88th state speech tournament this weekend in Boardman, Canfield

BOARDMAN

About 900 students from across Ohio bring their dramatic, humorous and interpretive talents and their debate and persuasive skills to the Mahoning Valley this weekend.

The 88th Ohio High School Speech League State Tournament runs through today at Boardman and Canfield high schools. Competition began Friday.

Speech team members compete in 13 categories from Lincoln-Douglas and policy debate to humorous, dramatic, duo and oratorical interpretation.

Kaj Beeler, a Niles McKinley High School senior, competes in Dramatic Interpretation, where contestants take a dramatic play, book or story and develop and shorten it into a piece for the competition.

Kaj’s piece is called “Fire Dance,” by David Shaffer, and it’s about a drag queen who learns to dance with fire.

He’s been in speech all four years of high school but started in Humorous Interpretation as a freshman.

He switched to drama as a sophomore because, “Honestly, I was terrible at Humorous Interpretation,” he said.

His advancing to the state tournament, though, indicates he’s found his niche.

Read more about the competitors and the competition in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.