Declaiming their way to fame

Standing in the Ron Perry Gym at CM on Sunday afternoon, you got a good feel for how that space is used for such a variety of purposes, other than athletics. Only a few nights before, Giddens Rateau, Dan Masterson, and Sungeun Park, among others, had crooned their best against the acoustics of the seventy-foot tall ceilings at the annual Spring Talent Show. After school the next day, Mr. Spaner and his cast for the upcoming Guys and Dolls concert held one of their final practices.

Then on Sunday afternoon, Graham Madden '08 took the stage and got the 8th annual Afternoon of Exceptional Oratory, an event organized by the CM Forensics team, off to an inspiring start. His performance of "Soda Jerk" was a series of poems by Cynthia Rylant about a young man's thoughts on growing up while waiting tables at his local restaurant.

Madden, a co-captain of the Forensics team, showed guests like District Attorney Dan Conley, State Representative Mike Rush, City Councilor John Tobin, and others just how far the Forensics team has come under Mr. Rob Croteau and Brother Anthony Cavet's coaching.

In one room that afternoon, guests and classmates watched Michael Giovanucci '09 perform a play he had performed and competed with throughout the year, then saw Brendan McGowan '13 recite his declamation and Patrick Simas '10 read a few poems he knows all too well after having recited them at a dozen speech and debate tournaments. The team, which on Saturday had earned 4th place in the state at the State Tournament in Westford, New Hampshire, is what Mr. Croteau calls "a complete team."

"We had winners in all grades this year," Croteau said, "not just great seniors."

Co-captain Liam Concannon likes the Afternoon of Exceptional Oratory because it shows the younger students on the team just what lies ahead, because few of them actually get to watch each other perform for a live audience through the year. "Kids--and parents," said Concannon, "get to see what you can become if you stick with the program."

"It was nice to see my brother [Ethan '11] perform," Madden said of the afternoon. "I'd been working with him all year, but never saw him perform for an audience. It's nice to know that when I leave he'll keep it going. He's come a long way."

Mr. Croteau took the time to congratulate Mrs. Eberly for her superhuman efforts with the middle school students, observing to the audience in the Perry Gym that the program wouldn't be as successful without their formative experiences in Forensics in 7th and 8th grade with her. Croteau also thanked all the parents, especially Mrs. Jean Ahern, for their work in putting the event together and being so supportive all year.

Congratulations are in order to the following students for excellence in Forensics at the state meet:

Joseph Murphy--State Champion in Radio Broadcasting
Aram Gurekian--2nd place in Declamation
Graham Madden--3rd place in Prose
John Labelle--3rd place in Play Reading
Matthew Connolly--4th place in Play Reading
John Labelle and Liam Concannon--5th place in Duo Interpretation
Ethan Madden--5th place in Declamation
Graham Madden--6th place in Poetry
Kevin Tobin--6th place in Radio Broadcasting
Brian Murphy--6th place in Dramatic Interpretation
John Federico--Top Novice in Radio
Matthew Connolly--Top Novice in Play Reading