lf 4n6

2011-10-27T14:22:00.001-07:00

it's a new year!!!

2010-08-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Lake Forest Forensics 2010!

We're excited and happy to get back to school and to get this year's season going, but then many of you already know that, having been "going" much of the summer!

As you are aware, our captains, Alex Kroger, Jenny Poth and Hannah Gersten have been hard at work since May networking and getting as many team members as possible started on events for this upcoming season, so we return this year at least as ready as we've ever been and even more focused.

2010 Primary Event Rule:

This new rule is designed to accomplish two ends at the same time: help new members by not asking too much of them all at once and help the team by closing those notorious event holes we had all year last year when no one was prepared for two or three of the fourteen Individual Events and the team therefore had no real chance to compete. So this season every freshman, sophomore and junior is being assigned a Primary Event in a category selected by the coaching staff. We will help you to work with that event, hone it, and strengthen your performance in it. (New team members will be provided with pieces; returning members will have until mid-September to claim their own before coaches provide them.)

Once the coach you are working with on your event is satisfied that you are doing well, you will be allowed to select a second event of your own choosing. We will help you to find a partner or piece as needed. Note that seniors are exempt from this rule. Also note that nothing prevents you from working on the second piece all along, but it will not be allowed to compete until the Primary Event is ready for competition.

Ferry Forensics Fest 2011:

Yes, I said "2011." This year's LFHS festival will be held next year. January 22, to be exact. We think this is a fantastic thing. It moves our festival far from the plays, allowing everyone to compete. Its end of season date makes sure all of our pieces are as honed as they ever will be. It provides one final SCOTIE qualifying opportunity the likes of which we have not had since the old Stevenson Tournament gave up the ghost. And it finally gives our team a tremendously solid raison d'etre after the winter break.

The Officers:

As I mentioned above, Hannah, Jenny and Alex have been active and enthusiastic since spring, and everyone is looking forward to a strong, productive, exciting season. But you may have noticed that, beginning this year, we've cut down the number of official officers, eliminating former positions like secretary and archivist and novice officer, etc. The coaches feel that solid, clear leadership starts with people--the number is flexible--who work well together and can show the team that they care about it and that they deserve to be respected as leaders. We feel we have made some very fine choices, and their actions thus far have validated that. Still, their work as leaders and our success as a team is determined by your effort as team members: without the second-level positions I mentioned above, the officers will be looking to team members frequently for enthusiastic help in quasi-leadership capacities during the season. If they come to you, we all hope that you'll dive in and show what you've got. Consider it a kind of audition. After all, by season's end, we'll need to replace at least one of them...

(Alex is a senior.) :-)

We have a whole lot to talk about, so plan to attend our opening meeting right after Labor Day. Look for Posters and listen for announcements. Of course you could also stop up in Topham's Attic (Room 305) any time at all to chat or hang out or start finding your second piece (assuming that your first one is moving along).

Meanwhile, as I said before...welcome back!

banquet time...finally!

2009-05-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

May 14.
6PM.
Faculty Dining Room.

We supply the chicken, plates, napkins, and plasticware.
You supply the salads, appetizers and desserts.

We supply the awards.
You supply the entertainment.

It's the 2009 Forensics Banquet!

See Lain or Jeffrey for showcase signup.
Parents are welcome and desired.

Contact Lain or me to let us know that you are coming, how many will be here from your family, and what you'll be bringing. Let us know ASAP, but definitely by Monday!

It's the most fun you'll have in May without putting on a tux or a fancy dress!

And BTW... watch for our after school spring workshops the last two weeks of May!

--kt

banquet postponed

2009-04-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Our forensics banquet, scheduled for next Thursday, April 16, has been postponed until May (tentative date: Thursday, May 7). This will allow everyone to get through the musical and breathe a bit. Lain and Jeffrey will organize the showcase aspect. As the date approaches (again), we will need to work on who will bring what, but for now, please focus on school and making Thoroughly Modern Millie the best musical it can possibly be.

Please spread the word to everyone, and remember to invite parents; it is a family affair.

2009-03-31T19:06:00.001-07:00

Sending this status update from ping.fm to four networks at once!

Officers and Banquet

2009-03-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to next year's Leadership Council:

Captains: Jeffrey Niedermaier and Lain Kienzle
Novice Leader: Neil Phelps
Secretary: Jenny Poth
Archivist: Julia Calabrese

This year's awards banquet will be held on Thursday, April 16. To avoid interference rehearsal or sports practice on that day, and to make it possible for parents to attend (and of course they are invited!) we will not begin until 6 PM. We'll have dinner and awards and a showcase. Jeffrey and Lain will contact you about the latter.

--kt

Seeking Other Officers

2009-02-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

The Forensics Team leadership (coaches and captains) is actively seeking other officer candidates for the 2009-2010 school year for the following positions:

Novice Leader

This officer's responsibility as a member of the Leadership Council is to assist the captains and coaches with the tasks required to organize and run the team.
The Novice Leader's specific area is focused on working with novices, making sure that they are becoming acclimated to the team, personally getting to know them, and assuring that they are working on their pieces in a timely fashion.
The Novice Leader may also be called upon at times to help them to find pieces and to work with them in a practice capacity.
Socially, the Novice Leader is a bridge or liaison between the novices and the varsity members of the team, helping them to integrate quickly into our routines. The officer might help to arrange gatherings specifically aimed at the novices, for example, and should take a special interest in their achievements, noting them at meetings, etc.

Secretary

This officer's responsibility as a member of the Leadership Council is to assist the captains and coaches with the tasks required to organize and run the team.
The Secretary will be responsible to keep an accurate record of attendance at all meetings and all forensics team functions in order to provide a measure for eligibility for tournaments, etc.
The Secretary will keep records of performance at each tournament throughout the season, recording team and individual performances on a spreadsheet as a measure that aids coaches in determining end of season awards.
The Secretary will keep a running tabulation of SCOTIE-bound team members.
The Secretary will maintain the organization of the bookcase and file cabinet throughout the year and keep track of books that leave the room so that they can be returned in a timely manner.
The Secretary will sign out black books and stop watches to team members who need them.

Archivist

This officer's responsibility as a member of the Leadership Council is to assist the captains and coaches with the tasks required to organize and run the team.
The Archivist's special responsibility is to chronicle the year for the forensics team. This may involve photography, videotaping, or any other kind of record.
The Archivist should ideally be someone interested in an knowledgeable about the skills necessary to perform this role well, though an enthusiastic newcomer would be considered.
The Archivist should ideally be someone knowledgeable enough in the use of editing software to create a DVD record of the season.
It is the responsibility of the Archivist to be present at team functions, both formal and informal, and to take pictures or videos. If the officer cannot be present, he or she may designate a substitute.

If anyone desires to be considered for these positions, please contact Mrs Topham as soon as possible.

