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Practice makes for perfection for Hall
LAUREL – Kennedy Hall has put in so much speech practice, her coach can nearly recite her persuasive speech by memory herself.
“She practices and practices some more,” said Jennifer Kesting, Laurel- Concord-Coleridge speech coach. “We have worked really hard on having her look and sound conversational and this year she really blossomed as a confident speaker.”
Hall, a senior, estimates about 150 hours of practice each speech season which has led her to the state stage all four years of her high school career. Once again but for the last time, she will be competing at the NSAA State Speech Championships March 27-28 in Kearney.
Her success in qualifying for state competition is well-earned, Kesting said.
“Kennedy puts in the work. She does intense research on her topics, whether it be informative or persuade and she picks topics that she was either intrigued by or affected by,” Kesting said. “Another thing that makes her so successful at speech is her willingness to try new events. She performed in an OID one time last year to fill in for a missing teammate and now she is state bound in that event.”
Hall also incorporates judge comments and coach recommendations, perfecting her speech and craft throughout the season, Kesting said.
Over the last four years, she’s participated in informative speaking, persuasive speaking, extemporaneous speaking and oral interpretation of drama (OID) categories, covering topics from being left-handed to the history of the world.
This year’s OID is her favorite from over the years due to performing it with her best friends. Apart from time with her friends, she also enjoys writing her speeches.
Hall has yet to earn a medal (by placing sixth or better) but that is certainly her goal as she closes out on her last high school state speech experience.
Win or lose, she hopes to just soak in the experience one last time.
“The state speech competition is completely different than a normal meet,” she said. “Everyone is full of energy, and it is super busy with people everywhere.”
Hall said she’s grateful for her family and coaches for their support all four years in speech.
“It has been an adventure,” Kesting said. “Kennedy has a big personality, and I am never quite sure what she is going to do or say and that has kept me on my toes.”
The skills Hall’s learned by participating in speech have served her well in her classwork and other activities at LCC, and will continue to serve her in the future, Kesting said.
Hall plans to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln this fall to study communication sciences and disorders and then pursue a career as a speech pathologist in a rural Nebraska community.
