February 20, 2010
Tayshawn Layton and Deborah Allen-Carr turned in a strong performance at the New York State Regional Qualifier and earned themselves a qualification for the State Championships, coming up in April.
Tayshawn and Deborah have already had a strong season, including a semifinal finish at the big-time Villiger tournament, but the goal of a state qualification had eluded them until now. The Regional tournament is an odd duck - three preliminary rounds, no final round and multiple judges in each round. The main goal of the tournament is to qualify deserving students for states and it's the only competition of the year to offer full qualifications for the State tournament.
Deborah and Tay took full advantage of this. Competing as a team in Duo Interpretation, they streaked through the tournament and were never ranked lower than 3rd - finishing in a tie for second place and leaving as state qualifiers.
Their teammates Norberto Troncoso, Sahirah Johnson, and Marissa Charlemagne also put in strong showings that showed clear progress in their work throughout the season, but they did not finish high enough to receive a qualification. They will have one more shot at achieving this goal at the so-called "last chance" tournament in March.
Deborah and Tayshawn's qualification puts the 09-10 Bronx Prep Speech Team over the top of the pace set by last year's squad. While the 08-09 team saw a semifinal and 2nd place finish at the State Championship, this year's squad has the potential to do even more damage. Chris Moncrief is qualified in Original Oratory, and now two Duo teams, Keegon Robinson and Tiffany McLarty and Deborah and Tayshawn, will be competing to be crowned New York States best.
Will more competitors at states lead to more hardware for the squad? Will the coveted New York State Championship plaque return to Bronx Prep after a nearly two-year hiatus? You'll find out right here, come April.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Disappointment Delivered Down in the Dirty Dirty
February 1, 2010 - Atlanta, GA
The Bronx Prep speech team flew to Atlanta, Georgia for the toughest speech tournament of the year, the Barkeley Forum Invitational. But despite the strong showing the team posted last year (Chris Moncrief finished in 2nd place in Original Oratory in '09), the team left Atlanta without hardware this time around.
Made up of veteran competitors, this year's Barkeley Forum squad of Tayshawn Layton, Deborah Allen-Carr, Chris Moncrief, Keegon Robinson and Tiffany McLarty seemed well-positioned to make a run for finals at this tournament, but it's just not always in the cards in high school forensics. While Keegon and Tiffany did reach the quafterfinals in the Duo category, Tayshawn, Deborah and Chris were all held just short of glory and couldn't quite get out of the preliminary rounds.
This blogger was in attendance as Keegon and Tiff performed to a raucous crowd in the quarterfinal and the ranks from the judges (including a 4th and 5th place decision) were surprising to say the least. I have to agree with the third judge, who ranked them first, and stated on the ballot, "If you two don't reach finals, I quit!"
And so, the team looked on as audience members as a full day of final rounds were presented on the beautiful campus of Emory University. The presentations were impressive, but it was clear that any of the Bronx Prep entries could have held their own on that stage. So... what happened? Is the south just not ready for a badass piece from the Bronx? Is a national representation needed to advance at this tournament? Do aspects of these pieces not jive with judges from other regions of the country? These are questions that a head coach of a forensics program may be asking him or herself when dealing with a surprising response to a great performance.
Every season has its setbacks and it's the teams that bounce back and find answers to questions like those listed above that separate the great programs from the good ones. We'll find out which type of team we've got here at Bronx Prep as the postseason approaches...
The Bronx Prep speech team flew to Atlanta, Georgia for the toughest speech tournament of the year, the Barkeley Forum Invitational. But despite the strong showing the team posted last year (Chris Moncrief finished in 2nd place in Original Oratory in '09), the team left Atlanta without hardware this time around.
Made up of veteran competitors, this year's Barkeley Forum squad of Tayshawn Layton, Deborah Allen-Carr, Chris Moncrief, Keegon Robinson and Tiffany McLarty seemed well-positioned to make a run for finals at this tournament, but it's just not always in the cards in high school forensics. While Keegon and Tiffany did reach the quafterfinals in the Duo category, Tayshawn, Deborah and Chris were all held just short of glory and couldn't quite get out of the preliminary rounds.
