The Indiana University East Annual High School Speech Tournament will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 12, in Whitewater Hall. The tournament is free and open to the public.

The tournament will include high school students from surrounding counties. Students will present various speeches in 14 different categories including broadcasting (radio), declamation, discussion, dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation, impromptu, international extemporaneous, memorized duo, original oratory, original performance, poetry interpretation, prose interpretation, scripted duo, and U.S. Extemporaneous.

All Indiana High School Forensic Association (IHSFA) rules apply for the tournament. Area coaches Susie Hittson of New Castle, Kathy Shroyer of Greensburg, and Holly Hathaway of Connersville are organizing the tournament with Elvinet Wilson, assistant professor of communication studies and first-year speech coordinator at IU East.

A Wayne County Foundation grant is helping to make this year’s event possible.

“Public speaking is a desired extracurricular activity for high school students in regional high schools and in Wayne County. We hope that this event will benefit the larger Wayne County community, including IU East students, faculty, staff, high school students, their parents, teachers and the general public,” Wilson said. “Join us in promoting the possibilities and power of the human voice.”

There are no entry fees for the tournament but no more than 30 entries will be allowed per school. Schools may enter up to four competitors in an event. For every five entries a school makes, one judge must be provided for the competition.

The tournament will be four straight rounds and no final. The first round and Extemp draw will begin at 8 a.m.

Ribbons will be awarded in all events. Trophies will be given to the top five schools. The two best overall performers will receive a $325 college book scholarship.

Anyone who wishes to pre-register should complete and return the entry form by 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 2. Entries may be sent to Holly Hathaway at hathaway@fayette.k12.in.us or faxed to her attention at (765) 825-0777.  Registration will also be held that morning from 7-7:35 a.m.

The registration form is available on the Indiana High School Forensic Association website.