When Iola High School junior Demarco Ross competes in forensics, he’s hungry.
Yes, that’s a metaphor, Ross admits. It’s also literal. Food makes him feel tired; he wants to be energized. He needs that empty pit in his stomach, the fire in his belly.
Cole Moyer can’t eat before an event, either, but for a very different reason. “I’d barf,” he said.
Max Andersen pushes himself so hard during his performances, he’s dripping with sweat at the end.
Don’t let anyone tell you forensics isn’t a sport, Everett Glaze added, pointing to his teammates. “Competition is what drives us. You put all of your energy into your piece. We compete for hours. It’s draining.”
The four IHS juniors brought home first-place finishes in three events at Saturday’s 3A State Forensics competition at Maize High School. The IHS team took fourth place overall, an accomplishment coach Regina Chriestenson says is the highest in her 13 years and believes may be the best in school history.
Andersen successfully defended last year’s state title in Oral Interpretation of Prose.
Ross took first in Oral Interpretation of Poetry.
Glaze and Moyer took first in Duet Acting.
Through the regular season, the team scored in the top three at every event.
“We’ll be back next year,” Glaze promised, noting the first-place medalists each have another year before they graduate.
All three gave credit to Chriestenson for building a successful program, and thanked Richard Spencer for his guidance as well. Moyer noted the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, particularly with its annual summer theatre workshop for children, and the Iola Community Theatre work to create a culture that supports and encourages the performing arts from a young age.
“All of that gives us a love for theatre and performing, letting us find that joy early on and continue it for years to come,” Moyer said.
EACH PIECE tells a story — and a backstory.
Andersen
“Spike, the Ugliest Dog in the Universe,” is a children’s story written by Debra Fraiser about a dog’s search for his forever home. Chriestenson recommended Andersen try it. Under the rules of Oral Interpretation, the performer cannot move from one spot, so Andersen uses humorous gestures and his voice to tell the story. He barks and shakes ferociously. He imitates a cat by slowly licking his hand, shaped like a paw.
“It’s like you’re reading a book without pictures to a bunch of kids,” Andersen explained.
He performed the piece in front of the USD 257 school board, bringing everyone to tears. At the state competition, each judge gave him top marks.
“I worked so hard. I left everything I had in that room,” he said.
“The way he gave such distinction to his characters, how he enunciates certain words and the way he talked to the audience was very interesting,” Glaze added. “He put an image in their minds.”
Andersen won the same category last year. This year’s victory was “even better the second time. Like my mom told me, it cements the fact that it was built off my hard work and dedication, not random luck.”
Glaze and Moyer
When the season started, Glaze and Moyer weren’t partners. They weren’t even friends.