This blogger was in attendance as Keegon and Tiff performed to a raucous crowd in the quarterfinal and the ranks from the judges (including a 4th and 5th place decision) were surprising to say the least. I have to agree with the third judge, who ranked them first, and stated on the ballot, "If you two don't reach finals, I quit!"
And so, the team looked on as audience members as a full day of final rounds were presented on the beautiful campus of Emory University. The presentations were impressive, but it was clear that any of the Bronx Prep entries could have held their own on that stage. So... what happened? Is the south just not ready for a badass piece from the Bronx? Is a national representation needed to advance at this tournament? Do aspects of these pieces not jive with judges from other regions of the country? These are questions that a head coach of a forensics program may be asking him or herself when dealing with a surprising response to a great performance.
Every season has its setbacks and it's the teams that bounce back and find answers to questions like those listed above that separate the great programs from the good ones. We'll find out which type of team we've got here at Bronx Prep as the postseason approaches...
The Shipment Arrives Uptown
January 24, 2010 - Upper West Side, New York City
Bronx Prep's newest powerhouse Duo team continued to flex its muscles at a national tournament held locally, at Columbia University. The team of Keegon Robinson and Tiffany McLarty continued their hot streak by reaching the finals for the third tournament in a row and finishing in 4th place.
The Invitational Tournament at Columbia drew strong competition from schools throughout the northeast, so Keegon and Tiffany's success is more impressive than their 1st and 2nd place finishes in the last few weeks. Their finish proves their standing on the national level as they wowed audiences and judges alike from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and throughout New England.
Tiff and Keegon were nearly joined by Deborah Allen-Carr and Tayshawn Layton, who used their own interpretation of the musical, Chicago, to bring themselves to the doorstep of the semi-finals. But, unfortunately, reaching the doorstep doesn't get you in the house and it was only Keegon and Tiffany that were representing Bronx Prep on Sunday. For the third weekend in a row, they wowed a packed house in finals and were rewarded for their efforts
Keegon and Tiffany's piece, a black-identity politics play by the experimental playwright Young Jean Lee is fresh and very funny, but not for everyone. The challenge this season will be sustaining their success beyond the comedy and shock value of the piece while working to endear themselves to judges put off by the style and heavy subject matter. Next weekend's trip to Atlanta will be the first major test in this endeavor.
Bronx Prep's newest powerhouse Duo team continued to flex its muscles at a national tournament held locally, at Columbia University. The team of Keegon Robinson and Tiffany McLarty continued their hot streak by reaching the finals for the third tournament in a row and finishing in 4th place.
The Invitational Tournament at Columbia drew strong competition from schools throughout the northeast, so Keegon and Tiffany's success is more impressive than their 1st and 2nd place finishes in the last few weeks. Their finish proves their standing on the national level as they wowed audiences and judges alike from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and throughout New England.
Tiff and Keegon were nearly joined by Deborah Allen-Carr and Tayshawn Layton, who used their own interpretation of the musical, Chicago, to bring themselves to the doorstep of the semi-finals. But, unfortunately, reaching the doorstep doesn't get you in the house and it was only Keegon and Tiffany that were representing Bronx Prep on Sunday. For the third weekend in a row, they wowed a packed house in finals and were rewarded for their efforts
Keegon and Tiffany's piece, a black-identity politics play by the experimental playwright Young Jean Lee is fresh and very funny, but not for everyone. The challenge this season will be sustaining their success beyond the comedy and shock value of the piece while working to endear themselves to judges put off by the style and heavy subject matter. Next weekend's trip to Atlanta will be the first major test in this endeavor.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Speech Team Makes Like Jets and Takes Off
1/9/10
Mineola, NY - The Bronx Prep Speech Team broke into 2010 in a big way on Saturday with every competing member of the team showing marked improvement at the Chaminade Invitational tournament on Long Island. Norberto Troncoso, Alethea Brown, and Monica Lindsay all took huge strides and made major progress, while Keegon Robinson, Tiffany McLarty and Sahirah Johnson had huge days and finished at the top in their respective events.
