Pagosa Springs High School
Amaris Webb from San Juan Mountain School placed first and Caroline Smith from Pagosa Springs High School placed second in the virtual Pennsylvania Towanda Tournament on Jan. 31.
Both students competed with original arrangements in program oral interpretation, making statements about modern-day equity issues using poems, song, books and statistics.
Their voices and their interpretive pieces have blossomed since they began their work the first week of school in early September. Their success is hard won and the strength of their performances has been appreciated all the way to Pennsylvania. Their accolades are hard won and well deserved.
Coach Kristin Morehouse wrote in an email, “... a kind generous lady in Pennsylvania made [it]happen for our speech students. When she had to reschedule the tournament because her husband was in the hospital, I said that it was the same weekend as our state tournament and that we would not be able to cover our judging obligation. She offered to still allow our entries. Her husband was sent home on hospice the day the tournament was to run, she went forward with the tournament even though he needed quite a bit of care. A generous donor paid for all of the tournament entry fees, so our students received awards at the hands of anonymous hardworking strangers committed to the good for our society speech activities bring forth. Truly and literally, the gifts of strangers in Pennsylvania, in the midst of a pandemic, brightened our lives here in Pagosa Springs.”
