12 I The Lovell Chronicle I January 12, 2012
ourn,
BY PATTI CARPENTER
Speech and debate
team coach Deb Fink
couldn't be more pleased
with how her students did
at the 41st Annual Trapper
Rendezvous Tournament
for high schools held on the
campus of Northwest Col-
lege in Powell Jan. 6-7. The
combined team includes
students from both Lovell
High School and Rocky
Mountain High School.
The highly competitive
meet in Powell attracted
Students from both Wyo-
ming and Montana and,
according to Fink, the
Montana students had a
"leg up" since their season
started weeks before the
season began in Wyoming.
It was the fifth meet for
most of the Montana stu-
dents, the second meet for
Wyoming students.
"I was really pleased,"
said Fink. "We did really
well with Montana being at
the end of their season and
this being only our second
meet. I think we did really
well."
Randy Carter and
Mesa Matthews made it to
the semi-finals with their
duet. The two performed
their version of the chil-
dren's book "The Magic
Well," by Herman Mann.
Their presentation lasted
around nine minutes.
"They (Montana) have
different rules than we
do," explained Matthews.
"We aren't allowed to have
both feet leave the ground
and they are allowed to
leap over people and jump
more. They can also sing
more than we can. So,
PATH CARPENTER
Speech and Debate team members Randy Carter, Mesa Matthews and Emily
and Elizabeth Birkholz performed well at a speech and debate tournament held
in Powell over the weekend.
judges who don't know the
rules might like their piece
better because they can do
more."
Carter and Matthews
expressed no regrets about
the Wyoming rules.
"We felt that we
shouldn't be judged on
singing," explained Cart-
er, who is an accomplished
singer. "This isn't a sing-
ing contest; it's a speaking
contest. It's not a contest
of who can sing over who
can't sing. It's about speak-
ing."
The Birkholz twins,
Emily and Elizabeth, also
made it to the semi-finals
with their performance of
a duet based on the Broad-
way play "Wicked,', which
is an adaptation from the
classic children's book "The
Wizard of Oz."
It's a humorous piece
set in a college atmosphere.
"Since we're twins, we
get along really well," said
Elizabeth. "We really flow.
Even the judges comment-
ed on it."
Emily also placed third
in the poetry competition
reading the poetry "For
Eli" and "See through"
written by human rights
activist Andrea Gibson.
"When I performed
these at our first meet,
they sounded kind of angry
and yelling," said Birkholz.
"I decided in this meet to
play the role in a different
way, more like a concerned
person reading to a kid."
Birkholz said she was
exhausted after several
readings of such an emo-
tional topic. Like others,
she performed her piece be-
fore a different set of judg-
es each time.
"If you don't present
something like this with
your whole heart and soul
it's going to come off as
phony," she explained. "So,
you do physically feel tired
afterward. My piece was
eight minutes and 45 sec-
onds. That's a long time to
be emotional like that."
Birkholz was surprised
when she made it to the
final round. She wasn't
expecting to do so well
against so many other good
pieces she saw performed
at the semi:final stage of
the competition.
"I was really surprised
because I saw so many good
pieces that were presented
in a way that was so taste-
ful and well-done," said
Birkholz, "I think every-
one on that stage deserved
to be there. The pieces that
took first and second place
where phenomenal."
Freshman Cole Moncur
made it to within one point
of semi-finals. This is Mon-
cur's first year on the team.
He used the words from
three songs about drug ad-
diction and the effect it has
on relationships in the po-
etry division.
"I knew it was a com-
petitive meet. I knew I had
to bring my end game,"
said Moncur.
Moncur performed his
piece, which lasted six min-
utes, for three rounds. Al-
though this is only his first
year in the program, he
feels it has been a valuable
experience so far.
"I don't think you'll find
many speech kids mum-
bling or being afraid to go
up in front of a class to
read a report or anything
like that," said Moncur. "I
think it helps in your ev-
eryday life to be part of
this."
