News Briefs: Eight Advance Straight to State

Kylee Langley and Justin Snay|March 9, 2022

State qualifying speech students smile for the camera as they hold their ribbons and trophy.

On February 26, the LHS Speech Team competed at the Section 4 Indiana High School Speech & Debate Association Sectional, held at McCutcheon High School.

“My personal experience at sectionals was amazing. This was mainly because I was surrounded with such a supporting group of people. Although I was a little nervous before going into my first round, I knew that I was not alone and that the tension and nerves were mutual. All my friends would build each other up and when finals were released to see if you would qualify for state. Our coaches were right there with us. It was an emotional and rewarding experience all at once because we knew that our hard work had paid off,” junior Luna Tafolla said.

Coaches Joyce Pasel, Jessica Kranz, and Jon Raderstorf pose with their third-place sectional trophy. (Courtesy of Jessica Kranz)

Several students advanced to State. These include junior Luna Tafolla (2nd in POI & 3rd in Info), junior Celeste Gomez (4th in Info & 5th in Radio), junior Halle VanCuren (2nd in Info & 6th in Radio), sophomore Jasmine Zimmerman (3rd in Poetry), junior Jaden Chin Hong (3rd in International Extemp), senior Chandler Achey (6th in Discussion), junior Moo Paw (3rd in Discussion), and junior Myah Yax (6th in Drama), while freshman Aiden Snoeberger is the second alternate to State.

“State is March 12 and will be hosted at Fishers in Indianapolis. The team will be preparing by going to practices after school any day possible. We will also be attending All Saints and presenting one of our pieces in front of others, which I feel excited about. If you have any doubts on joining speech, I would recommend for you to at least try it out. You will definitely gain a family, confidence in public speaking, and communication which are all essential life skills,” Tafolla said.

Do You Need A Mattress?

The band/choir mattress sale fundraiser is up and running again. The fundraiser is available on Sunday, March 13 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Berry Bowl.

This fundraiser is for the music boosters, which help the choir, band, and dance team.

“The Music Boosters help the band, choir, and dance team with many things. A big one is helping students travel on various trips (Disney, New York, etc.). The mattress fundraiser is one of the ways they are able to do that,” assistant band director Krishanna Shilling said.

Twin size mattresses start from $269, full size from $349, queen size from $399, and king from $699. All sizes are available. All forms of payment are accepted.