Willowbrook hosts State send-off celebration for Speech Team member

On Feb. 20, Willowbrook hosted a State send-off celebration for Speech Team member Chloe Devens (pictured above).

Devens, a senior, competed in Extemporaneous Speaking during the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Tournament. That event took place on Feb. 21 and 22 at Peoria Civic Center. She is the first Willowbrook student to qualify for that event in at least 30 years, and she is in the top 21 Extemporaneous speakers in Illinois.

Extemporaneous Speaking is a limited-preparation speech event based on research and original analysis. Participants are given 30 minutes of preparation time to compose a seven-minute speech. When preparation starts, speakers are offered three questions to answer. Questions are based on current affairs, and topic areas generally include international and domestic policy, economic policy and social or scientific issues.