Well spoken: BVHS oral interp phenom attains top 30 at nationals

Ellen Joseph had something to say.

And she said it so well, that the 2022 Brandon Valley High School senior “talked” her way to top 30 finishes in two divisions of the National Speech and Debate Tournament earlier this month. Competing virtually in both poetry and Program of Interpretation (POI), Joseph accomplished something that few other high school students ever know. In poetry, from a field of about 480 competitors from across the United States, and the POI division, which saw about 300 entrants, Joseph garnered a top 30 ranking in both.

BVHS oral interp coach Gina Koehn described Joseph’s feat of reaching the quarterfinals in not just one, but two events, as “amazing.”

“While Ellen did not break into the semis, she accomplished something so spectacular this week,” Koehn said. Months ago, thousands of kids across America had an idea for a POI. They each researched dozens of pieces of literature to find just the right poem, articles, scripts and book that would enable them to tell that particular store. They put in hundreds of hours of reading, analysis, cutting, rehearsing, re-cutting and rehearsing some more to get it just right. In the end, about 300 of them qualified to share that passion at the National Speech and Debate Tournament. Only 30 of them know what it’s like to be a quarterfinalist, and tonight 16 of them are feeling the disappointment in not moving to semifinals. Our Ellen is just one of those feeling that tonight. … (but) to watch her become the incredible young woman she is might be more amazing.”

Joseph, however, has been there before. Under Coach Koehn’s guide, there has been four instances a BVHS student has achieved top 30 status, and Joseph has accounted for three of them. In 2020, she and Cal Shaykett reached top 30 in duo.

“This year was the most competitive ever,” Jospeh said, adding there were about 100 more competitors than usual who qualified for nationals.

For poetry, Joseph and her competitors entered the competition via video. From the approximate 480 entries, from the sidelines, Joseph survived multiple rounds as the field was narrowed to 120, to 60 and finally, the top 30, “which was like crazy to me,” she said. 

She took that same journey in POI, with the exception that she performed her piece, which was based on the scandal involving USA Gymnastics, each time she advanced in the competition.

“By the quarterfinals (top 30), everyone is so, so good,” Joseph said, “and it was very nerve-racking.”

While the national competition should have been held in St. Louis, all competitors performed their pieces for the judges utilizing Zoom technology. That, too, Joseph said, added to the pressure.

“With Zoom, you can see everybody’s reactions and all of the judges,” she said, witnessing one judge eat her lunch during her performance.

While technology made the nationals possible this year, it surely wasn’t perfect.

“One of my rounds, the WiFi went out,” she recalled. In another round, the AC kicked on and a forklift outside the room moving chairs could be heard. 

But that didn’t keep Joseph from advancing from one round to the next.

“I would’ve given anything to be in front of a crowd again,” Joseph said. “But how fortunate I was just to be able to be in a classroom in front of a camera and people. I loved being in their presence and seeing their reactions.”

As for nerves, Joseph says she’s quick to overcome those moments after she begins.

“I’m nervous for the first two minutes and then it just feels so right,” she said. “I love what I’m doing and I’m so happy about putting out a good message, especially the message of my piece this year.”

Her POI entry, based on the 2016 USA Gymnastics scandal that charged team doctor Larry Nassar had sexually abused at least three gymnasts, including three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas, focuses on giving a voice to the voiceless.

“In the end, I talk about not caring about winning, but caring about speaking up,” she informs.

Her poetry entry, which focuses on bringing awareness to mental health and alcoholism, was enhanced by her personal connection to the subject itself. Her father, she tells, is now six years sober.

“I always try to do a piece that means more to me,” she said. 

As Koehn noted, Joseph invested countless hours into research and preparing for the opportunity to compete at nationals. In this abnormal year of virtual competitions, including nationals, Joseph expressed her appreciation for Koehn and her teammates cheering her on through each round. 

“The good part of this year is that I had my teammates by my side, which made this hard year very special, because they wouldn’t have been there with me,” she said. “And Ms. Koehn kept on encouraging me and she knew I was a winner even though I didn’t move on (to the semifinals).”

BV Optimist Oral Interp

This spring, Joseph was also crowned the local champion of the Brandon Valley Optimist Club’s oral interp competition. She went on to take top honors at both the zone and district (South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Canada) levels and will compete next month at the national level.

The competition, originally scheduled to be held in St. Louis, Mo., will be done virtually over Zoom. A victory there would advance her to Worlds, where she would compete for $22,000 in scholarship mney.