Orono speech team receives national recognition Student to represent Maine at Las Vegas competition

ORONO – Orono High School has been honored for 30 years of excellence as a speech team.

In addition, an Orono High School student will represent Maine in the international extemporaneous speaking category at the National Forensic League June 15-20 in Las Vegas.

Nathaniel Peterson from Orono High won the category during the recent Maine District competition at Maranacook High School in Readfield.

Poland High School won the team sweepstakes, with Bangor High School coming in second. Orono placed fifth.

Also placing in the contest were:

. Andrew Beaupain and Carolyn Smith, Bangor High School, first alternate in public forum.

. Greta Landis, Orono High School, first alternate in humorous interpretation.

. Norah Bird, Orono High School, second alternate in humorous interpretation.

Orono High School Speech Team received the National Forensic League Award for Excellence at the recent National Qualifier meet in Brunswick. The award was for 30 years of continuing excellence as a speech team.

The coach for Orono High School is Lyndsay Shuman, a University of Maine student.

More than 1.25 million students and teachers have participated over the years in National Forensic League activities. Currently, 93,000 students and 6,500 high school teachers are active members.

The late President Lyndon B. Johnson, CSPAN founder Bryan Lamb, Supreme Court Justice David Breyer, Oprah Winfrey and Kelsey Grammer are League alumni.

Other categories include Lincoln-Douglas debate, legislative debate, U.S. extemporaneous speaking, original oratory, dramatic interpretation, commentary, impromptu speaking, prose reading, poetry reading and story telling.

More than $150,000 in scholarships are awarded. For information, visit www.nflonline.org