The region and state literary competitions are right around the corner, with the region championship at First Presbyterian Day School on March 2 and the state championship at Northside High School on March 14.

Band Director Ms. Laura Voss said she is excited about the region championship and the chance to go to the state championship.

“I’m sure that we will have students advance to the state championship.  I feel really good about the team as a whole and how some of the kids who are competing in the music portion are from our one-act play, ‘Band Geeks’,” Voss said.

Walker Gibbons and Sarah Kate Sellers, sophomores, are also excited about being part of the team for the first year.

“I’ve been singing for six years, but I’ve never had a voice coach or anything.  I got a lot of practice from my church band in 6th grade,” Gibbons said of his inspiration to join the literary team.

“Last year, we heard the boys’ quartet sing during assembly, and they were unbelievable.  Also last year, Ms. Haynie was really promoting literary activities to kids who hadn’t done it, so that made me want to do it,” Sellers added.

Joshua Wangerin, senior, has been on the team for four years.

“I am an extemporaneous speaker, so I’m given a current events topic and have 30 minutes to prepare a four to seven minute-long speech.  I enjoy the challenge of trying to come up with and present a good speech in that amount of time, so I’m very excited,” Wangerin said.

As with sports, the literary team is having to deal with some changes with the GHSA as well.

“In GISA, the 1st and 2nd place finishers in each event go to state, but in GHSA, only the 1st place finisher goes to state.  It will definitely be tougher, especially because we have never met some of the teams, but I still think we’ll do great,” Voss said.

The trio consists of Huntley Cowart, Gracie Childers, and Savannah Alday.  The quartet consists of Gibbons, Stephen Mosley, Dylan Quintal, and Zohar Rubenstein.  The female solo will be done by Sellers, and the male solo will be done by Griffin Hutchins.  The oral interpretation will be completed by Meredith Fuchs and Asa Marshall.  The extemporaneous speaking portion of the competition will be done by Wangerin and Carly Wanna.  The essayists will be Sean Grossnickle and Mary Carolyn Hulgan.