Eight MVAOCOU students spent Saturday at the district large group speech contest. Performing as three different groups, all three earned 1 ratings and advanced to the state large group contest on February 7th.
    "All the speech students work well together, building off of each other's strengths, and helping each other shine in their own way," stated Coach Kristi Paulsen. She and Bethany Mallory work together to guide the students. "I'm proud of the ones putting themselves out there and trying something new for fun this year. I'm equally proud of the ones who've come back to improve on what they've done in the past and make their group even better!"
    Ada Gee (daughter of Kellie and Jeff Gee of Mapleton) and Jenna Rosener (daughter of Angie and John Rosener of Mapleton) paired up to perform in Radio News Broadcasting.
    "My partner, Ada and I thought it would be fun to try Radio Broadcasting," said Rosener, a sophomore in her first year in large group speech. "We decided to have a 1930's theme which included the topic ‘The Great Depression.' Throughout the broadcast, we included a weather forecast, a local event, a sports section, and a commercial. We also included music of the era."
    Ada also teamed up with Nina McMillen (daughter of Teresa and Rob McMillen of Ida Grove) and Jaiden Boyle (daughter of Kim and Paul Boyle of rural Correctionville) for Improv.
    "I decided on doing Improv and Radio Broadcasting because they both allow for creativity," exclaimed Ada, a senior also in her first year of large group speech. "I'm also experienced in improv, having done solo improv and qualifying for state. Thus, I thought group improv wouldn't hurt to try!
    "Broadcasting and improv are different in the ways of preparation," she continued. "I prepared for radio broadcasting by recording the audio with Jenna and editing it before the competition. While improv is on the fly and is planned right in front of the audience before it's acted out."
    Preparation for Districts takes a lot of commitment from all in large group. With each girl very active in and out of school, they had to get up earlier than most would want to fit in practices.
    "It can be difficult finding a time for groups to meet and practice around other activities before or after school, but they've made it work, put in the time, and it's paying off," added Coach Paulsen.
    "I had never done large group before but I was so excited for it," exclaimed Nina McMillen, a sophomore at MVAOCOU. "We had so many early practices to be prepared for the competition. When we started the competition, I actually had no idea what we were doing, so I trusted Ada and Jaiden to start it. Ada and Jaiden were the best I could've been with and made the experience so much fun!"
    Jaiden Boyle, a senior who tried large group for the first time this year, added that large group speech is a great outlet for creativity.
    "I thought it was a really good opportunity to use my creativity and work with others," she said. "If someone wanted to be part of speech, I would tell them to just do it because it is a good way to put yourself out there."
    The Rams took one more improv team to Districts. This group consisted of seniors Mia Uhl (daughter of Randi and Chad Uhl of Danbury), Delani Welte (daughter of Nikki Ford of Mapleton and Nick Welte of Danbury), Marley Scott (daughter of Jenny and Brian Scott of Mapleton), and sophomore Caitlee Koenigs (daughter of Abby and Josh Koenigs of Mapleton).
    "Honestly, it was amazing," Caitlee said concerning working with seniors. "They're my best friends, and they made the experience so fun and we are very supportive of one another. Being around each other in this setting really gave us a chance to show our goofy selves to more than just our family and friends."
    "I have been in large group speech before," stated Marley Scott. "My sophomore year I also did group improv. We unfortunately did not make it to state that year, but we were so excited to come back and make another appearance this year."
    "I was shocked because even though I had fun and thought we did well, I didn't think we would be going to state," added Delani Welte.
    "In speech, I have always competed in group improv," Mia Uhl mentioned. "I have practiced other things but never went through with it because my heart wasn't really in it."
    "To prepare for competition, we spend time on early morning practices just seeing what works for us," added Mia. "On competition day, we like to watch other people and see what the judge is looking for."
    The day of competition can bring its own challenges.
    "I would say the hardest part of improv is the two minutes before your act that you have to plan out your prompt," explained Caitlee. "It's pretty hard to put all of our ideas together and in the correct order with just two minutes."
    Even with its challenge and competitiveness, these ladies do not regret competing in large group speech. The camaraderie gives them lasting friendships and experiences.
    "I think I will miss all of the laughs that my group and I had," confirmed Marley. "Everyone in my group is some of my best friends so it's just really easy to get along with everyone, and we all kind of know each other‘s sense of humor so we make quite a few jokes when practicing."
    "I would say that it's a fun way to get out of your shell and experience new things," added Delani. "It's fun especially when you're with your friends."
    "Looking back, I wish I did a group one (speech) before because this has been a great experience doing something new with my friends," exclaimed Caitlee.
    The ladies had some tips for anyone considering going out for large group speech.
    "If someone was joining speech, I would tell them to try their best and do a little bit of research on what you want to do," advised Mia. "Talk to the coaches and they will help you out tremendously. If you're nervous about joining in general, bring a friend and maybe you will both end up liking it and competing together!"
    "If someone was interested in joining speech, I would encourage them to go out," concluded Ada. "Group and solo speech have so many different options to chose from. There is no mold that every act fits in, some include singing while others are informational or filmed before the competition. So in conclusion, if you are thinking of going out I say do it! It helps elevate your communication skills, and you can make some friends along the way!"
    Good performance to you all at State on the 7th.

    Sunday evening filled the gymnasium and cafeteria at Danbury Catholic School with people willing to give a a few bucks for a Bingo card in hopes to be able to get some back by hollering Bingo. The annual Bingo night was held to help kick off Catholic Schools Week. Along with food to feed the hungry, 31 games of Bingo were played. Now, using math, there should have been 31 winners. That would be the case, but many of the games had multiple winners. The worst card was deemed to belong to William Dirksen. However, hmmmmm, he also won a game. Hmmmm. His little sister, Kate had the best card of the night, winning the blackout game and $200. Kate, a second grader at Danbury Catholic, is one lucky girl. She was the winner of the side by side at the auction back in August.
    The week continues with various activities including a field trip to St. Rose of Lima School in Denison, a Patriotic Rosary, and bowling.