By Malachi Wickman

On Saturday March 12, 2011, nine Atlantic High School students participated in the Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) State contest.  Three of the students were selected to perform at the All-State competition to be held March 28.

The following students received a division one rating in various events:

Lilly Zablocki in Original Oratory, Nora Walker in Radio News, Malachi Wickman in Story Telling, Ian Geohring in Prose, and Caroline Trewet in Story Telling.

The Trojan Forensics Team also received four division two ratings.

At the State Competition, students perform in front of three judges. If students receive division one ratings from all three of their judges, they are considered for All-State.  Tom Stinn, Caroline Trewet, and Malachi Wickman all recieved straight ones and are advancing to All-State. Stinn will perform in Improvisation. Trewet and Wickman will both perform in Original Oratory.

Trewet comments on being selected, “I’m pretty excited. My goal is to make it all four years and I’m half way there!”

Stinn comments on his performance, “I think I did a good job; I wasn’t sure I was All-State material, but I guess the judges thought I was.”

Sophomore Shelby Cooper observed Stinn’s performance and comments, “Tom’s improv was like watching a sitcom, and laughing for every second of it.”

Speech Coach Terrence Shuman says, “Obviously, I’m exited for our students and for AHS, for several reasons.  We have more All-State performers this year than many, many schools much larger than we are, including all of the Des Moines schools we compete with throughout the season. I’m pleased that Caroline was selected again this year, which means she still has a chance to be our school’s first four-time All-State Performer before she graduates.  And it is great to see deserving students like Malachi and Tom get selected as well.  It is especially encouraging to make such a strong showing with underclassmen, of course. That bodes well for next season.  This is our largest number of All-State qualifiers in many, many years, which is very gratifying, and a testament to the hard work our students have put in this season.”