ORAL INTERP: LOCAL STUDENTS ADVANCE TO STATE FESTIVAL

JEREMY WALTNER  – PUBLISHER

Freeman Academy will be represented five times while Menno will compete in three different categories at the 2021 State Oral Interpretation Festival Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3 and 4 at Huron High School. All advanced through the local, District 3B and Region 2B competitions, the most recent of which took place at the First United Methodist Church in Mitchell last Tuesday, Nov. 16.

Freeman Academy sent its entire slate of region performers on to state.

Here’s a closer look:

Madelyn Anderson and Jada Buse, both freshmen, will present “Breakfast” by Norman A. Bert in the category of Duet Interpretation. This is their first season as a varsity duo; they will compete the morning of Dec. 4.

Sophomore Jessica Paschal will deliver a Serious Reading piece title, “Made You UP” from the book by the same name written by Francesca Zappia. This will be her first trip to state and she will compete in the final session of the festival Saturday afternoon.

Samuela Ndongosieme, who won a superior at state as a junior last year, will present “Fall Forward” by Denzel Washington in the Non-Original Oratory category, also Saturday afternoon.

And senior Alyssa Fink is returning to state for a sixth and final time and will compete in both the Humorous Reading and Storytelling categories. She will present “Lives of the Great Waitresses” by Nina Shengold in Humorous Reading Friday morning and an adaptation of “The Cat I Never Named” from Amra Sabic-El-Rayess’ book by the same title about her life during the Bosnian war in Storytelling that afternoon. Fink has earned nine superiors the past five seasons.

Menno’s state qualifiers

Senior Salome Carr will present “Lost and Found” by David Ralph in Poetry Reading on Saturday morning. Carr earned a state superior two years ago as part of Menno’s Reader’s Theatre team; this will be Carr’s first time competing at state as an individual.

Sophomore Kaelie Derby will compete at state for the first time in the Serious Reading division Saturday afternoon with “I Am a Good Mother” by Elise Sharron.

Finally, the Reader’s Theatre team of Carr, Isabella Hogeland, Chandler Dant, Josephine Stokes, Derby and Alexis Hogeland will present a cutting from “Pandemic” Friday morning, Dec. 3 after placing first in both the district and region competition. “Pandemic” is an original written by Menno High School students Kyle Kyriss, Kaelea McCoy, Laura Fischer and Mrs. Betsy Knodel last year, which won top honors at the State One-Act Festival this past February.

Menno was also represented at last week’s Region 2B competition by sophomore Maggie Miller, who presented “Athletes and Mental Health: The Hidden Opponent” in the category of Non-Original Oratory and just missed qualifying for state.

“Maggie has a lot of talent,” said Betsy Knodel, oral interpretation coach at Menno. “I look forward to a lot of great competitions in the next few years from her.”

Also competing in the oral interpretation postseason from Menno were: Desiree Yosten in Storytelling, William Stokes in Humorous and Joslynn Fischer and Haylee Hall in Duet Interpretation, all of whom joined the others at the District 3B level.

Since this year was a rebuilding year for Menno’s oral interpretation team following the loss of eight seniors, Knodel said she didn’t know what to think going into the season, other than it would be a year to rebuild.

“So far this season has proven to be filled with a lot of promise; I’m really proud of the kids for all their hard work and dedication this year,” she said. “They had to go up against a lot of tough competitors from our district and region to get this far. Now we have a lot of work to do to get ready for state.

For the seniors on the team, it is bittersweet.

“We’ve been working very hard,” said Isabella Hogeland, “and we are thankful that we have the opportunity to go to state and perform.”