Highland Students perform at district large group speech in Montezuma. Not pictured: Rayne Foley and Zoey Robidoux, Addy Kleopfer and Taylor Forbes. Photo courtesy of Jayme Kallaus.

After earning a Division I rating at the district large group speech contest, eight Mid-Prairie speech groups and two Highland groups will be competing at the state contest in Cedar Rapids. 

Mid-Prairie groups that are making an appearance include the one-act play “And the Giants Fell,” “Small World” for readers theater, musical theater performances of “Something Rotten” and “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” and two ensemble acts and improv groups. Students involved are Jacob Carrillo, Liv Caskey, Isabel Forbes, Avery Frede, Harlie Gehling, Isadora Goode, Sam Harris, Sam Stacey, Ethan Bontrager, Chris Burnham, River Gehling, Gideon Sim, Kenadi Fay, Avery Slaubaugh, Haydon Bailey, Jack Greiner, Grace Puttmann, Diego Ayala and Alex Burnham. Mid-Prairie senior Avery Frede explains that they have some mixed emotions heading into the state contest, “I’d say there’s a little more pressure on us for state because like we say ‘State is where we go to get our hearts broken.’ But judges are a little more harsh at state but I’m super confident in our group and our ability to perform at our best. And I’m of course nervous for those judges but I’m also very excited to see how we do.”

Two radio broadcasting groups will be representing Highland, including Brendan Schnoebelen, Emma Nicola, Zoey Robidoux, Addy Kleopfer, Taylor Forbes, Allyana Pokorny, Emma Smith, Katy Smith and Rayne Foley. All groups will be performing at the southeast site at Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School.