2009-2010

2009-02-05T14:39:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to:

Lain Kienzle and Jeffrey Niedermaier

2009-2010 Forensics Team Captains

Congratulations also to our own double SCOTIE winner Megan Pratt for her lead role in the musical!!!

Looking ahead

2009-01-29T13:27:00.001-08:00

Our next events are SCOTIE, the banquet, and the showcase.

SCOTIE is February 27-28. Here is the roster of eligible people:

Lake Forest - 11 total entries

Dramatic Duet Acting

1: Jeffrey Niedermaier and Megan Pratt (Varsity)

Dramatic Interpretation

1: Julia Hankins (Varsity)
2: Sarah Hayes (Novice) *

Extemporaneous Speaking

1: Mark Torcivia (Varsity)
2: Molly Durot (Varsity)

Improvisational Duet Acting

1: Julia Hankins and Jeffrey Niedermaier

Original Oratory

1: Danielle Springer (Varsity)

Poetry Reading

1: Megan Pratt (Varsity)

Radio Speaking

1: Jeff Nickels (Varsity)
2: Alex Kroger (Novice)

Special Occasion Speaking

1: Hannah Gersten (Novice) *

* There is a new rule this year that makes a novice eligible if he or she competed in a final round of a varsity tournament.

If you are listed here and are not interested in attending SCOTIE, let us know ASAP. Otherwise we will need to work with you to maintain the freshness of your piece(s). See your coach for practice times.

This festival also has IDA, WI and OPP. If you are listed here as eligible and would like to participate in one of these as a second event, let me know ASAP.

There is a team karaoke event limited to the first ten teams who enter. Interested?

We are canceling this week.

2009-01-29T07:23:00.001-08:00

Giving in to reality, I am pulling us out of this week's final tournament. We have had a spate of new drops in just the last 24 hours, leaving what was already a light team pretty decimated. Especially considering that no one has the time to practice, it is not worth the money we will have to spend to attend this one.

We will get back to you on SCOTIE and our banquet/showcase.

--KT

Alan B Shepard 1/31

2009-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

Jan. 31—ALAN B. SHEPARD

event

DDA	Megan/Jeffrey
DI	Julia Hankins
HDA	Julia C/Elizabeth
HI	Katie M	Hannah G
ES	Mark T
IS	Neil P
OC	Neil P	Andrew P
OD	Elizabeth
OO	Danielle S
PR	Megan P
RS	Alex K	Jenny P	Jeff N	Andrew P
SOS	Hannah G
VR	Momina K	Lily A	Julia C

This is the roster as of today. The tournament is on. Our next regular meeting will be Friday after school for everyone, followed by practice for those going to Shepard.

If you are not on this roster but would like to be, contact me ASAP.

KT

LIBERTYVILLE

2009-01-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

Saturday's bus leaves at 6:30.

Be on time.

Make sure you have practiced and your coach has acknowledged that you are OK to go.

Watch tomorrow for an updated roster.

KT

VERY IMPORTANT

2009-01-20T14:31:00.001-08:00

I need to know IMMEDIATELY if you are intending to go on the 1/31 tournament to Alan B. Shepard High School. Thus far only two people have signed up. When we sent out our season availability list, the only NO for that date was Hayley Koch. Megan Pratt was a maybe. All others were YES.

We signed up for these tournaments counting on the availability that you declared. We have already canceled two of them, costing the team both money and credibility (which may ultimately prove to be the most costly problem). If I have to cancel yet another I will, but I will not like it at all.

Please let me know RIGHT AWAY if you are going to Shepard. Drop by and sign the sheet. Same rules as Libertyville: if you are NOT going, sign outside the grid.

--KT

january 16 update...update

2009-01-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

have you lost a ring?

One of my sophomores found a fairly expensive girl's ring in the classroom just before T-Fest. If you have lost one, and think it might be yours, email me and describe it.

4n6 status update

Going into the final fortnight of the season, here's the situation...
We will no longer be attending Geneva. The roster for next week is as follows:

Jan. 24--LIBERTYVILLE

event

DDA	Megan/Jeffrey
DI
HDA	Catherine/Barrett	Julia/Elizabeth	Jenny/Connor
HI	Hannah
ES	Molly	Jenny
IS	Molly	Neil
OC	Neil	Andrew
OD	Catherine	Elizabeth
OO	Danielle
PR	Grace	Megan
RS	Alex	Jeff	Andrew
SOS	Hannah
VR	Sondra	Julia

Only the following have signed as unable to attend: Emily, Kelsey, Julia H, Brittany, Mac, Lily.

If anyone else is thinking of going to this tournament, contact me ASAP. Everyone must work next week with a coach. Due to confusion this week caused by my own illness and last-minute musical rehearsals, we may at the discretion of the coach allow you to compete with two practices instead of the three we had previously announced over the January practice period.

finals week

Practices with coaches must be arranged individually during the exam week. While coaches may be available after school Tuesday and/or Wednesday, other times are up to you to arrange. Remember, all participants in the Libertyville tournament must practice at least three times (twice at coach's discretion) by the 23rd.

musical and shepard

There will be musical auditions all week during the days leading up to the Shepard tournament, so we do not expect many of you to be able to practice that week until Friday, which is a day off from auditions. Therefore, there will not be any regularly scheduled forensics the final week of January until Friday 1/30.

Friday 1/30 will be a general meeting and then a practice for the 1/31 tournament.

team leadership 2009-2010

If you are a junior and are interested in being considered for a team leadership position for next year, contact me ASAP. We would like to have leadership in place within the next few weeks. The first job of next year's leaders will be to arrange the team banquet and showcase.

january news

2009-01-06T09:08:00.001-08:00

Week of January 6 Update:

We will not be going to Rolling Meadows (1/17)
Our team photo is next Monday immediately after school in Room 305.
Theatre fest leaves after fourth period on Thursday.

January 24 Tournaments Update:

If you have not yet signed the roster, you must come up and do so!!!
Sign whether you are attending this tournament or not; we need to know.
If you are attending: sign the roster slot(s) appropriate to your event(s).
If you are not attending, put you name in the space below the grid; this will let us know that you have seen the sign-up sheet and have stated your intentions.
We need this information this week in order to determine whether we should cancel one of the two tournaments we've signed up for.

Everyone must come in to practice with a coach at least three times between now and January 24. Do not wait until the last week!!!! It's exam week, and three times won't happen! Spread it out.

Juniors:

If you are interested in becoming an officer for next year's team, see me or email me. We would like to have the new officer's group in place at the end of the month.

4N6 team Photo

2008-12-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

We will do our team photo after break. Trying to get everyone together (including the coaches) prior to break is probably not a possibility, but we can do so when we return. Tentative date: second Monday.

Note that we will meet on the first day back from break.

kt

WOW! Extemp Excitement!!!

2008-12-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

I have to believe that this is a first in the annals of LFHS Forensics: a first place tie shared by two Scouts in Extemp!!???

As Darth Vader would say: Most impressive!