Besides the win by Long Island's favorite football team, the surging New York Jets, the big story on Saturday was the Duo team of Keegon and Tiffany, who joined forces to present The Shipment - a ten-minute cutting of Young Jean Lee's experimental play. They tore through the preliminary rounds like the Jets running game, before lighting up a packed house in Finals and fninishing in second place. Their finish earned them some serious hardware (on display in the Library) and even more importantly, a half-qualification for the NYS championships. Another finish like that at this weekend's tournament will earn them a slot in this year's state championships - the Super Bowl of the New York Forensics world - with far better odds to win than 50-1.
Meanwhile, Sahirah Johnson made the most successful debut of a Bronx Prep speech competitor in recent memory. Competing in Oral Interpretation against students with years of experience, she finished 2nd in each of her three preliminary rounds, tying the score needed to make Finals, and earning an Honorable Mention. Of the 124 students competing in OI on Saturday, Sahirah finished in a tie for 16th. Her successful start was almost as impressive as a rookie quarterback delivering his franchise's first playoff win in five years.
The Jets head to San Diego this weekend for their competition, but the BP speech team will stay much closer to home, competing at Regis and Loyola High Schools on the Upper East Side. The team will send more competitors and will be represented in nearly every competition event as BP Speech continues to expand and the team members continue to improve. Here's hoping that hard work, focus and determination during this week's practices will lead to another weekend of dual success.
Mineola, NY - The Bronx Prep Speech Team broke into 2010 in a big way on Saturday with every competing member of the team showing marked improvement at the Chaminade Invitational tournament on Long Island. Norberto Troncoso, Alethea Brown, and Monica Lindsay all took huge strides and made major progress, while Keegon Robinson, Tiffany McLarty and Sahirah Johnson had huge days and finished at the top in their respective events.
Besides the win by Long Island's favorite football team, the surging New York Jets, the big story on Saturday was the Duo team of Keegon and Tiffany, who joined forces to present The Shipment - a ten-minute cutting of Young Jean Lee's experimental play. They tore through the preliminary rounds like the Jets running game, before lighting up a packed house in Finals and fninishing in second place. Their finish earned them some serious hardware (on display in the Library) and even more importantly, a half-qualification for the NYS championships. Another finish like that at this weekend's tournament will earn them a slot in this year's state championships - the Super Bowl of the New York Forensics world - with far better odds to win than 50-1.
Meanwhile, Sahirah Johnson made the most successful debut of a Bronx Prep speech competitor in recent memory. Competing in Oral Interpretation against students with years of experience, she finished 2nd in each of her three preliminary rounds, tying the score needed to make Finals, and earning an Honorable Mention. Of the 124 students competing in OI on Saturday, Sahirah finished in a tie for 16th. Her successful start was almost as impressive as a rookie quarterback delivering his franchise's first playoff win in five years.
The Jets head to San Diego this weekend for their competition, but the BP speech team will stay much closer to home, competing at Regis and Loyola High Schools on the Upper East Side. The team will send more competitors and will be represented in nearly every competition event as BP Speech continues to expand and the team members continue to improve. Here's hoping that hard work, focus and determination during this week's practices will lead to another weekend of dual success.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Road Trip!
Bronx Prep Speech Brings Twenty to Virginia as Program Continues its Expansion
Fairfax, VA - The BP Speech Team competed in the Patriot Games over the first weekend of December at the campus of George Mason University outside of Washington, D.C., fielding its biggest squad to date. Twelve students made up a whopping 33 entries while seven chaperones came along for the trip as well as one mascot, Siri Quarfordt.
The team competed in eight different events, with some students entered in as many as five events as they worked through an extremely long day of competition on Saturday. In the evening, the team gathered in one of its four hotel rooms to touch base and marvel at the growth that's come about this season. The names are too many to list, so shoutouts to the chaperones that donated an entire weekend of their time to supervise and judge for Bronx Prep: Ms. Melkonian, Ms. Wilson, Ms. Bryant, Ms. Rodriguez and her husband, Mr. Laboy all joined Mr. Simon and Ms. Q and are responsible for allowing the team to compete in so many events. Their committment over the weekend makes our progress possible.
The results? The team may have traded quantity for quality as only one of the thirty-three entries saw action past the preliminary rounds. It should be no surprise that that was senior and Team Manager, Chris Moncrief, a nationally-recognized speaker who reached the Semifinal round of Original Oratory, but was denied a spot in the Final Six for a second year in a row.
