ALL-STATE SPEAKERS

HARLAN – Harlan Community High School’s Parker Jones and Andrew Shelton have been nominated by their judges at State Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) contest as Outstanding Performers in Group Improvisation, and they will perform at the all-state speech festival this weekend.
    Speech Director Lisa Hagemeier said the duo’s accomplishment highlighted a state competition that saw HCHS participants perform extremely well Saturday, Feb. 3 at Waukee High School.
    “This honor is not easily earned,” Hagemeier said.  “This duo started practicing together for the first time in September and just has the right combination of quick wit, acting and clever thinking to perform well.  This is Andrew’s second year of qualifying for all-state, back-to-back nominations which is an incredible accomplishment.”
    The two will compete in Ames Saturday, Feb. 17 at Iowa State University.  Their performance at the state competition earned straight Division I ratings.
    Also performing at state February 3 were two other groups.  The one-act play “Complaint Department” with Tim Mumm, Caitlin Bissen and Katelyn Kluver earned a combination Division I rating.  The short film “Broken” with Jayden Swanson and Amelia Juhl earned a straight Division I rating.
    The students had to perform for three state judges who determined their score.