High school students from eight local school districts recently participated in a Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program event created to help students interested in both performance and debate enhance their skills and explore opportunities for future growth.
“Coach Suzanne Culver challenged participants and encouraged them to move out of their comfort zones,” Honors Program Coordinator Deborah Schoff said. “Her energy, passion and ability to connect with the students made this a very interesting workshop.”
The “Find Your Voice” Honors Program event took place on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center. Students in grades 9-12 participated from the following Herkimer BOCES component districts: Central Valley, Dolgeville, Frankfort-Schuyler, Herkimer, Little Falls, Mount Markham, Owen D. Young and West Canada Valley.
Students said they enjoyed acting, doing improv, watching a speech and debate video and socializing with students from different schools.
Culver is the Mount Markham speech and debate coach, drama co-director and New York state regional director for speech and debate.
“She provided engaging activities that students were actively engaged in while learning about voice, character, argument and persuasion,” Schoff said.
For the topic of “voice,” students learned how to engage audiences through vocal expression and clarity. For the topic of “character,” they learned about how creating characters benefits acting and public speaking and how getting into character through voices, mannerisms and motivations helps with any performance. For the topic of “argument,” students learn about constructing compelling arguments and counterpoints, engaging in thoughtful discussions and gaining confidence to present ideas with precision and impact. For the topic of “persuasion,” they learned techniques needed to captivate an audience, sway opinions and deliver impactful messages.
The Herkimer BOCES Honors Program is open to students in Herkimer BOCES component school districts and is designed to support the potential of students in grades 3-12 who have above average interests and abilities in a particular area. Programs allow for interaction with like-minded peers. Students learn by engaging in educational activities with presenters who are noted in their field. Exploration and programs provide for different learning styles and include topics in the arts and sciences as well as literature and history. Ongoing evaluation of all programs by teachers and students assures their relevance and quality.
