Standing in front of a judge, Katie Parsons recited the entirety of “To Make the Loss of These Lives Matter,” a speech from Matthew McConaughey. As she spoke, the judge evaluated her presentation, vocal quality, performance, and professionalism. After repeating this process through multiple rounds against other students, the judges totaled the scores, and declared Parsons a winner.
Katie Parsons, a freshman at Revere High School (RHS), has been on the Speech and Debate team since sixth grade. In her eighth grade year, she won a State title in Declamation, and she has qualified for the state finals at the high school level this year. Parsons described when her passion for Speech and Debate began.
“I really became interested in fifth grade when I went to their summer camp. In sixth grade, I decided to start with Congress, but quickly realized it wasn’t for me. So in seventh grade, I switched over to declamation, which is where I am right now,” she said.
Declamation is a speech event that involves memorizing and performing a pre-existing speech, typically given by a notable celebrity or political figure. This event challenges students not only to memorize long speeches, but to convey the original meaning of the piece while adding emotion and authenticity.
Jodi Hetman, one of the Speech and Debate coaches at RHS, works with Parsons before rounds at tournaments. They review feedback Katie received at practice or previous tournaments and focus on the dramatic aspects of her performance, such as her inflections or gestures. Hetman explained how Parsons’ dedication and natural talent help her performances thrive, particularly in a category like declamation.
“The kids that do declamation have the challenge of memorizing that piece and delivering it in such a way that it becomes their own, [so] you should believe that they wrote it . . . With Katie, she always tends to pick pieces that mean something to her. That makes it super easy, because when she delivers the piece, we work on making sure that her emotions come through . . . And she’s a very natural speaker anyway, so her hand motions and body movement come naturally,“ Hetman said.
In Speech and Debate, hard work is rewarded. Parsons is a stellar example of this, as her consistent dedication and effort heighten her skills and allow her to thrive at tournaments. To prepare for and succeed at her event, Parsons performs the same ten minute speech multiple times at each practice and tournament, leading her to have performed the speech hundreds of times by the end of the season. Yet, each time, Parsons delivers the speech with fresh intention and energy. Hanna Bury, Parsons’ primary coach, emphasized Parsons’ dedication to achieving perfection.
“Katie in particular possesses a clear passion and drive for being the best in her category. I know that Katie spends hours outside of our weekly meetings practicing her speech and watching back recordings to improve. . . . Her dedication is unmatched at her grade level and she’s a pleasure to work with,” Bury said.
In order to achieve the best performance possible, practices between Parsons and Bury can become tedious and detail-oriented. Bury described how practices can differ depending on what Parsons needs to improve.
“Some days we’ll run her full 10 minute piece and I’ll provide feedback at the end, other days we may watch a recording of her speech and polish a gesture or work through her vocal tone on a particular line delivery. Each week it varies but ultimately our goal is to polish her presentation so that it feels authentic to her and scores well,” she said.
Parsons frequently competes against students multiple years older than her, and continuously manages to score well. She does not let the presence of more experienced competitors deter her, rather, it encourages her to commit to perfecting her performance—a quality that her coaches recognized as a large reason for her success this year.
Parsons’ involvement at RHS does not stop at Speech and Debate. She is also an active member of Revere Players and Marching Band, as well as the volleyball and track teams. While balancing extracurricular activities with schoolwork has proven challenging for Parsons, she emphasized the comfort she finds in Speech and Debate, despite the large time commitment.
“Everyone [in Speech and Debate] is a community and so welcoming and accepting of each other. It’s so positive, and it’s kind of an escape. It helps to de-stress in a way,” Parsons said.
Beyond time management, Parsons’ participation in Speech and Debate equips her with various other skills to use within her other extracurricular activities. Her enhanced speaking and presentation abilities help her thrive onstage with Revere Players, and her hard-working nature easily translates to athletic success.
Parsons joined eighteen other RHS students in competing at the State Finals on February 28 and March 1, and, following this year, plans to continue her hard work in Speech and Debate throughout high school.
