Iola High School forensics students dazzled and delighted a crowd Monday evening in the Creitz Recital Hall with a showcase highlighting the team’s upcoming performances at the state meet.
Eleven students delivered emotionally packed interpretations that ranged from hilarious to haunting.
Taegan Noyes and Jeffrey Ashworth left many doubled over in laughter with their irreverent rendition of “The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged),” while sophomore Evie Schooler’s “Multiple Personality Murder” was as chilling as it was accurate in her depiction of a twisted, deluded killer.
Senior Madelyn Ashworth’s interpretation of a Jewish girl who survived the Holocaust left many speechless. At war’s end, a German woman approaches Ashworth’s character feigning ignorance of the war’s atrocities.
Ashworth portrays a young girl who, due to starvation, slave labor and torture, is confused for an elderly woman of 60. Ashworth’s character is astonished. “I am only 14,” she says in disbelief. “I am 14, and I have lived a thousand years.”
Lily Lohman’s humorous — yet informative — take on entomophagy, the science of eating insects, brought smiles to the audience. She invited listeners to “bite into a crunchy topic,” which it was in more ways than one.
Callie Sterling, a senior headed to Allen Community College on a drama scholarship, showed why with her “It’s fine, I’m fine, everything’s fine,” an oral interpretation of poetry. And Bella Rahming’s “Perfection is poison posing as syrup” was a powerful reminder of how you can only please others for so long. It was an interesting choice for one of Iola High School’s most recognized students. Her performance seemed deeply personal, the advice gleaned from years of experience.
THE TEAM will send 12 students to this Saturday’s Speech and Drama championship in Maize. A send-off is planned at the high school for 9 a.m. Friday.
The evening closed with an awards presentation.
Among those recognized: freshman Logan Belknap was awarded Rookie of the Year, while Lily Lohman won Speaker of the Year. Ben Heiman won Interpreter of the Year, and Taegan Noyes was awarded Actor of the Year. Jeffrey Ashworth won Most Dedicated Underclassman; Bella Rahming was recognized as the Most Dedicated Upperclassman.
Due to a miscommunication among teams, there was no league tournament this year, which denied the Mustangs a chance to win the league five years in a row. Regina Chriestenson is in her 15th year as the team’s coach and has built a powerhouse program.
While several of the individuals heading to state have previously advanced as far as the semifinals, none has yet returned with a state medal. That seems likely to change this weekend. Many of the young adults dominated the stage with an ease well beyond their years.
Monday’s showcase offered powerful evidence of how important a skill public speaking is. The confidence, the ability to communicate well, to convey emotion clearly and effectively — Chriestenson’s students demonstrated these qualities in spades.
