With clouds overhead and rain falling softly, the UIL Academic and Speech students and coaches loaded the bus sleepily at 5:45 am to attend their first UIL (University Interscholastic League) tournament on January 14 at the Joshua Invitational A 2017.

  Overall, our students received two 1st place medals in Literary Criticism (Mariana Rios) and Persuasive Speaking (Laura Waldron), two 2nd place medals in Headline (Chrysann Whitworth) and Literary Criticism (Victoria Permann), three 3rd place ribbons in Social Studies (Cade Lemons), Science 11/12 (Gisselle Bauer) Literary Criticism (Emily Moore), five 4th place ribbons in Accounting (Cody Cross), Computer Applications (Dillon Shumaker), Editorial Writing (Rebecca Tuggle), Literary Criticism (Abigail Leinhauser), Informative Speaking (Bailey Sanderford), three 5th place ribbons in Computer Applications (Jay Jones), Headline (Rebecca Tuggle), Literary Criticism (Christie Basson), three 6th place ribbons in

Science 11/12 (Elizabeth Pack), Science 9/10 (Lauren Beaty), LD Debate (Laura Waldron), and one 8th place ribbon in Computer Applications (Haily Sieperda).  Also, Accounting received 2nd place team, Science 2nd place team, and Literary Criticism 1st place team.

  UIL Academics and Speech includes 33 contests coached by 18 coaches: Amanda Harris, Calculator Applications; Jennifer Cozart, Computer Applications, Computer Science; Amy Mahan, Editorial, News Writing; Vickie Amos, Headline, Copy Editing; Carl Smith, Feature Writing; Bobby Clevenger, Math; Joey Goodwin, Number Sense; Brandy Musick, Science-Chemistry; Brian Salge, Science-Physics; Kathleen Huckabee, Science-Biology; Nancy Bullard, Ready Writing; Stacy Roeming, Literary Criticism, Current Issues and Events; Brenda Burks, Accounting, Spelling and Vocabulary; Carl Smith, Feature Writing; Crystal Tarpley, Prose and Poetry; Kristy Polk, Informative Speaking, Persuasive Speaking, Cross-Ex Debate, Congress, Lincoln-Douglas Debate; Emily McLemore, Individual Costume Design, Individual Theatrical Marketing Design, Individual Set Design (Group); Mindy Pope, Technical Theatre Design, Individual Makeup/Hair Design, Individual Set Design (Group), Film Design.

  Participating in UIL Academics and Speech prepares students to compete at the collegiate level, offers scholarships for colleges, and is a extension of the skills learned in the classroom depending on the contest.

  According to the uiltexas.org website,  “The University Interscholastic League offers a wide variety of academic contests for high school students, encompassing many elements of required high school coursework. These contests build upon the academic skills developed in the classroom and offer students an opportunity to stretch their talents above and beyond those requirements.”

  Students learn a higher level of skill sets that will carry them throughout life.

  “These activities, which exist to complement the academic curriculum, are designed to motivate students as they acquire higher levels of knowledge, to challenge students to confront issues of importance, and to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of specific skills. Students are challenged to think critically and creatively, exhibiting much more than knowledge and comprehension,” states the uiltexas.org website.