct. 6.
Seventeen schools from Tennessee came to compete in categories such as oratory, improv, duet acting, prose, and many more. Although the Cookeville High Speech Team wasn't allowed to compete, the tournament went very well.
The team's first tournament was on Nov. 3 at Morristown West. Tennessee Tech is hosting a tournament on Nov. 10, and the speech team is competing on Nov. 17 in Dickson County and at Franklin High School on Dec. 1.
Laura Calcote and Billy Dalton are the presidents of the team this year. Coach Cathy Ligon says, "Laura and Billy are doing a great job leading the team." Other returning seniors are Callie Higgs, Elizabeth Phelps, Sarah Ball, and Tiffany Birdwell.
Twenty-four new members have joined the team this year. "We have a very new team, lots of new faces," says Ligon. "The first tournament is going to be a shock to the new members, but after that things should be great."
The team has spent many hours practicing each act. Ligon says, "We've been videotaping performances to see what we need to work on, so we should do pretty well. We have a lot of potential and a lot of enthusiasm."
Ligon anticipates duo interp and oratory to be the top categories of her team this year. Calcote and Dalton are a team for interp, along with Birdwell and Phelps. Joining Dalton in oratory are Jessie Holloway and Amy Byrne.
The Tennessee Theater Association hosts a one-act play competition every year, and Cookeville High was selected to be one of the eight teams from Tennessee to compete this year. "It's basically wit, and Laura and Billy were the perfect people to be competing for us."
The competition was held in Jackson County on Oct. 26. Calcote was named best actress overall in the competition. The team put on on a public performance of the play on Nov. 8 in the CHS auditorium.
A few members were on the Jane Ellen Show in early November to discuss the play. "Everyone is helping us spread the word about the play because it is about cancer awareness," says Ligon.
Good luck for another great season of CHS Speech team!