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PITTSBURG —
Taylor Cronister, left, Pittsburg High School junior, and Gabrielle Murnan, PHS senior, have qualified to participate in the National Speech and Debate Tournament, a high school forensics competition hosted by the National Forensics League.
Competitors qualify by placing in top spots at district tournaments. The 2012 national tournament will be held June 10-15 at Indianapolis, Ind.
This will be Murnan’s third time at nationals.
“My first year, 2010, I went to Kansas City, Mo., and last year it was in Dallas,” she said. “I got to see the grassy knoll and the John F. Kennedy assassination museum at Dealey Plaza.”
She will compete in the category of original oration, which requires her to come up with a 10-minute persuasive speech.
“It sets up a problem and offers a solution,” Murnan said. “My theme this year is apathy.”
She lines out the causes of apathy as laziness, peer and/or parental pressure and fear.
“My solution is pretty straight forward,” Murnan said. “Stand up for what you believe or stand up for someone who can’t stand up for himself. Don’t let your compassion for another human being be overrun with fear.”
This may be her third year to qualify, but she said that the thrill has not worn off.
“I love the competition of it,” Murnan said. “When you find out that you’ve qualified, it’s very rewarding. You feel your hard work has paid off.”
Cronister will be competing in U.S. extemporaneous oration.
“You can do U.S. or foreign extemp,” he said. “I always do U.S. because I’m not really interested in foreign affairs, but so much of what goes on does affect us locally.”
He said that competitors draw a question, prepare for 30 minutes and then deliver a seven-minute speech.
“It can be about anything going on in the United States,” Cronister said.
Murnan plans to attend the University of Kansas in the fall. Cronister has one more year at PHS, but is already considering a possible career path and colleges.
“I’ll be looking into aeronautical engineering,” he said.
Cronister said that it started as a joke. When a middle school teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he decided to come up with something that sounded really difficult.
“When I said ‘aeronautical engineering’, I saw her jaw drop,” he said. “Then I started looking into it in my freshman and sophomore years, and the whole concept of it fascinates me. Now I’m looking at physics classes and colleges. I’ve heard that Oklahoma City University has a good program.”
Cronister also plans to continue in forensics during his senior year and notes that he has one more shot at qualifying for nationals again.
Taylor Cronister, left, Pittsburg High School junior, and Gabrielle Murnan, PHS senior, have qualified to participate in the National Speech and Debate Tournament, a high school forensics competition hosted by the National Forensics League.
Competitors qualify by placing in top spots at district tournaments. The 2012 national tournament will be held June 10-15 at Indianapolis, Ind.
This will be Murnan’s third time at nationals.
“My first year, 2010, I went to Kansas City, Mo., and last year it was in Dallas,” she said. “I got to see the grassy knoll and the John F. Kennedy assassination museum at Dealey Plaza.”
She will compete in the category of original oration, which requires her to come up with a 10-minute persuasive speech.
“It sets up a problem and offers a solution,” Murnan said. “My theme this year is apathy.”
She lines out the causes of apathy as laziness, peer and/or parental pressure and fear.
“My solution is pretty straight forward,” Murnan said. “Stand up for what you believe or stand up for someone who can’t stand up for himself. Don’t let your compassion for another human being be overrun with fear.”
This may be her third year to qualify, but she said that the thrill has not worn off.
“I love the competition of it,” Murnan said. “When you find out that you’ve qualified, it’s very rewarding. You feel your hard work has paid off.”
Cronister will be competing in U.S. extemporaneous oration.
“You can do U.S. or foreign extemp,” he said. “I always do U.S. because I’m not really interested in foreign affairs, but so much of what goes on does affect us locally.”
He said that competitors draw a question, prepare for 30 minutes and then deliver a seven-minute speech.
“It can be about anything going on in the United States,” Cronister said.
Murnan plans to attend the University of Kansas in the fall. Cronister has one more year at PHS, but is already considering a possible career path and colleges.
“I’ll be looking into aeronautical engineering,” he said.
Cronister said that it started as a joke. When a middle school teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he decided to come up with something that sounded really difficult.
“When I said ‘aeronautical engineering’, I saw her jaw drop,” he said. “Then I started looking into it in my freshman and sophomore years, and the whole concept of it fascinates me. Now I’m looking at physics classes and colleges. I’ve heard that Oklahoma City University has a good program.”
Cronister also plans to continue in forensics during his senior year and notes that he has one more shot at qualifying for nationals again.
