Summit Resident Places First At Declamation Forensics Competition

The Forensics season is heating up with multiple meets at local and national competition. Past and current St. Vincent de Paul students are using what they learned at the St. Vincent de Paul Forensics Club to place in the first competitions of the season.

To participate in Forensics, students memorize, recite and perfect public speaking pieces. For competitions, students choose a section from one of the following categories: Oral Interpretation of Literature, Drama, Declamation and Dramatic Pairs.

James Dolan, a freshman at Delbarton High School and a St. Vincent de Paul graduate, placed first in the Declamation competition at the Pennsbury Falcon Invitational, in Fallsington, PA, on Feb. 1 and Feb. 2. The Pennsbury Falcon Invitational is a national competition with 62 schools from 8 states represented.

Dolan, a Summit resident, was introduced to Forensics when St. Vincent de Paul School started its Forensics Club in 2010. James’ continued interest in forensics also led to a fourth place finish at the Ridge High School Invitational, qualifying him for the New Jersey State Championships.

On Feb. 6, six current students from St. Vincent de Paul School participated in the Mount Saint Mary Junior High Forensics Tournament. Almost 100 young women from local schools competed in public speaking events and St. Vincent de Paul seventh grader Colleen Cirrotti placed second out of 21 students in Declamation. Cirrotti’s memorized speech was David McCullough’s Commencement Address at Weslesley High School “You’re Not Special.

St. Vincent de Paul is a Catholic elementary school committed to developing each student spiritually, academically and morally. The school is a 2012 National Blue Ribbon Award winner for excellence in education. The Forensics program is open to all students in 6th to 8th grades.