Students wearing ties and suits fill the gym, some with theatrical props and formations, some standing still with serious facial expressions, all practicing their speeches to their peers, advisors, and the walls.

For ten hours, these students are giving their speeches to judges and hoping that they performed well enough in their first three rounds to qualify for the final rounds.

“You’re not just sitting around for 10 hours,” junior Catherine Augustyn said. “You’re talking with your friends, with other competitors, meeting new people, getting to perform, and it doesn’t feel like 10 hours.”

Out of the many competitions this season, one was hosted at Bellevue West. In order to prepare to host the competition, students had to help set up the school, solve any problems that came up, as well as help the guests coming from other schools.

“We get to interact with competitors from the other schools,” Augustyn said. “Instead of competing against them, we get to talk to them as friends.”

The coaches hosting the competitions also put in a lot of work. Becca Hier has been coaching speech for 22 years.

Hier said that there is a lot of communication that needs to be done in order to host a successful competition. She makes sure that the essential things are done, like the building being reserved, making sure there are concessions, setting up the classrooms that are being used, and letting other schools know what they need to do when they arrive.

“We like to provide a space that allows kids to have their voices heard, which we do when we host,” Hier said.

Hier’s students confirm that she has succeeded in her goal of creating a safe and expressive space.

“You have an opportunity to try something new and voice your opinions freely without having to be worried about people judging you for being too loud or being too energetic, because that is welcomed here,” Augustyn said.