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She Has a Way with Words

  • Sean Tellvik | Reporter |
  • May 27, 2016
  • 3 min read

If you haven’t heard of Wendy Roman by now, it must be your first day at Century High School. A sincere welcome from the JagWire staff, including Wendy herself.

For those of you who don’t know her, senior Wendy Roman is the captain of the Speech and Debate team and the first Nationals qualifier that Century has seen for three years.

“Sometimes I still think it was a giant prank, and I’m still waiting for someone to come to my house and take my plaque,” she said.

Roman has been on the Speech team for three years now and this year she had the opportunity to go the Nationals Qualifying Tournament at Clackamas Community College on March 18th and 19th.

“It’s one of the most intense competitions,” she explained. “Everyone there thinks they’re the best of the best.” Currently, Roman is ranked eight in the country for poetry. That means one of Century’s own is ranked among the best of the best.

“We’re thrilled. She totally deserves it,” commented Ms. Gerst, Century’s Speech and Debate coach.

Most people think Nationals is connected to the State Tournament, like in sports, but in Speech and Debate it is only the National Qualifying Tournament that determines who goes. However, Roman did go to State as well for her poetry, along with sophomore Keenan Myers for Student Congress.

At Nationals, Roman will be tackling more than just poetry. Out of the many Century students who have made it to Nationals since the team was formed, she is the first to be doing what is called Program Oral Interpretation. Each member doing POI is required to use two out of three categories: poetry, prose, and dramatic scenes.

The theme for Roman’s POI is called “How Terrible It Is to Love Something Death Can Touch,” and is centered around miscarriages. For her POI, Roman is going to do a poem about a couple feeling mocked about their miscarriage, a prose piece about the aftermath of miscarriage, and another poem about a mother trying to overcome the trauma of losing a child after the couple gets a divorce. It is a ten minute event with one-and-a-half minute memorized transitions, which is no easy feat. But Roman is up for the challenge.

Nationals are taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah this year, where Roman and Ms. Gerst will be staying for five days in June. Beginning with a 6 AM flight on June 12th after having just graduated, Roman’s Nationals experience is sure to be a memorable one.

The actual tournament begins at 8 AM on June 13th, and oral interpretations alone get the entire Mount Jordan Middle School to themselves. Other categories get other buildings. “It’s that intense,” Roman said.

On the Thursday when they’re at Nationals, Ms. Gerst will be recognized for all the hard work she’s put into the program as well. Ms. Gerst has been coaching for twenty years at Century and has sent twelve kids to Nationals over the years. At National Qualifications, Century’s Speech and Debate program was recognized for its growth and participation and Ms. Gerst recieved a big plaque for it.

The award Ms. Gerst will be reciving at Nationals is to recognize all the hard work she’s put into coaching the team and for having national-qualifying members. All coaches work under the National Speech and Debate Association and the highest awards are called diamonds. This will be Ms. Gerst’s third diamond to date.

“It’s like we’re getting awarded together,” Ms. Gerst said, being able to see both her and Roman’s hard work recognized at such a big event. She also expressed her gratitude in the experience and her pride in Roman, stating, “It’s just nice going to Nationals. Wendy brought it home for us, so I’m going back!”

Wendy showed her appreciation in the people who made this experience happen, too. “My mom is my biggest fan. She’s the one who drove me at six in the morning to Clackamas. Also, I’d like to thank my team. They made me a better person.”

While most of the Class of 2016 will be sleeping in from a late grad party, Roman will be on her way to test her mettle against this country’s best student speakers. “[Qualifying for Nationals] validated all the hard work I’ve put into this program and enforced the fact that Ms. Gerst is such an incredible coach… Without her, none of this would be possible.”

Photo Credit: June Gerst

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