Upcoming Important Dates

Before we get down to business, I'd like to congratulate the team on two things. One, WE FINALLY GOT A BLOG! It's about time. With over 60 members on the team this year, this is almost essential.

Second, congratulations on 1st place in the team sweeps at Owatonna last week. It was a great meet and we had several champions and people that placed. Paul will be updating with results from all the meets soon, so it will make bragging to your friends and family easier and more credible.

Now, on to our important dates/announcements.

**We will be switching coaches this week. If you have been practicing with Nieland, you will now be practicing at your same time slot with Johnsrud and vice versa, unless one of the coaches has told you otherwise.

**This Saturday (March 18th) is the Northfield meet, and it should be a lot of fun, as well as great practice for sections. This is our LAST MEET before Big 9, so I encourage you all to make every effort to go. There will 3 rounds and a final. Be at the bus by 7 A.M.

**Big 9 is INCORRECT in your R Books. It will NOT be tomorrow. Big 9 is scheduled to be on Monday, March 20th. Please check your schedules. The Big 9 team will be announced this week during homecourt. Please check into your homecourt teachers before going to Ms. Nieland's room. Remember, if you are not on the Big 9 team, you may still go watch the team compete in Mankato. (COACH BUS!!) We will be leaving at 12:30 from school, and will not return home until around 11 PM or later.

**The Thursday after Big 9, March 23rd, is Speech Showcase Parents Night. This is a lot of fun and a chance to show your friends and family how hard you have worked all season. There will be food, which we will soon take care of organizing, and this event does count toward your letter points. The event starts at 7 PM. The more the merrier! We will have more on Speech Showcase as we near it's time.

** Speech Sections will take place on April 6th, a Thursday. The Big 9 participants are the same participants we will have competing in sections. As in Big 9, the rest of the team may join the section team, with room permitting. This is the week after spring break, so make sure you try to stop in for open practices with Ms Nieland and Mr Jonsrud during the break. We will be home around midnight. You may want to bring money, because we will be stopping at McDonald's for our annual celebratory feast of gluttony and fast food. It's a long day, so get good sleep and bring your homework!

**T-shirts are coming soon! Hopefully we will have them before sections. Always fresh!

**Speech Awards Night is a time to celebrate everyone's accomplishments throughout the season. It takes place at 7PM in the cafeteria, on Monday, May 15th. Be there or be square.



Finally, a few reasons to why we actually have this blog. This is an area for Speech team Captains to post information regularly. I will be posting general information regularly (Big 9 team coming soon!). If I have forgotten something, you may email me at thelebalonian@gmail.com. We will also be posting pictures. If you have a picture you want to donate to our cause, email Becky at silverpearl25@yahoo.com. Make sure to include when it was, where it happened, who is in it, and what is happening. Paul will be posting results from past and future meets. if he makes a careless mistake, drop him a line at paulitician@charter.net. Comments are welcome!


Make sure to tell everyone on Speech team about the blog!

-Arij