WMU students personalize speech performances

WINFIELD — Winfield Mt. Union High School speech team earns three Division I ratings at state contest and send one on to All-State.

Isabel Kann (Expository Address), Brynn Pogmore (Poetry), and Alli Humphreys (Radio Broadcasting) put a lot of themselves into their performances which produces their high ratings.

Humphreys, a senior, will take her radio broadcasting talent onto the Iowa High School Speech Association’s Individual Event All-State Festival, Monday, March 27.

“Growing up I have always had a passion for public speaking and have incorporated my skills through various organizations such as 4-H, National Honor Society, Student Council, etc.,” Humphreys said. “I come from a family who is related to the radio world as my father owns a sound and lighting business where he has emceed weddings and other various school events.”

“My brother worked at KILJ radio throughout high school and attended the All State Speech Festival last year for Radio News Announcing as well,” she added. “After enjoying and doing well in Radio News Announcing last year, it was an easy decision for me to participate in it again this year.”

“Throughout this event, I am given a packet 30 minutes prior to my performance time to pick and choose news stories to incorporate throughout my broadcast,” Humphreys said. “I am required to have my own intro and outro prepared for the broadcast and must incorporate the commercial I am given in the packet.”

Humphreys explained that a radio broadcast performance must last between a strict four to five minutes.

“At a random time throughout the broadcast I am given a breaking news story that I must incorporate as well,” she elaborated.

Humphreys finds tone and voice quality essential for a successful radio broadcast.

“It is hard for the judges and audience to stay engaged in listening to your broadcast if they cannot hear you, or are not intrigued by your voice,” she said. “Throughout the broadcast, it is important to keep your vocal energy going. Of course, you want to make sure your vocal tone matches the tone of each news story you are telling as well.”

While Humphreys does not anticipate pursuing a career in radio broadcasting as she looks to the next chapter of her life as a Kinesiology major at Iowa State, she finds that the speech experience will help her as she moves forward.

“Throughout my years on the WMU Speech team, I have obtained communication and public speaking skills that I will use for the rest of my life,” Humphreys said. “I have had many opportunities open up for me since joining the speech team freshman year and it is an activity I will be thankful I participated in for the rest of my life.”

Humphreys’ teammates Kann and Pogmore did not receive All-State nominations, but they did connect with their performances on an intimate level much like Humphreys.

Brynn Pogmore, Speech Coach Lindsey Pogmore’s daughter, performed poetry she wrote herself.

Kann, another WMU senior, performed an expository address about how planes fly.

She used this informational speech category as an opportunity to further explore and explain a topic which she is passionate about.

“I explained how the four forces acting on an airplane in flight could be balanced out to allow the plane to become airborne,” Kann said. “I'm a student pilot right now, so I was already well-informed and had resources. It's also one of my interests, so it was a lot of fun to do!”

She used knowledge gained from flight training along with other resources to write a research paper which she then cut down to fit the time restraints of her category and added visual adds to create her speech.

“I had to choose the best display for a visual, I chose poster boards, and images that were simple, but helped to put my points across,” Kann said. “I wanted my speech and visuals to be simple and understandable, especially with a complex topic.”

While this may be Kann’s last year in speech, it certainly won’t be her last year pursuing her passion for the sky.

“Isabel is planning to go to South Dakota State majoring in Aviation and Aerospace Engineering,” Speech Coach Lindsey Pogmore said.

“I'm hoping to get the rest of my aviation licenses and become a Certified Flight Instructor,” Kann added.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com