For the rest of the team, it's go time. The hiatus over the winter break is short and vital as the team prepares for competitions practically every weekend when school resumes. The raw elements are there: The Talent (never in question), The Coaching (now a staff of three with the addition of Ms. Sheridan Johnson), The Support (see the list of mad chaperones above), and The Pieces (have you heard about The Shipment...?). The only thing missing from this list is the one thing keeping the team from its most successful year yet: Hard Work. Focus, committment and practice, practice, practice will bring this squad to the next level. This is one blogger shooting for quality to match quantity when this expanding squad embarks on its next road trip.
Fairfax, VA - The BP Speech Team competed in the Patriot Games over the first weekend of December at the campus of George Mason University outside of Washington, D.C., fielding its biggest squad to date. Twelve students made up a whopping 33 entries while seven chaperones came along for the trip as well as one mascot, Siri Quarfordt.
The team competed in eight different events, with some students entered in as many as five events as they worked through an extremely long day of competition on Saturday. In the evening, the team gathered in one of its four hotel rooms to touch base and marvel at the growth that's come about this season. The names are too many to list, so shoutouts to the chaperones that donated an entire weekend of their time to supervise and judge for Bronx Prep: Ms. Melkonian, Ms. Wilson, Ms. Bryant, Ms. Rodriguez and her husband, Mr. Laboy all joined Mr. Simon and Ms. Q and are responsible for allowing the team to compete in so many events. Their committment over the weekend makes our progress possible.
The results? The team may have traded quantity for quality as only one of the thirty-three entries saw action past the preliminary rounds. It should be no surprise that that was senior and Team Manager, Chris Moncrief, a nationally-recognized speaker who reached the Semifinal round of Original Oratory, but was denied a spot in the Final Six for a second year in a row.
For the rest of the team, it's go time. The hiatus over the winter break is short and vital as the team prepares for competitions practically every weekend when school resumes. The raw elements are there: The Talent (never in question), The Coaching (now a staff of three with the addition of Ms. Sheridan Johnson), The Support (see the list of mad chaperones above), and The Pieces (have you heard about The Shipment...?). The only thing missing from this list is the one thing keeping the team from its most successful year yet: Hard Work. Focus, committment and practice, practice, practice will bring this squad to the next level. This is one blogger shooting for quality to match quantity when this expanding squad embarks on its next road trip.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Glory and Heartbreak in the City of Brotherly Love
BP Speech traveled to Philadelphia over the weekend of November 21-22 and saw experienced members of the team leading by example, with seniors Chris Moncrief, Tayshawn Layton and Deborah Allen-Carr all reaching the Semifinals of the nationally-competitive Villiger Invitational at St. Joseph's University.
It was a spirited squad that traipsed around the Gothic architecture of the West Philly campus with the Now-Familiar Student Congress team (Monica Lindsay, Autumwind Spear, Norberto Troncoso), the Active Upstart (Marissa Charlemagne - presenting three different pieces), and the Old Standards (Keegon Robinson, Moncrief, Alenn-Carr and Layton). Nearly every student double-entered for the tournament, competing in two different events, sometimes with two memorized pieces. It was Chris Moncrief who scored big in both his events, reaching the Quarterfinals and then the Semifinals in both Original Oratory and Oral Interpretation - putting him in the top twelve finishers in both competitions, but leaving him one round shy of Finals competitions. Meanwhile, the Duo team of Tayshawn Layton and Deborah Allen-Carr presented their interpretation of the play, Matt and Ben, portraying Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. They played to a packed audience in the Semis round, but also missed out on Finals.
The results are clear indications of the hard work and progress going on after school in the Library and Room 201, as well as an indication of the room for improvement needed to make a Finals push at the upcoming competitions.
Other non-competition related highlights for the team were a raucous evening at IHOP followed by the annual Villiger Dance Party, where the team amazed fellow competitors with mad crazy dance moves.
Huge thanks from the team to Halie Berson and John Aronson for judging, chaperoning - you made the whole trip possible.
Next up is the big, bad Patriot Games tournament all the way down in Fairfax, Virginia. Stay tuned for the full report.
