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Speech and Debate National Qualifiers

Feb 24, 2023 12:13PM ● By Ethan Hoffmann

(Left to Right) Jaqsyn Rudd, Bryan Hone and Bryson Hone chill in a hallway at Logan High School. Photo by Lisa Hone

Morgan High School members of Speech and Debate had the opportunity to attend National Qualifiers for the Utah Wasatch Division this month. The event was held on Saturday, Feb.11, at Logan High School. This competition is significant because the top two winners of the tournament go on to compete at nationals. 

It was an all day tournament that required a lot of commitment from the participants. Bryson Hone, a freshman at MHS, competed in Extemporaneous Speaking. For this event, the contestants are given three topics to choose from. After they have picked one, they have 30 minutes to write and memorize a seven minute speech. Once their speech is delivered to the audience, they receive their score. The final round consisted of all seniors, including Bryson. 

Bryan Hone, Bryson’s brother, is a junior at MHS known as “BJ” by his friends. He and Jaqsyn Rudd, a sophomore, competed in Duo Interpretation. According to ltisdschools.org, Duo Interpretation is a competition where “two competitors team up to deliver a 10 minute performance of a published play or story. Using on-stage focus, Duo Interpretation competitors convey emotion and environment through a variety of performance techniques focusing on the relationships and interactions between the characters.” 

BJ and Jaqsyn performed a skit titled “He Who Gets Slapped.” It is about a well respected gentleman whose life is stolen from him, so he joins the circus. Later, the man who stole his life begins searching for him and discovers that he has become a clown. He gets frustrated with the man, and the man admits that he was looking for the gentleman because he wanted to ensure that he would never come back and tell the truth. 

Lisa Hone, the mother of BJ and Bryson, happily posted on social media about her son’s achievements. “Both of my boys got third at National Qualifiers,” said Lisa. “This means they are both first alternates to go to nationals. That’s pretty amazing, especially since neither of them are seniors. I’m super proud of them for learning such a tough skill like public speaking!”


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