This year’s Manual High School Speech Team, coached by West Peorian Karen Adkins-Dutro, has yielded Manual’s most successful group of competitors in nearly fifteen years.
Speech Team Captain Jordan Brown and Alisha Williams, both juniors, achieved the greatest accomplishment of the season when they won the dramatic duet acting (DDA) event at Illinois Central College’s Charles F. Rolinski Invitational on January 12, 2008. Their heart-wrenching portrayal of an alcoholic father and his mentally challenged daughter earned the duo the title as Manual’s first speech team tournament champions in fifteen years.
Another season highlight includes a third place finish in the small schools division at the Bradley University George Armstrong Invitational in December. This award was the first team trophy for the speech team in more than twenty years. The Manual High School Speech Team consists of the following members who have competed in meets this year: Juniors Jordan Brown, Melissa Foster, and Alisha Williams; Sophomores Takese Ambrose, Chris Carpenter, and Lester Hudson; Freshmen Lauren Dow and Alexandra Menke. Both Dow and Menke are from West Peoria.
The five-month season--October through mid-February--started out on a high note in November at Normal West High School. Takese Ambrose took fifth place in Verse (poetry) and Lauren Dow was awarded sixth place in Humorous Interpretation (HI).
Jordan Brown reached the final round at the Metamora Speech Invitational and was awarded second place in Special Occasion Speaking (SOS) and eighth place in Radio (RS). In December at Woodruff High School’s Ken Freeburn Speech Invitational, Jordan Brown and Alisha Williams were just warming up with their fifth place finish in DDA. Jordan placed sixth in SOS.
Members of the Manual High School Speech Team are honing their skills in hopes of an invitation to the big dance (STATE).
