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Brian Anderson of LaRue County High School completed a successful defense of his extemporaneous speaking state title at this year’s Kentucky High School Speech League (KHSSL) State Championship. The tournament, held at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky, featured forty-four extempers, and Anderson emerged victorious by two ranks over Sue Cook of Danville High School. Anderson’s repeat is the first since Logan Scisco of Danville won consecutive state titles in 2003 and 2004. Anderson’s win also gives him possession of both of the state’s extemp titles (The Kentucky Educational Speech and Drama Association hosts the state’s other state tournament) for the second straight year. Jared Thomas of Harrison County High School, who finished second to Anderson at last year’s state tournament, placed third.
Four of the finalists at this year’s KHSSL State Championship earned an automatic bid to the 2014 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University by making the tournament’s final round. They are indicated in italics in the results listing.
Here are the results of the 2014 Kentucky High School Speech League State Championship (Click here for results)
Prior to the First World War in 1914, Argentina’s economy was considered one of the top ten in the world. Following the war, which disrupted the country’s economic advantages in trade, the country has experienced political upheaval, corruption, and pursued poor economic policies that have eroded what was once a beacon of wealth in Latin America. In 2002, the nation experienced the largest sovereign debt default in history and twelve years later some economists are fearing that it is heading down the same road. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who took power in 2007, has enacted populist economic reforms while attempting to consolidate her rule. However, these policies have eroded foreign investment, sparked high inflation, and are now beginning to create political unrest that threatens her hold on power. Extempers who read our brief earlier this season on Venezuela’s municipal elections will find some similarities between its economy and Argentina and this brief should be a useful tool for extempers that have to talk about the Argentinean economy or the rise and fall of populist and leftist policies in Latin America.
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Texas hosted the largest of the state tournaments held last weekend as more than one hundred extempers competed in International and United States Extemp at the 2014 Texas Forensic Association (TFA) State Tournament. Despite the large field, Plano Senior High School won both categories. In International Extemp, Abhinav Sridharan won by four ranks over Azhar Hussain of Southlake Carroll Senior High School. Sridharan becomes the first Plano Senior extemper to win International Extemp since 1989. Gregory Ross of Lamar High School (Houston) took third.
South Dakota is a state that splits its extemporaneous speaking categories and its state tournament also divides schools into two classes by size: Class A and Class AA. At this year’s South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) State Tournament in Class A Vermillion High School swept both extemporaneous speaking categories. Robert Erikson ended Milbank High School’s two-year winning in International Extemp, defeating Morgan Jones of Milbank. In United States Extemp, Seth Miller gave Vermillion its third championship in the event in the last six years when he won the title over teammate Joe Miller.
Henry W. Grady High School continued its streak of state championships at this year’s Georgia Forensic Coaches Association (GFCA) State Tournament. Ben Simonds-Malamud gave Henry W. Grady its third consecutive extemp state championship, winning the title by two ranks over teammate Max Rabb. Simonds-Malamud’s title win follows Grady alumni Isabelle Taft’s state wins, which took place in 2012 and 2013. Henry W. Grady placed five of the seven extempers in the final round and took the top four spots in the tournament.
Des Moines Roosevelt High School continued its recent domination of the Iowa extemp ranks at this year’s Iowa High School Forensic League (IHSFL) All-Iowa Finals. Lily Nellans of Roosevelt finished up a perfect extemporaneous speaking career at the state tournament, winning her fourth extemp state championship in as many appearances. Nellans won the International Extemp category this year with straight 1’s through the entire tournament and finals, winning by six ranks over Max Fenton of Dowling Catholic High School. Nellans won International Extemp in 2011 and had won the last two state championships in United States Extemp before this season. Her victory is the eighth consecutive International Extemp state championship for Roosevelt.
The New Jersey Forensic League (NJFL) held its state tournament last weekend at the College of New Jersey in Ewing Township, New Jersey. In International Extemp, Vaikunth Balaji of Ridge High School defeated Princeton champion Cristine Oh of Montville Township High School by three ranks. Balaji’s teammate Sejal Waghray finished in third place. Balaji’s victory marks the first time that Ridge has won the International Extemp category since 2010 and Ridge placed three extempers in the final round.