Congratulations to Mark and Molly, whose feat may not be equaled for a long time. What a way to end 2008!!!

And the rest of the team were no slouches today at Willowbrook either:

Jeffery and Julia took first in IDA in their first ever tournament pairing. Another wow!

and...

DDA, Jeffery and Megan: 3rd
HDA, Jenny and Connor: 3rd
IDA, Alex and Lily: 2
OO, Mark: 6
OO, Danielle: 5
OV, Lain: 2
RS, Jenny: 5
RS, Jeff: 4
RS, Alex: 2
SOS, Kelsey: 6

What a great day! The team finished 8th, which certainly is respectable. Congratulations to everyone! We'll meet on Monday for our regular (mandatory) meeting, and then our schedule for the week will be lighter than usual since there is no week-ending tournament.

There will be a Theatre Fest mandatory meeting after school on Wednesday.

Midweek Willowbrook Update

2008-12-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

Thursday Update

The following people are signed up for this week but do not have a season permission slip (available on Links list) on file:

Elizabeth Mays
Emma Stockert
Grace Yu
Julia Hankins
Megan Pratt
Vibhav Gupta

No one will be allowed to participate without the signed season permission form. Single-day permission slips will not be accepted.

This is the current lineup:

DDA	Jeffrey & Megan
DI	Julia H	Hayley
HDA	Eliz & Julia C	Grace & Olivia	Jenny & Connor	Jeffrey & Emma
HI		Katie
ES	Molly	Mark
IS	Molly
OC	Andrew
OD	Elizabeth	Hayley	Vibhav
OO	Danielle S	Mark
PR		Grace
RS	Jenny P	Andrew	Vibhav	Alex
SOS	Kelsey
PO	Sondra	Julia C	Danielle S	Lily A
IDA	Julia H & Jeffrey	Lily A & Alex
OV	Lain

after bradley

2008-12-08T09:41:00.001-08:00

First of all, congrats to all who participated in the Bradley tournament, especially to those who broke semi-finals and finals.

Semi-finalists: Neil Phelps (OC), Mark Torcivia (ES), Jeff Niedermaier/Megan Pratt (DDA), Jeff Nickels (RS)

Finalists: Emily Neuberger (4th Place Novice PR), Andrew Piechota (6th Place Novice OC)

Tournament Champion: Alex Kroger (1st place Novice RS)

It was, all in all, a good weekend. But it might have been a better weekend if we as a team had a better work ethic. As I have been stressing for weeks, we all need to develop stronger practice attitudes and focus. We need to be here every day, working on our own pieces and helping our teammates with theirs. That is how to grow.

This weekend I met and talked with many members of Fullerton Union High School from California, the runaway Bradley tournament champions. This is a school of approximately our size. They have 160 members on their forensics team. They have one coach. They brought 60 kids across the country to Bradley and routed every other team in attendance. And they were also the nicest kids I spoke with.

OK: How did they accomplish all of this?

Partly, it is due to the fact that they have made their Forensics team into something culturally important at their high school. They do offer a class (which we cannot at this time offer here), but mostly they are just dedicated. From their website:

Preparing for a year of competition begins before the start of the school year. FUHS Speech & Debate students attend a four-week summer camp at the Fullerton campus, where coaches help students develop and master a memorized piece. The intensive training continues throughout the school year with hours of practice at home in front of a mirror, at the front of the classroom, during individual coaching sessions and finally at competitive tournaments. During the nine month school year, the team travels hundreds of miles by airplane, bus and car to attend dozens of local, state and national tournaments.

None of the coaches here want to turn LFHS into a forensics factory like some of the "black suit" schools around us--and, yes, Fullerton is a black suit school, though seemingly a nice one--but we do wish to stem the self-perpetuating tide of frustrating mediocrity that hurts us too often: we don't practice seriously enough --> we don't do well in tournaments --> we don't want to practice. Again, this doesn't apply to those who work very hard and just don't break through; that happens and it's part of forensics. But we all know that is not the case for everyone.

So, looking ahead, let's gear up for a fabulous second half of the season by dedicating ourselves to work hard and to doing what we can to help each other. One of the greatest things to come out of the Bradley tournament was the circle game played by most of the team in the student union in which each person said positive things about others. What a great concept that is! We need more of that kind of thing. (And less griping about placements and long waits for awards ceremonies.) We need to support each other when we succeed, too: be there for your teammates in the final rounds that they break. Not to "stack the room" in some unsportsmanlike way, as one judge absurdly accused Neil of doing when no one of us was even there, but to show our support. That is a part of a good team.

We have great people on this team, and we do have a lot of talent. And we are starting to come together. But we have a long way to go. Let's get there!

Here is the Willowbrook lineup so far:


DI	Julia H	Hayley
HDA	Eliz & Julia C	Grace & Olivia	Jenny & Connor	Jeffrey & Emma
HI	Carter
ES	Molly		Mark
IS	Molly
OC	Andrew
OD	Elizabeth	Hayley
OO	Mac	Mark	Danielle S
PR	Olivia	Grace	Megan
RS	Jenny P	Andrew	Lain	Alex	Carter	Mac
SOS	Kelsey
PO	Sondra	Julia C	Danielle S

back to basics

2008-11-26T06:07:00.000-08:00

Hi, again, everyone!

OK, we've attempted a whole bunch of things to accommodate people's schedules this year, but they have not really worked very effectively, so all of the coaches agree that it is time to go back to basics.

Starting Monday, we will be moving back to the most effective schedule we have ever found: the one we used last year.

For those who are new this year, the schedule for the remainder of the year (I promise!) will be as follows:

Monday:

Mandatory Team Meeting 3:15-3:45; only exceptions are those pre-cleared by a coach.
should you have to miss, you must contact your cluster leader Monday night and be there on Tuesday
practice with all coaches

Tuesday:

Showcase Day 3:15-4:30; all team members expected to attend to provide feedback to as many events as possible within that time frame
practice with KT and team leaders

Wednesday:

Practice: all coaches generally present

Thursday:

Practice: KT, LF, JE generally present
priority given to this week's contestants

Friday:

Practice: KT, JP generally present
priority given to this week's contestants

All team members are expected to be here every day, at least for a part of the day. We understand if you cannot make it on certain days due to outside commitments (Madrigals, Bel Cantos, etc), but you must clear these with cluster leaders or coaches.

This is a team. Be a part of it!! Our season is not that long, and rules change in January. For Nov/Dec, be here!

Look for other announcements this weekend.

bradley deadline today!!!

2008-11-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

If you want to go to Bradley but have not yet signed up, you must email me today!!!

Do it now.

kt

11/16: this week

2008-11-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Danielle, Megan, Jeffrey, Jeff, Sarah, and Julia H, all of whom medaled at Huntley yesterday. It was a good showing considering our fractured and fragmented team, and we all should be proud.

Nonetheless, we have lots of work to do.

