Held over two evenings on Mar. 20 to Mar. 21 starting at 7 p.m. in the Lecture HallSpeech Follies provided a platform for students to exhibit their skills in various speech and debate categories.

The event kicked off with a variety of performances, each one brimming with creativity and passion. From Impromptu Speaking to Spontaneous arguments, the audience was treated to a diverse range of acts that kept them engaged throughout the evening.

In the Improvisational Duo’s performance, junior Austin La and junior Josh Lee portrayed a minimum wage worker giving birth on the Titanic, eliciting cries of laughter from the audience. The audience’s memories suggested everything from “a Temu warehouse,” “out in the sea,” “on the Titanic” and other creative ideas for the setting of the performance. 

“You’re really self-conscious about it at first; I’m going to embarrass myself and just go and do it,” said La, reflecting on the nerves that come with performing in front of an audience.

Afterwards, two audience members, sophomore Lucas Sun and middle schooler Bob Wang, were selected to perform their very own improvisational speech.  The performance was about a father and a son who are in a Roblox game and then travel in a plane, just to realize that no one was flying the plane the whole time.

Throughout the evening, students showcased their prowess in Spontaneous Argumentation (SPAR) debate. One particularly heated exchange saw junior Kylee Alexander and junior Avi Saxena arguing for the affirmation against Swarit Srivastava  junior Ryan Wu’s negation stance on the topic that “women should stay in the kitchen.” Both sides shouted out amusing points, receiving loud applause and cheers from the audience. 

The event also provided a platform for reflection and introspection, with junior Max Sun performing his State Qualifier piece on self-obsession prompting audience members to consider the impact of their actions on others.

In addition to the performances, Speech Follies served as an opportunity for students to bond and support one another. Alexander emphasized the importance of creating a supportive environment for novice performers.

“We were trying to make the novice [speakers] comfortable doing this; everyone is so nervous, and I just try to comfort them,” she said.

Speech and Debate Coach Ashley Novak expressed the reason behind the annual Speech Follies, “Speech Follies is always an opportunity for everyone to see the hard work of our Speech and Debate team on display.”

So, if you’re interested in speaking on a stage or enjoy watching speeches, maybe consider attending next year’s Speech Follies!