Daily Sitka Sentinel

Sitka High DDF Team Winner at Meet

By SHANNON HAUGLAND

Sentinel Staff Writer

The Sitka High drama, debate and forensics competitors racked up top honors in their first meet of the year.

The contest October 15 and 16 in Skagway drew dozens of competitors from Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Mt. Edgecumbe, Metlakatla and Thunder Mountain high schools.

It was the first in-person meet for the Wolves squad since the meets went to an online format two years ago.

“It went really well,” said Christian Litten, who, along with Amy Ainslie, coaches the Sitka team. “It was nice to be back in-person. More enthusiasm and energy about performing - since they are in front of people.”

Litten also enjoyed seeing the kids interact with each other, and the camaraderie among competitors across Southeast.

“That was nice to see – there are some friendships across different schools,” he said. “There’s a lot of really healthy competition but a lot of support among some of those kids too. It’s super-nice to see, since we couldn’t really do that last year, with everything virtual.”

Litten said the Sitka squad is a mix of experienced competitors and newcomers, including freshmen, upperclassmen and exchange students.

He cited senior Darby Osborne as a strong competitor and leader, taking a first place in informative speaking, first – with teammate Isabelle Schmetzer – in public forum debate, and second in extemporaneous speaking. Felix Myers of Sitka was first.

“It’s not just raw talent and hard work but that (Osborne) is so caring to the younger kids and also courteous to her opponents and other competitors,” Litten said. “They know that Darby is the one to beat in competition but she’s just so nice outside of competition and a really strong role model.”

The freshmen and sophomores new to the team are finding their feet in the rules of the competition, while putting in strong performances, coach Litten said.

“But they’re doing a good job and doing a lot of fun pieces,” he said.

Litten noted Maia Capp, a junior, hit the ground running with a first place in solo acting with a strong piece about a girl having “a spiritual experience” with a crab in a grocery store aquarium.

“The piece is kooky and weird but she did a great job of presenting a fully realized character and is really new to acting,” Litten said. “She just did a phenomenal job.”

Capp was selected to perform the piece as a “command performance” at the end of the tournament.

Among the newcomers were some of the AFS exchange students, experiencing a brand new activity.

Among the exchange students who placed were Pia Knischewski from Germany, who took first in humorous interpretation; Arman Mkrtchyan of Armenia who took first in dramatic interpretation; and Sharon Shaban of Kenya, who was fourth in informative speaking.

Litten added that he was impressed with the way the meet drew the small town of Skagway together, with many townspeople pitching in as volunteers. The meet was coordinated by Skagway coach Kent Fielding.

The next meet will be November 12 and 13 in Ketchikan.

(The Sentinel will publish a story about Mt. Edgecumbe’s DDF team later this week.)

Sitka High Results

Extemporaneous speaking - 1. Felix Myers; 2. Darby Osborne

Informative speaking -1. Osborne; 4. Sharon Shaban

Dramatic interpretation - 1. Mkrtchyan; 2. Rita Christianson

Humorous interpretation - 1. Knischewski; 3. Sagan McLaughlin

Duet acting - 3. Ben Hedrick and Eliot Holloway; 4. Danica Majeski and Sally Everson

Solo acting - 1. Capp; 3. Everson; Finalist, Knischewski

Public forum debate - 1. Osborne and Isabelle Schmetzer; 6. Felix Myers and Jason Young

Readers theater - 3. Myers, Eliot Holloway, Ben Hedrick; 4. Knischewski, Christianson, Capp