This week is the week that will define and either make or break our season. That sounds melodramatic, but it is not. Whether we can come together as a team to pull off a successful tournament and a strong showing at that tournament will put a stamp on us that will determine who we are this year.

So far, we are a group of folks who show up once in a while, when it is convenient, and as a whole (though with clear exceptions) are not dedicated to each other, even if we are dedicated to our own performances and pieces. (Sometimes we are not even dedicated to that.) There have been many factors that have played into this. Some have been outside of our control; some have not.

Here is what I know:

This is called the Forensics Team. We draw from a variety of places, and before our season begins everyone is involved in other things: plays, sports, etc. We get that; we always have. No one expects forensics to be the number one priority for very many students from the start of the school year (though it's always nice when it is). However, once that play or that sports season ends, this is your team. You've got to be here. You've got to realize that your commitment to this team, to this program, is every bit as important as your commitment to whatever other extracurricular activity you are involved in. That is the only way we can continue to have the success we have been able to achieve in the past.

Plays or athletics demand that you attend practice five days a week after school. Forensics does not demand this, but in the brief season from November through December we expect it. Circumstances may affect your availability. Maybe there are days each week you cannot make. That is all the more reason you need to redouble your effort on the other days. And the reason you come is not only to work on your own pieces; it is to help others with theirs, to watch and give feedback, to provide audiences. Team has to have meaning or we are just a bunch of random people speaking to walls.

Things will change in January. Expectations will change. Once a week meeting with a coach will be enough for polished pieces by then. But that is not the case now. At this time of the year, when the season is in its fledgling stages, we need to be there all the time. And also, it is important that you show up when you are scheduled to meet with a coach. All of us have been frustrated by students who sign up to meet and then fail to come. There have been times that we have stayed just for you, but you are not here. Take some responsibility. Be where you are supposed to be.

Speaking of which, when the bus is supposed to leave at 6:00, that does not mean 6:20! I know that we generally arrive at a tournament with time to spare, so maybe you do not think there is a rush. But the reason we get there so "early" is that extemp prep begins 45 minutes before the rest of the tournament. On Saturday, Mark had to run off the bus to get to his prep on time. And he barely was able to do so. We schedule departure times for a reason. Please consider others and set multiple alarms; otherwise, we will be leaving without you (as we did leave this week without those who were even later than the unreasonably late time we waited for).

This is a lot. And it sounds very negative. I don't mean for it to: I want to look forward to the part of our season that (finally!) does not overlap with plays and sports with enthusiasm and excitement. But I do need you all to know that it is this week that makes or breaks it. When we make the decision about who can come to Bradley, it will not be people who have not shown an interest in being members of a team. And Bradley is the next big step, and the most fun we'll have all season.

So let's dive in this week, have a great time, get a ton of work done, and enthusiastically and creatively put on our best festival yet. Our leaders have decided that, in our festival of musicals, we are going to be Sweeney Todd, so let's find ways of having fun with that. (Other schools are going to be playing around with their assigned shows.) And let's get some folks into the experiments events: Original Prose and Poetry, Wretched Interp, and Improvisational Duet Acting.

Signups for both LFHS and Bradley open tomorrow. I need both filled by Wednesday.

KT

huntley and beyond

2008-11-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

So far, this is what Huntley looks like:

DDA	Megan/Jeffrey	Lain/Barrett
DI	Julia H	Sarah
HDA	Julia C/ Elizabeth
HI	Lain	Danielle ??	Catherine
ES	Mark	Jeffrey
IS	Neil	Jeff
OC	Neil
OD	Shelby ??	Catherine
OO	Danielle	Mark
PR	Megan	Brittney	Sarah	Grace
RS	Jeff
SOS
VR	Sondra	Julia H	Julia C

If any of this is incorrect, I need to know ASAP!!! And you all need to get in here to practice!

We had a light turnout at Tuesday's meeting due to the F/S play. Please see the earlier post for important information if you were not in attendance.

LFHS Ferry Fest is next week!!! It will take a lot of work to get ready for it. We'll need everyone every day if at all possible.

This is what our commitment for Ferry Fest looks like:

DDA

DI
HDA

HI

ES
IS
OC
OD
OO
PR

RS

SOS
VR

OPP
IDA

WI

Let's change that in a hurry! The final three are experimental events: Original Prose and Poetry (strut your stuff with verse or prose readings of your own pieces!), Improvisational Duet Acting (just what it implies), and Wretched Interp (a hilarious mixture of Prose and HI with the most unlikely scripts possible).

Let's get going!!!

--kt

the season is underway!

2008-11-08T12:48:00.000-08:00

As I write this, a tiny LFHS 4N6 contingent of mostly freshmen is finishing up our first day of competition at Fremd High School. It has been, despite all of our best efforts, a rather rough beginning to our year. The insane schedule, the overlapping plays, even Madrigal Singers and musical competitions are getting in our way. We must, however, get down to business if we are to make all of our hard work count.

Many of you have had pieces for months; some since last spring. Now is the time to do something with them. We all know that the f/s play next weekend will prevent many novices from going to Huntley (too bad!), but everyone else should plan to go. And everyone should be planning to participate in the LFHS tournament on 11/22 and all of the days of prep that week leading up to it.

I have sat down with several of the team leaders this week and discussed what has gone wrong, and we agree that, though the schedule difficulties are at the core of things, the true problem is that too many of our forensicators have not been seeing this as a team. This is not a drop-in center where you come if you want to. This is not a practice-optional party group. It is a team, and we are all working together to try to make each other stronger. We have always had that dynamic in the past and we have to get back to it now.

To that end, we will be altering the practice schedule and expectations beginning this week.

On Mondays, all four coaches will be available for practice and immediate feedback from the previous weekend's tournament. Mr. Pulio can only stay on Monday until 4:30, so it is imperative to see him right away.

On Tuesdays, we will have a required full team meeting. In this meeting, we will discuss the previous weekend, set up the schedule for the next two tournaments, and take care of any odds and ends that need doing. Following this, we will have showcases in which team members perform their pieces for feedback from all of their teammates. After 4:30, we'll break; some will leave, and some will practice with each other or with me or team leaders. I am the sole coach available on Tuesdays.

On Wednesdays, cluster leaders will catch up with anyone who, for legitimate reasons, missed Tuesday's meeting. We will have more showcases for those who are there, and we will also be practicing. All four coaches are again available on Wednesdays.

On Thursdays, the roster for that weekend's tournament will be finalized. Cluster leaders will catch up with members of their groups to determine what needs to be done and who needs work. Ferges, Eccleston and I are available for practice.

On Friday, only Pulio and I are available for practice, and we will prioritize those who are going to the next day's tournament. If there is any additional available time, others may be able to work with us.

