As the speech season continues, sophomore Brianna Wright says that the Doane Forensics team is in a good place and is having fun while doing it.
This year is Wright’s first year competing, and she said the season has gone well thus far.
“I think we’re doing really well,” Wright said. “We already have a few people qualified for nationals or halfway there, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
One of the highlights of the season was Halloween Swing, a tournament hosted alongside the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The meet had a public media theme, with teams dressing up as characters and shows from outlets like NPR, PBS and the Nebraska Public Radio. Some characters from PBS shows like Arthur, Curious George, and Clifford were represented throughout the tournament. Instead of a traditional team trophy, the sweepstakes award was given as a donation to these outlets made in the winning school’s honor.
Although Wright joined the team in September, she said the team environment made it easy to fit in right away. With new members joining each year, team dynamics naturally shift, but Wright said the speech team is welcoming and built around strong traditions and inside jokes. Balancing speech with other activities can be a challenge at times, but Wright said the team does a good job at supporting one another.
As the season gets closer to the end, practices have become more focused. Wright said much of the work now revolves around refining events using judge feedback, improving delivery and projection and making edits where needed. While continuing to develop new material, she is also working to strengthen her current events.
But their team chemistry has played a big role in the season so far. Wright said the smaller team size has made it easier to get to know each other. Long weekends of travel and shared tournament experiences have helped build a strong sense of comfort and encouragement within the team.
Looking ahead, Wright said the main goal is to keep the momentum going and finish the season strong. While she wants to perform well, she is also focusing on improving and enjoying the experience. She is especially looking forward to upcoming meets, including the one the team will be hosting in late February, along with traveling to nationals in Portland, Oregon.
