DANVILLE SPEECH

News release

Eight Danville High School students won awards at Emory University’s 64th Annual Barkley Forum for High Schools Jan. 27 after three days of competition. After five preliminary rounds of contests in seven speech events, eliminations were made to the quarterfinals (top 24) in each event with subsequent cuts to semifinals (top 12) and finals (top 6).

Two DHS students advanced to the final rounds in their events. Claire Strysick placed third overall in Informative Speaking; Joseth Warner placed fourth overall in Dramatic Interpretation. Also winning awards were semifinalists Taylor Ballard (Humorous Interpretation), Charlie Hall (Humorous Interpretation), and Emma Merryman (Oratory) plus quarterfinalists Haley Hopkins (Humorous Interpretation) and the Duo Interpretation team of Libby Hale and Barrett Minks. The students were given trophy keys as unique awards in this contest — keys cast from an antique brass key hidden in Georgia before Sherman’s March to the Sea in 1864 and used as the model for the trophies each year. Barkley Forum is a national contest with 1500 students participating from around the country and sponsored by the university’s debate society.

 

Bardstown Invitational

 

The  DHS forensics team also participated in the Bardstown Invitational on January 26. Freshman Lauren Lucas was third in Declamation; sophomore Alexis Weathers placed third in Oratory. The team placed seventh overall in the contest.