Let me eliminate a couple of rumors right now:

No event is easy! There are no events where you can just waltz on without practice and perform. Some are, it is true, harder than others. But all require you to preactice with coaches.
Coaches do not bite. Not that I know of anyway. Actually, now that I think of it, I should just speak for myself. Pulio is a bit weird, and I've never been 100% sure about those Frecclestons... But I don't bite. I haven't bitten anyone in...gosh...must be six or seven whole weeks now!
Your cluster leader is not the only person you can turn to! Some of you are extremely hesitant to approach someone else if your cluster leader is missing. Guess what? They have issues too! There are days when they can't be here, just as there are days when you can't. So talk to someone else! They won't bite either. (No promises about Jeff Nickels.)
Coaches specialize, but we can all help with anything. I spent all day Friday working with Prose and Verse. Mr. Ferges worked with OC on Thursday. We actually like variety. Call us crazy!

And now, a final note:

Our own tournament is coming up: the Ferry Forensics Festival on 11/22. It's going to take a whole lot of work to put it on. The cluster leaders are working on organizing the musicals theme, so if you have any interesting and fun ideas that they might like to play with in implementing it throughout the school and the festival, see your cluster leader. We will need all hands on deck on Friday, Nov 21 from 3:30 until at least 9:00. We'll order pizza for a team dinner. Put it on your calendars!!!

Monday is the start of our new 4N6 schedule. See you then!!!

--kt

Help me to update the 4n6 board!

2008-10-16T11:09:00.001-07:00

Check the board from last Wednesday's post (below). Is it accurate for you? If not, email me to help me to update and correct it. We need an accurate listing!!!

Important:

There are coaches available almost evry day in the 4n6 rooms. Come up to work after school whenever and as often as you can.

Coaches' schedules:

Topham: MTWThF most weeks, with exceptions posted
Freccleston: MWTh
Pulio: after 10/25

You must practice with coaches as frequently as possible in order to be ready for tournaments!!!!

You must participate in November tournaments to be eligible for Bradley!!!!

You must be ready to compete with a speech event to be eligible to compete with a dramatic one!!!!

Let's go!!!

Event Competitor List 08-09

2008-10-08T13:56:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

It's 4N6 Update time!!!

all clusters should meet this weekend!!! practice!!! block scenes!!! do read-throughs!!!! give feedback!!!!

This is the board as I see it today:

DDA:

Julia H/Emily B: Dos Corazones
Lily A/Katie M: Ghost Girl
Vibhav/Mark: Thief River
Jeffrey Neidermaier/Megan: Lurker
Barrett B/Lain:
Shelby/Mary L: Extenuating Circumstances
Vincent/Molly B: Silence of the Lambs

DI:

Julia H: Ten November
Kelsey: Moonshot Tape
Sarah H: Half-Hanged Mary
Danielle D: Epiphany
Deanna: Sorry

ES:

Molly D, Mark T, Jeffrey Neidermaier

HDA:

Olivia/Grace: Investment dating
Todd S/Danny K:
Jeffrey Neidermaier/Emma: Naomi in the Living Room
Catherine A/Barrett:
Julia C/Elizabeth: Criminal Minds
Vibhav/Danielle S:
Emily/Alex: Superhero
Sondra/Brittney:
Erica/Carlie: My Quiet Neighbor

HI:

Topher: Vocab Guy
Danielle S: Disney Heroine Round Table
Lain:
Katie:
Emma:
Emily: Fifteen Minutes
Mac M: League of Semi-Superheroes
Catherine: Oedi

IS:

Molly D, Neil, Colin, Brendan

OC:

Jeff Nickels:
Neil: Dramatic Duet Radio
Colin:

OD:

Megan: Generation next
Vibhav: Ten Ways...
Elizabeth:
Catherine: The Warrior returns
Mary: Privacy
Shelby: Standardized testing

OO:

Mark:
Danielle S: genetic modification
Mac M:
Jeff Nickels:
Katie:
Icelle:

PR:

Carter:
Megan:
Jeffrey Neidermaier:
Molly Bennett: Tips For Women
Emily N:
Lia:
Deanna: Lucus Naturae
Danielle D:
Olivia:
Brittney: Rapunzel

RS:

Jeff Nickels, Barrett, Vibhav, Todd, Brendan, Ben, Michael, Conner, Alex

SOS:

Emily B: veganism
Lain: feminism
Kelsey: babysitting

VR:

Lily A: Questions For Ecclesiastes
Julia H: Domestic Violence Collection
Julia C: Hansel and Gretel
Molly B:
Icelle:
Grace:

Here are some folks who are not yet signed up for anything:

Woody Tauke, Hayley Koch, Jenny Poth, Brett Pepowski, Becca Scribner, Sarah Anderson, Tanya Amidi

Here are some who appear to have signed up for only drama events:

Vincent Battaglia, Sarah Hayes, Danny Karson, Emma Stockert, Emily Neuberger, Carlie Passalino, Erica Werner

theatre fest!!!!

2008-09-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody!!!

This is the week to get your Theatre Fest stuff in! Signed permission slips and medical forms, along with checks, are due on Wednesday. Don't miss this glorious opportunity to immerise yourself in theatre for two days at U of I, to experience life on a college campus, and to see the All-State play, Hairspray!

KT

big meeting wednesday!

2008-09-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Our weekly major meeting is going to be on Wednesdays until the fall play, so everyone come up to the Attic Wednesday afternoon after school!

It's especially critical for F/S intending to audition on Thursday to be hooked up with 4N6 events and pieces before the play begins!!!

kt

the season has begun!

2008-09-22T13:04:00.001-07:00

Hi all!

If you have not yet gotten up to 305, get up here this week! We need to get everyone started, and that especially goes for freshmen and sophomores who might be auditioning for the f/s play.

At least one coach is always here, and most days there will be more than one. Captains will be here too, as they can. (Fall sports and the play interfere.) Come up to get your pieces and events settled and start working!

If you are not sure which cluster you are in, check the lists on the right. Always feel free to contact the captain leading your cluster for help and /or to ask questions; that's what clusters are for. The leaders will also be scheduling cluster meetings occasionally outside of school to get together to socialize and/or work.

THEATRE FEST

The deadline to sign up is October 1! Get your permission forms, medical slips and checks to me ASAP! Don't miss out; this event is incredible!

--more to come--

kt

Wait until you see our new digs!

2008-09-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

Topham's Attic 2.0 is new and vastly improved over the Dungeon version we've been dealing with. There is tons of space for meetings and Mr. Ferges has an adjoining room we can use for practices. The conference ctr and Ms. Eccleston's rooms are right across the hall: the facilities could not be better for us.

I have reorganized (at last) the book shelves, so I know (theoretically) where things are. And we will have much more control over everything this year! It's not completely unpacked yet, but it's looking great. You're going to love it.

Topham's Attic 2.0: Room 305.

kt

Welcome to 4N6 08-09!

2008-09-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

Much more to come later, but if you happen to log on, this is just a quick welcome back from what I hope has been a good and productive summer. Many of you had pieces chosen before we left and should be well along by now in prepping for a strong new season. If anyone in that category decided to find a new piece, please see me right away; do not wait. If you were unable to come to the spring workshops and do not have pieces, check with the leadership council members or one of the coaches as quickly as possible.

