UIL State Champion Ryan Conner
Ryan Conner, a junior at North Lamar High School, was named the 2013 State Champion in Informative Speaking after competing at the UIL Speech and Debate competition in Austin on May 22.
“This young man has been DRIVEN,” said Speech and Debate Coach Kristi Hodgkiss in an email to her high school colleagues. “If you’ve taught him this year, you’ve probably been on the receiving end of ‘We have five minutes in class; can I go work in the debate room?’”
Hodgkiss said Conner has taken good advantage of every spare moment to read, file, research, and give speeches. Since the district contest on March 19, Conner has given well over 100 practice speeches to Coach Hodgkiss.
“To give you some idea of the time this entails, every speech requires a 30 minute prep time, seven minutes to give the speech and about five minutes for me to critique.”
Conner’s winning speech was on the topic “What action has the United States taken to prevent acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran?” Topics are not known prior to opening the envelope.
Also at the competition and finishing fifth in Persuasive Speaking was Cody Eilrich.