Over 75% of the world’s population suffers from glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. The thought of standing in front of a crowd, all eyes on you, can be incredibly nerve wracking, and something many struggle with. From presenting in front of classmates to simply asking a question, the thought of criticism and embarrassment can create a lot of anxiety. However, public speaking is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice, and DePaul Prep offers a solution to this problem.
The Speech Team, led by head coach Savannah Tankersley, is an academic club at DePaul Prep where students come together to develop and showcase their skills in various forms of public speaking. Students not only grow in confidence, but have the opportunity to be a part of a great community that aids to each individual’s needs. As the 2024 season comes to an end, the speech members/coaches have a lot to be proud of.
With 9 students going to regionals, 7 advancing to sectionals, and 1 qualifying for Nationals, the DePaul Prep speech team showed their talent and reflected the ongoing, successful club. Junior, Charlie Hale who is attending the National Speech Tournament in Des Moines from June 16-21, is the first ever DePaul Prep student to go this far in a competition.
In addition to the team’s success, coaches offer a supportive and fun environment that makes both practice and meets a way to not only develop a large range of skills but become closer as a community. This however could not be done without the help of head coach Savannah Tankersley, assistant coaches Leo Heinz, and Alex Reeves, and college student volunteer Daniel DeVenney. With the help of these coaches the team has grown exponentially and played a crucial role in guiding members.
Ranging in 13 types of speaking events, students have the choice of what type of speech they would like to perform. This includes options such as public address, which involves writing your own speech, limited prep, an event where participants prepare a speech in a short amount of time, and Interpret, where students memorize and act out a piece. Each category has specific guidelines and requirements, encouraging students to make their speech unique and explore different styles of writing/communication.
This speaking, however, can not be achieved without practice. Students take thirty minutes, once a week, to run through their speech and receive valuable feedback and strategies for improvement. Each member is assigned a specific coach, so both the student and teacher can learn and grow within the speech. They work on refining their delivery, connecting with the audience, perfecting body language, and presenting in a strong, confident manner. Coaches provide constructive criticism, helping both improve their performances and build self confidence.
Sophomore Olivia Tray, who joined the speech team just last fall recalls that speech practice was something she looked forward to. “Practice was very student driven, meaning that whatever you wanted to work on the coaches would help you with that specific need,” Tray says.
Junior Samantha’s Rodriguez, also commends how helpful these practices were. “I thought the practices were a great way to learn, and definitely helped me grow to where I am today in terms of public speaking.”
Not only do these practices sharpen public speaking abilities, they are used to prepare students for competitions. Meets are a central aspect of the speech team experience, giving members a chance to perform their pieces, while competing against students from other schools. Judges evaluate the performances based on a specific criteria, and rank their performance. Despite the meets taking up to eleven hours, they are a great opportunity for personal growth, as participants learn to adapt to different speaking situations.
There is a specific routine for DePaul Prep when it comes to these competitions. On Saturday morning at 6:30 AM, students board the bus at DePaul Prep and head to the meets, which are often in the suburbs. Once teams arrive, students are given their code names, and look for the room they are assigned to. These different rooms are broken up by categories and can consist of 10-20 people in one room.
Sophomore Olivia Tray states that “Although I was tired in the morning, the adrenaline and excitement leading up to the competitions made it so much fun. It was also such a relief when finishing, because I knew my hard work had paid off.”
Students then go on to perform their pieces 2-3 times in front of both competitors and judges. Once this is completed teams wait to hear if they made it to the final, and last round. If they do, they compete one last time in front of 3 judges, before heading to the award ceremony to see if they placed.
Sophomore Lauren Herman recalls always feeling very nervous and excited for awards. “Even if I had not advanced to the final round myself, it was still so fun to see my teammates prepare to see if they had placed,” Herman says.
The speech season, which ran from September to February, showed tremendous growth from previous years. Compared to the 11 students that were on the speech team in the 2022-2023 season, there now is a total of 40 students that make up the team. Not only has there been so many new members but it was the first year since Tankersley has coached that participants have made it to both sectionals and the ISHA.
“We have built such a big, supportive community that has truly just been so committed,” Tankersley shares. She commences the hard work that has been put into the team and urges new students to join speech and become part of the community. “Speech can get you out of your comfort zone, and is a skill that you need all throughout life,” Tankersley says.
The coaches look forward to next season, and this summer, where Charlie Hale will be competing in nationals. If interested in joining the speech team next year, reach out to Savannah Tankersley, and be a part of a great team!