We have a truncated fall, as everyone knows. Let's make the most of it!

:-)

kt

4n6 spring workshops!

2008-05-08T11:01:00.001-07:00

We're coming back later than usual next fall, so we're going to try to get a head start this spring. Beginning on Thursday, May 15, and running through the end of the school year, we'll be holding after school workshops for returning forensicators and those who are interested in exploring the joy of 4N6.

Our goal is to set everyone up with events, partners and pieces before the summer, as well as to get scripted events started. We also hope to set up a monitoring/mentoring system for help during the summer. If all works out, we will return in September ready to get up and running and ready to devote time to recruiting and working with novices.

Please plan to join us for as many sessions as you can.

KT

The Banquet!

2008-04-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

The date for the banquet has been set!

We will be having it on April 29, which is a Tuesday. The musical is over, the set is struck, and the time is ripe for remembering what fun we had this year! So, around 5:30 on the 29th, we will begin the Banquet and Awards portion of the evening in the Faculty Dining Room, followed (around 7:00) by the Senior Showcase in the DMT.

All familes should bring some kind of dish to pass: a salad, a dessert, an appetizer. We will need you to sign up here letting us know if you will be able to attend and some other important information. Simply reply to this blog with a comment or email me here (and don't forget to identify yourself!).

In your reply, please state the following information:

Name
Class
Attending?
How many in family attending?
What dish will you bring?
What event(s) did you do this year?
In how many tournaments did you participate?

For seniors wishing to participate in the showcase, contact Brianna.

It is important that we get responses from as near to 100% of the team as possible, even if you do not intend to come, so spread the word to everyone about this blog post. And if you know someone who is considering joining next year, invite them to come too; it's a great chance to find out what forensics is all about!

May workshops will be starting a couple of weeks later, so we can gear up for the fall. LF4N6 is on a roll!

--kt

meeting on monday!

2008-03-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

There will be a brief (I hope) meeting on Monday 3/17 (St. Patty's Day) after school to discuss, among other things, the banquet.

I hope you all can make it. If not, please e-mail me.

--kt

Statement from Sondra Schmidt

2008-03-04T05:46:00.000-08:00

Yet another in an ongoing series of statements from juniors who are interested in being officers next year. As always, your private comments are appreciated. Email me by clicking here.

My name is Sondra Schmidt and I would be very interested in becoming captain of forensics next year. I am a junior and although I have only had one season with the team I believe that I could do a great job as captain. This year’s captains did a wonderful job. I am aware that it is going to be hard trying to fill their shoes as captain next year. I am very organized, hard working, and driven and I believe that with these skills I will be able to contribute greatly to the forensics team. I believe that having participated only one season may actually help me be a better captain. Although I believe that experience is very important to lead a club such as this, I also believe that having new ideas and looking at things from another point of view may complement the other captains’ experience and together we would be able to implement worthwhile changes as well as make sure the team is running smoothly.

I became involved with forensics late this year (just before the first meet). This was because I had not heard of it before that time. I believe that many athletes, as well as students who are involved with many other after school activities may be able to contribute greatly to forensics. By having a variety of students on the team we will have a competitive advantage at the competitions. Through having one or two optional meetings in the morning per week, we will not only increase the amount of practice time, but we will also be able to have members who are not free after school. I believe that with many outstanding graduating seniors leaving us next year, we must focus on expanding the team, especially to freshman and sophomores who will have many years ahead of them to excel in forensics. I believe that by going to the freshman/ sophomore study hall the first week and giving a brief presentation about forensics, we will succeed in expanding our team. We must make it clear that forensics is a lot of fun and that in joining students will not only make new friends, but also learn a great deal.

Because novices may be unsure of what event they want to do, we should set up a novice night where each novice member gets paired up with one or more varsity members who discuss with them the different events and helps them find the ones they can excel in. After they have found the events they are interested in, they can each be paired up with a varsity member who is in that event. The varsity member would help introduce them to other members of the team and make sure that they feel comfortable in meetings and meets. The varsity member will act as the novice’s advisor for the remainder of the year and help them with pieces in that event. This will result in a greater connection between the novices and varsity members and therefore the team will grow stronger.

I believe that my ideas, dedication, and hard work make me the perfect fit for captain. I will take time to make sure that everyone feels like part of the team and understands the large commitment that forensics is. I believe that through lots of hard work we can have a very fun, successful season.

Statement from Megan

2008-02-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

This is another in a series of statements from juniors interested in being considered as officers for next year's team. If you'd like to comment, please email me at 4n6@sunspark.com. Please do not leave any negative comments on the blog.

Hi! I’m Megan Pratt, and am writing this to address the issue of the captain/co-captains for next year. I have been a member of the team for two years, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I think that Forensics is a great way to meet people and really establish bonds between all of the grades. I felt noticeably absent because of several conflicting activities this year, and wish I had been able to have the high level of involvement I was able to achieve my sophomore year. Realizing this, I e-mailed Mrs. Topham a couple of weeks ago to find out more about Novice Coordinator, as it was a role I remembered from my sophomore year that had sounded very interesting. She got back to me, and told me that this had been rolled into the position of co-captain. Because of this, I am interested in being considered for a position of co-captain next year.

As co-captain, I would be willing to work with the captain(s) and other co-captains to come up with a standardized system that could be followed through by the successors. I feel that many previous problems were solved this year. For example, attendance became a much more important issue than it had been my sophomore year, and I think that those policies should remain enforced. However, I still feel like many freshmen and sophomores find it easy to “slip through the cracks” and struggle to find an event/piece that they really excel at until their junior or senior year. Having experienced this myself, I would work very hard to help underclassmen figure out what they want out of Forensics and would help them achieve their goal. Since Mrs. Topham, Mrs. Eccleston, Mr. Ferges, and Mr. Pulio, and the captains are trying to address everyone’s needs, I think it is important that we have one of the co-captains dedicated solely to Novices. Having a narrower range of duties for each captain/co-captain would provide more individual attention and be much less hectic. I think that using the database of pieces more often would also help with the ever-important issue of “finding a piece.”

I also feel that I could make a great contribution to the role of co-captain because of my organizational skills. Many of you who know me can attest to the fact that I can be a bit “OCD” at times, and feel that this could actually be a positive contribution! I would work meticulously to keep track of practice and tournament attendance, and would make sure that all of those who placed would be recognized, as we did this year. I think that a balance of personalities amongst the captains and co-captains would be very important.

Most of all, I think that Forensics should be a place to have fun. Although sometimes getting up early in the morning for tournaments is rough, I have truly had a wonderful two years being a member on this team. I feel like I have met some really great people on the team, and know that whoever follows in the footsteps of this year's captain and co-captains will find it challenging, as they did such an amazing job organizing the group and making us into a “team.” I hope that next year’s team is just as supportive as this year’s, and that the “competition” aspect of Forensics remains between the schools. I think that with the right combination of people and ideas, we can work together to create a team that is both fun and efficient, and remains a favorite high school memory for many. Thank you so much!

