Buffalo Grove Junior Wins High Placement in NFL National Speech/Debate/Acting Tourney

                 Two members of Buffalo Grove High School's Speech/Debate/Acting Team, both Buffalo Grove residents, qualified to participate in the 2013 National Forensic League (NFL) National Speech/Debate/Acting Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., June 16-21.  Georgette Voss, who had just completed her sophomore year at BGHS at the time, and Jacob Custer, a 2013 graduate, competed in the prestigious national tournament with outstanding results.

                 "I am proud of the dedication and discipline that these students have demonstrated," said Tracey Repa, Buffalo Grove's head coach.  "Qualification to nationals is an honor in and of itself, since only nine students in each event from Illinois are allowed to attend. To have students who reached break rounds and place as high as Georgette and Jacob did is a testimony to the quality of focus and talent these two students possess." 

                 As the youngest competitor in the Dramatic Interpretation event, Voss finished 13th in the nation in a field of 250.  She performed the piece, "The Stoning of Soraya M.," an account of a woman victimized by her husband, who hid false accusations of adultery behind a veil of radical Islam. Soraya suffered mob violence and a brutal public execution. In the piece, the tragic events unfold through the eyes of her aunt Zhara, her woman's voice marginalized by her niqab, a veil that silences millions of women to this day.

                 Due to her ranking within the top 14, Voss has already qualified for the 2014 nationals in Dramatic Interpretation.

                 Buffalo Grove assistant coach Kristin Sassi commented, "Georgette has extraordinary talent and discipline. For someone as young as she is to place so high in the tournament is amazing. She was a joy to work this past season, and I know I speak for the entire coaching staff at BG when I say we all look forward to the possibilities of the 2013-14 school year."

                 Recent BGHS grad Jacob Custer currently attends the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, one of the top communications schools in the country.  At the national tournament in Birmingham, Custer placed 45th in a field of 260 in Original Oratory, an event that requires the student to write an original 10-minute persuasive speech, usually a call to action for the betterment of society.

                 Repa stated, "Jacob's speech, 'When Comes Another: The Legacy of My Grandfather,' explored the relationship of how we create a legacy and the need to create value in the world we live in."

                        Buffalo Grove's assistant coach Michelle Witter said, "Jacob has an amazing work ethic. He made countless edits and rewrites to his speech throughout the season and never complained once.  He was a great role model for the team."

                 "My speech was about the legacy that my grandfather left the world," Custer explained, "and to be able to speak about it to my peers at this competition was truly remarkable."

                 Custer also performed in two secondary events at nationals: Expository Speaking, where he placed in the top 60, and Storytelling, where he placed in the top 70.  He also competed in the American Legion Oratory Contest in Illinois earlier this year and placed first in the state, an accomplishment also recognized by the NFL at the National Tournament.

                 Repa is assisted in coaching Buffalo Grove's Speech/Debate/Acting Team by a staff of talented, experienced speakers, storytellers and actors.  Joining Sassi and Witter as assistant coaches are Val Murray, Debbie Ruzicka, Nick Stockwell, and Mark Weiland.