Speech teams go head-to-head Friday

The top high school speakers in Kalispell will square off in friendly competition next week.

The Crosstown Talkdown will pit speech and debate team members from Flathead and Glacier high schools against each other in a showcase Jan. 7 at Glacier High.

While the teams will be vying for a win, the event is more an opportunity for families and community members to see their teenagers in action, Flathead head coach Karen Downes said.

“A lot of parents don’t get to come — because we recruit them for judging — they don’t get a chance to see them” during tournaments, she said.

“We wanted to give parents a chance to go out and see their kids and the different stuff their kids do and why their kids have to spend so much time with us.”

Because the coaches want parents to be able to watch their children, parents will not be allowed to judge during the Crosstown Talkdown, Downes said. Competitors’ siblings and people who have competed in or coached speech or debate within the last four years also are ineligible.

But judges are needed; those interested in helping may volunteer at judgeforensics.com/tournaments/view/8 or contact judging coordinator Wendy Putzler at putzlerw@sd5.k12.mt.us or 751-3546.

The idea of a showcase event has been around as long as Glacier High School, which is in its fourth year of operation, Glacier head coach Greg Adkins said.

“This was an idea that has been stirring around in my mind since we split the high schools,” he said. “What a great way to compete in a nonexpensive way and a way to showcase our programs to the community.”

The event also will give students a chance to get back into competition after their holiday vacation.

“What we are really trying to do is get our squads going after the Christmas break,” Adkins said.

“Basically we have the Butte tournament during the second week of January and then it is the all-important state AA tournament at the end of the month in Great Falls. Hopefully this night of competition will help determine some of our final roster positions for the month.”

The evening begins with a preliminary round at 4:30 p.m. The top four entries from each school will compete.

Winners from the preliminary round will be announced at 6:30 p.m. The top speakers and debaters also will be showcased at that time.

“I think that people can really expect to see just a variety of different events,” Downes said. “They can see whatever interests them the most. Some will want to watch debate, but some would rather be entertained by the interpers. [The audience will be able to see] what would interest them the most.”

There will be no individual placing, but the traveling team sweepstakes will be awarded at 8:45 p.m. in the performance hall.

The winner is anyone’s guess; Flathead and Glacier have been neck and neck all season. Glacier has more first-place finishes than Flathead, with victories at the season’s kickoff tournament and at meets in Billings and Corvallis in December.

Flathead finished first at the Kalispell Invitational and finished in second, ahead of third-place Glacier, at tournaments in Missoula and Helena.

Even though his team has the better record, Adkins said Flathead will be tough to beat.

“This year’s FHS team is awfully strong, especially in their senior class,” he said. “We need our seniors to step up and hope that our underclassmen will continue to compete at the level that they did last month.”

There is no cost to attend the showcase, and concessions will be available for purchase. All proceeds will go back to the speech and debate programs, Downes said.

“We are encouraging everybody to come and see,” she said. “The community supports us so much; it will be nice for them to see what all of their time and effort is supporting.”

Adkins said he hopes the community will have that opportunity annually.

“I hope the Crosstown Talkdown becomes a regular part of our season in the future,” he said. “I think it is a wonderful opportunity to compete and display what talent we have in both of our programs.”

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.