SCOTIE WRAPUP...and beyond

2008-02-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

So, yeah, we were all at SCOTIE, right? And we got word that LFHS had a fire...and no one from the forensics team had anything at all to do with it! (No names, no names...) And then, after a night of pizza, pillow fights, conversation, all night wandering (Oh, Julia!), and waiting waiting waiting for Mark, we were evacuated from the hotel by...a fire alarm!

And one team member had already left, an hour before, to prep his event, so he clearly had nothing to do with it. (No names, no names...)

With the morning came breakfast, that fire alarm, more rounds, Fuddruckers, key chains, SCOTIE t-shirts (such an artistic fashion statement; just ask Jeff, who was the first participant to buy one, thus earning himself a hug from Tournament of Hugs director Phyllis Warr), and home again home again...via a tollway plaza stop for coffee and ice cream.

Oh yes, and the absolutely inevitable totally insane judges!

All in all, an enjoyable way to end the season...at least the competition season.

But SCOTIE only signals that we have no more tournaments. It does not signal that we are DONE. We still have to select new officers, find a good date for the banquet/showcase, and begin looking ahead to next year. To do this we will need to meet, though we probably will need more notice than one day to get a meeting together. I'm thinking a week from tomorrow: the first Monday of March. Let's plan to meet then.

Keychain winners at SCOTIE:

Catherine and Jeffrey
Sarah and Claire
Jeff and Claire
Sarah
Rachel
Julia
Vibhav
Mark
K Lukas

Statement from Danielle

2008-02-23T16:27:00.000-08:00

Another in a series of statements from those interested in being officers next year. Please email your responses either to 4n6@sunspark.com or ktopham@d115.org.

I’m Danielle Springer, and I just wanted to give a quick statement addressing my desire to be a forensics captain next year. I have been a member of the team for two years, and it has definitely become one of my biggest commitments in high school. I love being a member, and I feel as if I have built close relationships with many members, including novices as well as the graduating seniors. I have attended every meet possible, including most of the meets this year and all of the meets last year. I really love participating and I would like nothing more than to be a leader next year.

Many of you know me very well, and I am sure you can all agree that I am very organized, driven, and able to handle a leadership position. I have been held many other leadership roles, including ITS and Frosh/Soph play. But I also know that forensics is place for everyone to have fun! I would work to make forensics an enjoyable environment. For example, I felt that novice day this year was very effective. I would make an effort to make sure that all novices feel comfortable joining our tight-knit group at forensics. I feel that I am easy to talk to, and would be able to provide guidance to newcomers. This year I often helped block scripts or edited the speeches of younger members.

If I were a captain next year, I would work to increase attendance and involvement from all members. I would try to make each member feel valued, and also make sure that students do not attend unless their coaches are sure that they are qualified. I know that this idea was implemented this year, but I would make sure that it is taken seriously by all members.

I would also try to establish a “mentoring system” where each new member is paired with a varsity member who can help them choose an event, introduce them to the coaches, and help them select a piece. I think this would really improve our numbers on the team because each newcomer would have a close relationship with someone who “knows the ropes” and would not feel overwhelmed by the team or by the numerous different events. This system would require juniors and seniors to take a more active role, and as a result everyone would have a stronger commitment to the team.

I know that if I were a captain next year, everyone could rely on me. I am organized, committed, and have a lot of new ideas to offer. I hope that everyone on the 2008 team will feel valued, and be able to have a great time. I also hope that next year will be our most competitive and organized. I am definitely looking forward to next season!

statement from jeff nickels

2008-02-22T05:57:00.000-08:00

another in a series of statements from those interested in being captains next year...
please send me your feedback at ktopham@d115.org

My name is Jeffrey Nickels, and I am a junior this year. I’m writing to inform you of my interest of being a team captain for next year. This year ends my second full year as a Forensics team member, and I feel the time I’ve put into Forensics, including every meet this year and most of last year’s meets, has given me the experience and leadership skills needed to be a captain.

If appointed captain, one of my main priorities would be to try and expand our team’s numbers by actively promoting Forensics and really working with newcomers to try and make them feel like a part of the team as soon as possible. I also think that more leadership from captains and experienced members will be needed, and delegating some coaching duties to juniors and seniors will increase efficiency as well as team-building.

Having Tuesdays be set aside for showcase performances in front of the rest of the team is a great way to get everyone involved and to receive necessary feedback, and as captain I would work to expand that idea so that at least one day out of the week would be set aside for teammates in a particular event to work together and perform their pieces in front of each other so as to give each other feedback and to be exposed to other pieces in their given event.

These are only some of the ideas that I would promote as a captain next year. I believe Forensics is primarily about the team, and by having students take more active leadership roles, working to expand our roster and training novices with special attention, and increasing peer criticism by having members in similar events work together, I believe the team will become stronger, more competitive, and more efficient than ever before.

Thank you for reading my thoughts on how to improve our Forensics team. I would love to talk with any of the coaches or other captain applicants about any or all of the ideas listed above, and hopefully we can work together to make our Forensics team of next year our best yet. Thanks again.

SCOTIE people, updated 2/19

2008-02-12T09:24:00.000-08:00

Were you at either Thursday's or Tuesday's meeting? If not, you may be dropped from the SCOTIE team. See me ASAP.

All team members must work with coaches this week.

Basic info:

We will leave after 4th period Friday the 22nd and return around 3-4 PM on Saturday.
You may enter Wretched Interp, IDA, or Original Verse as a second event if you work on this with coaches.
We will be staying at the Marriot Suites in Downers Grove.
Mark, Vibhav and K Lukas will be along as student judges.

SCOTIE students are:

Sarah, Brianna, Rachel, Claire, Jeff, Jeffrey, Carter, Neil, Julia and Catherine.

All SCOTIE travelers must download and bring in a signed permission slip. Click here to download form.

Statement from Mark and Vibhav

2008-02-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

This is one of a series of statements from teammates who desire to be officers for next season. Send feedback to me by clicking here. --kt

Mark and I wanted to let you know that we would be interested in being captains of the 4n6 team next year. As we've been on the team for three years now, we feel that we have had enough experience to lead the team. As captains, we would definitely be able to bring the team in a new direction right away during the off-season. We think that it is great that people are going to start digging into their pieces before the season starts. We also have some ideas about starting the year off with the novices next year.

We think that it would be cool if we could explain to them all the events on one day, and then break up into groups throughout the week. People who are interested in the events would go and see what the event is all about. We could call this Novice Week. We also think that we should have people at book buy next year telling freshmen about forensics. They did this for one acts, and it's very effective.

We think we should emphasize tournament attendance next year as well. Tournament attendance has been a major handicap for our team all year, and we feel as if we will be able to much better at tournaments and take on the bigger teams if we have more people going to every tournament, not just the ones the feel like going to. We should emphasize the importance of each team member to the team.