It was a spirited squad that traipsed around the Gothic architecture of the West Philly campus with the Now-Familiar Student Congress team (Monica Lindsay, Autumwind Spear, Norberto Troncoso), the Active Upstart (Marissa Charlemagne - presenting three different pieces), and the Old Standards (Keegon Robinson, Moncrief, Alenn-Carr and Layton). Nearly every student double-entered for the tournament, competing in two different events, sometimes with two memorized pieces. It was Chris Moncrief who scored big in both his events, reaching the Quarterfinals and then the Semifinals in both Original Oratory and Oral Interpretation - putting him in the top twelve finishers in both competitions, but leaving him one round shy of Finals competitions. Meanwhile, the Duo team of Tayshawn Layton and Deborah Allen-Carr presented their interpretation of the play, Matt and Ben, portraying Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. They played to a packed audience in the Semis round, but also missed out on Finals.
The results are clear indications of the hard work and progress going on after school in the Library and Room 201, as well as an indication of the room for improvement needed to make a Finals push at the upcoming competitions.
Other non-competition related highlights for the team were a raucous evening at IHOP followed by the annual Villiger Dance Party, where the team amazed fellow competitors with mad crazy dance moves.
Huge thanks from the team to Halie Berson and John Aronson for judging, chaperoning - you made the whole trip possible.
Next up is the big, bad Patriot Games tournament all the way down in Fairfax, Virginia. Stay tuned for the full report.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Another Rookie Sensation? BP Speech Expanding in All Directions
The Bronx Prep Speech Team debuted a number of fresh faces at the team's backyard tournament held at Fordham University. Jyeisha Reyes, Marcus Smith, Melanie Nyarko, Marissa Charlemagne, and Monica Lindsay all competed in their first tournament while Matt Alston and Tiffany McLarty made their 09-10 season debuts. Meanwhile, team Manager Chris Moncrief extended his breaking streak by representing the team in the finals of Original Oratory.
Preparing for a speech tournament is hard work and the coach and team officers want to shout out each new competitor for getting up early, getting dressed up, putting it on the line and performing in front of judges and competitors from all over the city. The atmosphere at the tournament was as electric as always and seems to have made an impact on the new speech team members; Marcus, Marissa and Monica have all begun traveling with the team as competition regulars and Jyeisha and Melanie have a coach cutting their own piece for them for next month!
In addition to new faces, the Bronx Prep team added an entire competition event to its repetoire as the Student Congress team also made its debut in the form of Norberto Troncoso, Autumnwind Spear and Monica Linsday. These students became representatives and senators for the day, debating legislation and making speeches. The Congress team learned a lot at Fordham and set some clear goals for themselves as this burgeoning branch of the BP Speech Team continues to grow.
And the hardware? That belonged to Chris Moncrief who surprised no one in the building by appearing in the final round of Oratory. But there's clearly still work to be done - Chris finished out of the top 5 and was recognized as a Finalist.
From humble beginnings and a small squad as recently as last year, this season's Bronx Prep team could regularly be bringing a dozen students to local competitions. If these fresh faces find success like last year's squad... the forensics students in the New York City League may have cause for concern.
Preparing for a speech tournament is hard work and the coach and team officers want to shout out each new competitor for getting up early, getting dressed up, putting it on the line and performing in front of judges and competitors from all over the city. The atmosphere at the tournament was as electric as always and seems to have made an impact on the new speech team members; Marcus, Marissa and Monica have all begun traveling with the team as competition regulars and Jyeisha and Melanie have a coach cutting their own piece for them for next month!
In addition to new faces, the Bronx Prep team added an entire competition event to its repetoire as the Student Congress team also made its debut in the form of Norberto Troncoso, Autumnwind Spear and Monica Linsday. These students became representatives and senators for the day, debating legislation and making speeches. The Congress team learned a lot at Fordham and set some clear goals for themselves as this burgeoning branch of the BP Speech Team continues to grow.
And the hardware? That belonged to Chris Moncrief who surprised no one in the building by appearing in the final round of Oratory. But there's clearly still work to be done - Chris finished out of the top 5 and was recognized as a Finalist.
From humble beginnings and a small squad as recently as last year, this season's Bronx Prep team could regularly be bringing a dozen students to local competitions. If these fresh faces find success like last year's squad... the forensics students in the New York City League may have cause for concern.
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