The team will com-
pete at a meet in Worland
on Jan. 20-21. Fink thinks
this will be a less competi-
tive meet than the one in
Powell and expects to see
her students do well.
"The schools will all
be on the same level," ex-
plained Fink. "We will all
be on our third or fourth
meet and the rules will be
the same across the board
because it will only be Wy-
oming schools. It will be a
level playing field."
Fink hopes her stu-
dents will take away some-
thing from the experience
of being on the speech and
debate team that they can
use all of their lives.
"It's just starting here,"
said Fink. "They can go a
long way with what they
are learning here."
Please
recycle this
M
Call Stormy, 548-2217, to advertise your
business in our local business guide.
307-548-7205 or 307-431-6142
~ General Contractor ~
t ~ New Construction - Remodel - Repair ~
~ Sheds and Decks ,~
~ Free Estimates ~
~ ~ 30 + Years Experience ~ ,
Serving the Big Horn Basin for All Your Building Needs
t! i, X" '~i i ......
CONSTRUCTION
We can take your dream and turn it into reality.
Erik Smith = 307-899-1319
No job too big or too small
General Repairs
Heating • A/C
Plumbing
/ Water lines
J Septic systems
J Foundations
1785 Hwy 310, Lovell, WY 82431 / Demolition
J Canal/Drain cleaning
Brad Baxendale / Gravel & Dirt
307-272-8072 /Roadways
J Driveways
20 ton Track Excavator • Mini-Excavator • Loaders & Dump Trucks
Skidsteer loader. Motor Grader & Dozer
No job too small!
Fixed right and right away.
Carpentry, plumbing, minor concrete work, odd jobs.
Free estimates within Lovell. By the job or by the hour.
10% senior citizen discount.
Give me a call ... see if I can do it!
Now has apartments available for rent.
Rent is $240/month, gas and water furnished.
Call us to see if you are eligible. We also have
free washers and dryers for tenants.
Call Nick Lewis • 548-7586
Professional Trash Removal
/ Rural Service
,/Residential & Commercial Service
,/Industrial & Construction Containers
/ All-steel Containers
Home theater setup?
Noprobiem!CallBent°daY Home Teeh
Solutions
Structured Wiring Specialist
Home Theater, Telephone, Home Networks,
Distributed Audio, and Low Voltage Wiring
FREE ESTIMATES
Licensed & Insured
Ben Snyder, Owner
307-548-2332
307-272-6637 cell ~TU .I.~'~
hts.wyo@gmafl corn 1111 I
Convenience Store ° Cooper Tires ° Propane
Interstate Batteries • Complete Service Work
Gas • Diesel • Bulk Deliveries
Computer Spin Balanclng
Jim Minchow, Owner
L~] 3,, E ,ai...ove,, W, om,ng
Burgers, tries, &
.... ! Station 548-7211 • Food Court 548-7979
231 E. MAIN
LOVELL. tOY 82431
307-548-SWFT (7938)
SWIFT EFFICIENT SERVICE
PRINTING
Your hometown guy
Bruce Jolley
Car Counselor
307-548-7571
215 E Main, Lovell
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
Your locally owned & operated
community bank!
• ~ ..... y ~N~
N N:~-~cb, ef~e B~< ef B~idg~ NA
Mo. . YOUR
M e robe, YO U R B~¢'/k
179 E. 3rd • kovell, WY • 548-2213 ~.~
Debora Good
Agent
FoOmFe A2Jt gBO~rnI sn_SUorndan C?a N_ eHeadS
FINANCIAL SERVICES
INSURANCE
Greybull, eddy, Lovell, Powell, 22~rmpolis & Worland
8 East Main - PO Box 218
Lovell, WY 82431
Email: dgood@ bighornfederal.com
Phone: 307-548-7891
FAX: 307-548-6481
Toll Free: 800-927-7556
(Main Office m Cneybt~l, WY)
