By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Spring Break brings a successful week for Panther Forensics
new_lgp_gbhsforensics
Floor: Xanna Smith, Patrick Heath, Daniel Abbott, Dalton Ruble, Maddix Pokorski, Dalton Dicks and Kenia Balderrama; steps: Bayle Sandy, Raven Marcum-Pafford, Katria Kindscher, Jessy Moeder and Bryce Hopkins

Last Thursday, the Great Bend High School Forensics Team celebrated National Speech and Debate Education Day. This annual nationwide event honors the importance of public speaking in our classrooms. The current speech students invited former team members and students that had pre-enrolled for next year to the squad room for donuts and milk before school. The students then delivered donuts around the building to thank those special adults who had supported them on their speech and debate journey.  

Speech teacher, Kim Heath shared that “Speech and Debate are such rewarding activities to coach and are fun for the kids to participate in. At the same time, they can create a far-reaching influence. The confidence that it gives students spills over into other areas of their lives and they begin to find their voice. Donuts on the day before Spring Break seemed like the perfect way to celebrate our activities and their life-changing impact.”

The Panther Forensics Team kicked off their Spring Break by attending a pair of area tournaments. The GBHS squad entered six students in a Congressional Debate Tournament in Moundridge on Friday evening. Senior Dalton Dicks placed 2nd in the Senate, and Sophomore Isaiah Smith finished 4th in the Senate. The congress tournament mimics real life in that there is both an upper and lower chamber competing. Schools can only place two students in the Senate competition and their House of Representatives’ entries are based upon the size of each school’s program. Representing Great Bend in the House were Kenia Balderamma, Jessy Moeder, Maddix Pokorski and Xanna Smith.

On Saturday morning, the GBHS Forensics Team entered 23 entries in Hoisington’s Garrett Blase Memorial Tournament and 17 of those entries medaled.  

The squad qualified five new entries for the state competition in May. The new state entries included Daniel Abbott and Patrick Heath - 1st place in Duet Acting; Daniel Abbott - 2nd in Serious Solo Acting; Dalton Dicks - 2nd in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking; Maddix Pokorski - 2nd place in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking; and Freshman Xanna Smith - 2nd in Program of Oral Interpretation.

Other Panther medalists included Bayle Sandy: 1st in Program of Oral Interpretation, 1st in Serious Solo Acting, and 2nd in Impromptu Speaking; Patrick Heath 1st in Informative Speaking. Heath and Sandy had previously qualified these events for state competition. 

Dalton Dicks narrowly missed qualifying his Informative Speech with a 3rd place. Bryce Hopkins placed 5th in Humorous Solo Acting and 6th in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking; Jessy Moeder finished 4th and Raven Pafford was 6th in Program of Oral Interpretation.  

Katria Kindsher and Kenia Balderrama were 4th in Duet Acting. Katria was also 5th in Serious Solo and Kenia placed 5th in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking. Also contributing to the team’s 3rd Place Sweepstakes finish was Dalton Ruble.

Great Bend will compete next at the West Kansas District National Congress Qualifier on Friday, March 13, in Newton. In order to qualify for the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Tournament, students must finish as one of the top entrants at a district level competition. This district qualifying leg only will involve the event of Congressional Debate. The district tournament for forensics events will take place in the middle of April. This year’s national tournament will be held in June in Albuquerque, New Mexico.