As Flathead High School enters its 100th year of speech and debate, 34 middle school hopefuls learned the fundamentals in a summer camp this week hosted by the school.

Kyla Niva, middle school speech and debate camp director and assistant interpretive coach for Flathead High School, said the camp, in its second year, gives great exposure to speech and debate events. 

An added benefit is recruiting future Flathead competitors.

“We see some really awesome talent over the summer,” Niva said.

This year participants came from Kalispell Middle School, Fair-Mont-Egan, Somers and St. Matthew’s.

“We have a lot of returners this year who came as seventh-graders and came back as eighth-graders,” Niva said.

Campers were split up into mini-teams led by 22 counselors — veteran high school speech and debate competitors.

Over four days, participants attended workshops to learn new skills in debate, interpretation, memorized and short-prep events that culminated in a competition and showcase for family.  

Participants were busy writing, memorizing, rehearsing and preparing speeches in their selected events on Wednesday at the high school.

Annemarie Jones, 14, is a repeat camper and said she can’t wait to join the team as a freshman next year.

“I do love acting a lot, so I think that has something to do with it,” Jones said.

At this camp she was working on an Original Oratory speech on the topic “fast forward families” about the family dynamic in relation to stress and togetherness. 

“It gave an issue in society that we could try to fix and I thought it’d be fun to do my own speech,” Jones said. “So, in a way, it’s like doing a monologue.”

As Jones edited her speech, 12-year-old Finney Manchala stood up to rehearse his Humorous Oral Interpretation piece, “Confessions of a Teenage Rat.”

Manchala began speaking and then paused to remember his lines. Counselor Jackson Davey, 17, helped him out. Manchala got back into character. He paused again. Davey asked if he wanted to continue.

“I think I can keep going to keep going,” Manchala said and finished with a sigh of relief and a smile. Then he sat next to Davey.

“You had most of it. Keep working. Take a little chunk at a time. Remember what we talked about yesterday — it’s broken up by beats. This is one thought,” Davey said, pointing to a chunk of text. “This is another thought. Break them up, memorize them and put them all together.”

Davey said it’s not so much about memorization but instead helping campers learn how to set up, interpret and personalize a piece with confidence. 

Outside, counselor Parker Kouns, 16, sat across a table from his brother Riley, 13. 

Riley Kouns was practicing a duo piece with Edgar Hall, 13. Their piece involves  Bill Clinton and a gang member running for president.  

Riley Kouns has worked on fine-tuning his Bill Clinton accent.

“It’s just getting an exhausted [sounding] voice from Arkansas,” Riley Kouns said. 

He then gave an example by saying “biiill” in a drawn-out Southern drawl.

Riley Kouns joked about his plans to join the high school speech and debate team purely out of sibling rivalry.

“I am going to surpass him in every way,” Riley Kouns said.

Camper Tannis Hadwin stood up to practice his Humorous Oral Interpretation, a piece about a Dolly Parton look-alike contest.

Cupping his chest, Hadwin’s voice transforms into a lilted, more feminine tone.

“My worst fear has always been speaking in front of people but for some reason knowing that I was hidden behind the wig, and the costume, the water balloons ...,” Hadwin said before breaking character and giggling.

Hadwin forced out a few more lines before giving way to more laughter. His small audience returned the gesture.

One of the counselors told him to “keep it together.”

Cupping his chest with even greater emphasis — his voice trembling on the edge of laughter — Hadwin made it to his last line, but forgot it.

“So close,” Hadwin said.

Summer camp just wouldn’t be complete without fun and laughter.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.