Mark and Vibhav

looking ahead

2008-02-03T21:10:00.000-08:00

There are still a few things to take care of before we call the 2007 season complete, and they revolve around you.

First, we have to work on keeping our first place winners in practice for SCOTIE on the 22nd and 23rd. All qualifiers should see coaches to sign up for practice slots over the next couple of weeks. We'll be as flexible as we can.

Second, there is the matter of the banquet/showcase. We do not have a date yet, but once we do we will need to coordinate the showcase itself as well as the food signups. I can try to take care of the latter through the blog if it works.

In addition, we need to determine officers for next year. Last week, I asked all juniors interested in being considered for officer positions to submit a written statement explaining why they are interested and what they would bring to the team as a captain and to email that statement to me for posting here. Once these are posted, I will ask for feedback from all current team members before the coaches make their selections.

Another change this year will be our method of determining team awards. The coaches will continue to make the selection, as we always have. But this year, as we are with the selection of captains, we are asking for input from the team. Send emails nominating fellow forensicators for team awards. You don't need to specify which ones--we can determine that--but explain why you feel they are deserving.

The awards we give are:

The Colby Cup (a kind of MVP)
The Brown Novice Award (sort of Rookie of the Year)
Drama Award (Varsity and Novice divisions)
Speech Award (Varsity and Novice divisions)
Combined Speech and Drama Award (Varsity and Novice divisions)
The Ferry Award (team spirit/dedication; determined by captains)

Stevenson (and Season) Wrapup

2008-01-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to everyone for the excellent day on Saturday! What a great way to end a strong season: we got another SCOTIE qualifier (way to go, Carter!) and reaffirmed several others; almost everyone left with some bling, and the team took home second place based on the complicated formula they use over there for figuring out who wins team trophies. And what other team travels with its own groupie? All that and a rousing game of Hoopla! What more could anyone ask?

(Oh, right: ice cream on the way home. Well, we had that one covered, too.) :-)

Awards went to the following:

HDA: Brianna and Rachel: 1st
HI: Sarah: 1st •••••••• Rachel: 1st
DDA: Catherine and Jeffrey: 2nd ••••••••• Lily and Kelsey: 3rd
DI: Julia: 1st ••••••• Brianna: 2nd ••••••• Lain: 3rd •••••• Danielle: 6th
Ex: Molly: 6th
IS: Molly: 4th
OC: Jeff: 2nd •••••••• Claire: 3rd
OO: Danielle: 2nd ••••••••• Mark: 4th
OD: Vibhav: 6th
PR: Carter: 1st •••••••• Jeffrey: 6th •••••••• Lily C: 6th
RS: Vibhav: 3rd •••••••• Jeff: 5th •••••••• Carter: 5th
SOS: Sarah: 3rd
Storytelling: Kelsey: 3rd •••••••• Catherine: 4th •••••••• Lily C: 5th
VR: Julia: 4th
Wretched: Jeffrey: 3rd •••••••• Molly: 4th

This has been a really great season and I hope that everyone had as much fun with it as the coaching staff did. And it is not over! We meet Monday afternoon-not a long meeting, but still... And then there's something happening...hmm...let's see...I think it had to do with a very, very large amount of ice cream...

Of course there is still SCOTIE, and those who have qualified for that must practice multiple times between now and Feb 22 or you won't be going. And juniors who have not qualified who are interested in being Student Judges, let me know. (SCOTIE uses student judges in every round to give more feedback and to allow juniors that coaches feel are strong enough to gain valuable experience.)

And then there is the banquet and showcase, for which we will be discussing dates and options.

Finally, it's time to begin thinking about next year's leadership:

Anyone who is interested in being a captain of next year's team will need to take a bit of initiative. We'd like you to tell us why you think you would make a good captain. Put it in writing and send it to me. We will post these statements here for all team members to see and invite (private) comments at that time, so that everyone has an opportunity for feedback before selections are made.

Whoever is selected will have quite a job to do following Brianna, Sarah, Rachel and Catherine, who have been extraordinary. And that job will begin quickly, as we will want to establish a spring session to select some pieces for next year and to start working on drafting SOS, OC and OO scripts, which we can help you hone (via email) over the summer. Especially noting that we return so late next year, our goal is going to be to come back in fall of 2008 far more ready to go than we ever have been before and eager to focus on bringing novices into the fold.

That's a whole lot for one post! Some of it will be repeated later, and more info will come.

If you have questions, feel free to leave comments or email me.

--kt

Practice this week

2008-01-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

Stevenson is our final tournament and our final opportunity to strut our stuff (and, not incidentally, qualify for SCOTIE), so let's take it seriously!

No one will be able to attend this week's tournament without practicing with a coach first.

Schedule:

Pulio: Wed, Fri
KT: Wed, Th, Fri
Freckelston: Wed, Fri

This tournament allows three entries per person if you are solidly ready (our caveat, not theirs). It also offers two cool special events: Wretched Interp and Story Telling.

Wretched Interp is the one that Jeffrey Niedermaier has done--lots of silly fun. The guidelines are these:

Students should prepare one 6-minute program
Material which would not normally be advisable for either Prose,
Verse, or DI should be presented.
Rules of presentation for the above events may be broken or parodied.
Material may be excessively maudlin, cheesy, overwrought, juvenile,
gushy, sentimental, etc.
Coaches should discourage offensive language, profanity or
insensitive material.

Storytelling is also a great deal of fun:

Students should prepare two 6-minute programs, presenting one of
these twice.
Stories should be published works suitable for ages 3 through 7.
Students are encouraged to use the books themselves and to display
the pictures during presentation.
Judges will be audiences of area children. Contestants’ younger
relatives will be welcome.
A supervising adult will compile ratings by tallying the judges’
favorites.

If you wish to enter one of these special events you must find pieces NOW. There is not much time left to work on your pieces.

Let's rock Stevenson!

--kt

Libertville

2008-01-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hi, All.

Congratulations to the members of the team who braved the icy chill an ventured through northern Illinois' best impersonation of the North Pole, survived a forty-five minute bus breakdown, and managed to stay focused through a very long day of forensics.

We had several team members break finals, and even if we did not place as highly as we would have liked to, we did pretty well given our lack of real prep time. (Next year, we may have to consider whether it's really worth it trying to get ourselves together for this tournament right after finals.)

So congratulations especially to our medalists:

HDA Rachel & Brianna 7th
SOS Sarah Wagener 4th
Imp Molly Durot 4th
DDACatherine & Jeffrey 6th
DI Megan Pratt 4th
HI Rachel Sachnoff 6th
HI Sarah Wagener 5th

Our final tournament of the year is next Saturday at Stevenson. We will have our weekly major meeting on Tuesday, and it is critical that everyone who wishes to go to the tournament attends.

Have a great extended weekend!

--kt