Decorah High School students participated in the Northeast State Large Group Speech Contest at Decorah High School on February 8. Judges at the state contest selected 17 of Decorah High School performances as outstanding, breaking the school record. These 17 All-State Speech nominations are an invitation to participate in the All-State Speech Festival, February 22 at Iowa State University, which will include performances by the best speech students from across the state of Iowa. 

Twelve of the Decorah High School groups nominated will perform at the festival. More information about the festival, including a schedule, can be found at https://www.ihssa.org/contests/large-group/all-state/.

Being designated a non-performing group at All-State is as special of an honor as performing; however, scheduling limitations prevent all nominees from performing.

DHS speech students are coached by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, Carrie Kauffman, Lyra McKnight, Kristen Underwood, and Johanna Bergan.

The directors remarked, “We are elated with these results as our students keep raising the bar year after year. We are so excited to have our students and program be recognized at the All-State Festival. As coaches, it means the world to us to create art with such talented, professional, and passionate young artists. The nominations are just the cherry on top of a great year. We look forward to celebrating all of our nominees at the festival in two weeks.”

DHS speech groups nominated as an All-State Honoree include a choral reading, three ensemble actings, two group improvs, three solo mimes, two musical theatres, three radio broadcastings, a readers theatre, a one-act play, and one television newscasting.

Cast lists for those groups performing are as follows:

Choral Reading “Welcome to High School: Emotional Warfare:” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Johanna Bergan.

Participants include Natalie Goodner, Tommy Hammel, Camryn Holland, Klaara Short, Klara Kelly, Ezra Harman-Wood, Ava Hanson, Jillian Volz, Jayden Lundtvedt, Emma Cline, Olivia Rissman, and Margaret Hahn.

Ensemble Acting “How to Get Away with a Murder Mystery” was directed by Lyra McKnight.

Participants include Karmyn Bakken, Elliana Brodbeck, Klaara Short, Shawn Holzer, Alex Mercado-Arneson, and Ryan Northup. (Non-performing)

Ensemble Acting “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” was directed by Kristen Underwood.

Participants include Elsa Christman, Nora Lesmeister, Isis Timm, Kaylie Wemark, and Margaret Hahn. (Non-performing)

Ensemble Acting “These Shining Lives” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Kristen Underwood. 

Participants include Teagan Menke, Noah Potvin, Vivian Searcy, Grace Stockman, Olivia Volkmann, and Jillian Volz.

Group Improv was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Kristen Underwood. 

Varsity: Oliver Brummel, Liam Chamberlain, Jack Sovern, Beau Newhouse, and Ansel Kowitz

9th Grade: Isaac Bentley, Brody Darling, and Raelyn Newhouse

Solo Mime “Flight Frenzy” by Clarence Nimrod – directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman.

Solo Mime “Miss Adventurefuls” by Margret Zook – directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman.

Solo Mime “The Red Shoes” by Vivian Searcy – directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman. (Non-performing)

Musical Theatre “Once” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman.

Participants include Liam Chamberlain, Gwenyth Thompson, Mikayla Hiner, Jameson LaBelle, Caleb Johnson, Ezra Vorvick, Emma Cline, and Colin Thompson.

Musical Theatre “Something Rotten” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman.

Participants include Oliver Brummel, Spencer Christensen, Davis Coppola, Greta Jones, Andy Kruger, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Elsa Christman, and Kealy Hines. (Non-performing)

Radio Broadcasting “KREK” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Karmyn Bakken, Evynne Downing, Camryn Holland, Leah Suhr, Sam Cline, Lyla Lovstuen, Lulu Bellrichard, and Evan Madsen.

Radio Broadcasting “KMCD” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Asmere Jensen, Mason Myers, Jerald Thompson, Addison Wicklund, Gavy Smith, Stella Pole, Deborah Hougen, and Oskar Swanson.

Radio Broadcasting “KORN” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Grant Zilka, Ezra Harman-Wood, Lily Sandhorst, Eden Scheidel, Kamryn Steines, Kyan Oftedahl, Carter Riley, and Claire Storhoff.

Readers Theatre “The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Hannah Arendt, Davis Coppola, Annika Keefe, Ansel Kowitz, Andy Kruger, McKenzie Riley, Margret Zook, Grace Blikre, Mikayla Hiner, Jameson LaBelle, Nora Lesmeister, Kaylie Wemark, Lulu Bellrichard, Gwenyth Thompson, and Sawyer Courtney.

One Act Play “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” was directed by Kristen Underwood.

Participants include Hannah Arendt, Elliana Brodbeck, McKenzie Riley, Ezra Vorvick, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Caleb Johnson, Noah Potvin, Elsa Johnson, Greta Jones, Grace Blikre, and Lily Sandhorst.

Television Newscasting “Iowa Cold Case: Decoding a Murder” was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and assistant coach Braunwyn Darrington.

Participants include Elliot Berland, Ava Hanson, Kaelyn Kuhn, Naomi Kutz, Myla Leitz, Landyn Hook, Jack Sovern, Kamryn Steines, Carter Riley, Lawrence Christman, Nina Sessions, Claire Storhoff, Spencer Christensen, Sam Cline, and Lauren Severtson. (Non-performing)

“Once” Musical Theatre

Front Row: Emma Cline, Gwenyth Thompson, Mikayla Hiner, Caleb JohnsonBack Row: Jameson LaBelle, Colin Thompson, Liam Chamberlain, Ezra Vorvick

One Act Play “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)”

Front Row: Elliana Brodbeck, Lily Sandhorst, Hannah Arendt, McKenzie Riley, Greta Jones, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Kristen Underwood (Director/Coach)Back Row: Noah Potvin, Ezra Vorvick, Caleb Johnson, Grace Blikre, Elsa Johnson