By Angel ’27
Ever since I began speech in fifth grade, I’ve been in love with it. The first step I took when I got accepted into Harvard-Westlake for freshman year was to find out the details about the HW speech team. Now, speech is one of my primary extracurriculars and hobbies, shaping the person I am today.
Joining speech at the school is simple: if you’re a freshman, you just have to come to the Upper School’s Kutler Center every Friday, and for seventh and eighth graders, there is a separate practice at the Middle School. Even if it is no longer the beginning of the year, interested students can join any time by contacting Ms. Wang, the head coach of the speech team.
This low-pressure activity is perfect for anyone, whether one is looking for better public speaking skills, trophies, or simply fun with friends, the speech team may be the right place for that. There are many tournament opportunities throughout the year, and many people enjoy the flexibility of being able to choose which and how many tournaments they get to attend.
The team competes in numerous speech categories, including program oral interpretation, dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation, and extemporaneous speaking, although there are more events that students can compete in if they are interested. The variety of opportunities the team offers range from dramatic acting to current events analysis, so everyone can have a chance at trying out an event they truly enjoy.
New students normally begin with the novice events, which are dramatic interpretation, declamation, original prose and poetry, or original advocacy. All of these events involve performing a pre-written script, whether they were written by you or adapted from a work of art, such as from a movie or novel. But don’t fret even if you don’t think these are the right events for you! No matter what you are interested in, the speech team has a variety of opportunities you can compete in.
Performing pieces you absolutely love isn’t the only fun part of speech. As a nationally recognized team, we travel to important national-level tournaments, which have previously taken place in locations like northern California, Kentucky, Iowa, and Arizona. Competing at these tournaments with talented speaker pools not only gives one more experience, but it helps with forming a nurturing community. One of the most unforgettable memories I have made at HW was with the speech team when some of us traveled to Kentucky for a national tournament and we bonded together every night after our rounds.
The HW speech team has been like a second home to me. It offers the unique experience of oratorical art and community. I value the meaningful interactions I have with my peers and coaches, improving my speeches, growing, and having fun. I hope to share the same heartwarming experience I had with new students interested in speech.
