By PAUL STANSBURY 

Contributing writer 

On Feb. 21, the Danville High School Forensics Team will be featured at the Community Arts Centre’s Lunch with the Arts offering. The team is fresh from winning the Bluegrass Regional Tournament of the Kentucky High School Speech League, held at SCAPA Bluegrass Middle School on Feb. 3. 

The team competes in 14 speech and two debate categories at tournaments across the state from November to March, plus two national tournaments in May and June. Students attend weekly coaching sessions, as well as Saturday tournaments. They practice and compete in events such as commentary, dramatic and humorous interpretation, original oratory and debate.

Danville High School first formed a school chapter of the National Forensic League in 1948, although by the early 1980s, interest had waned. New life was breathed into the program in 1994 when Steve Meadows and 14 team members began the current squad. Since then, they have become a perennial powerhouse, establishing a 20-year legacy of regional, state and national awards. 

DHS Head Coach Meadows, a ‘91 Centre graduate, currently teaches English, speech and drama at DHS and was named the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) State Educator of the Year — the first from Kentucky. 

DHS has won the state tournament seven times, including the last two years. In addition to winning the Bluegrass Regional Tournament, some of the team’s accomplishments this school year include: a first place finish out of 25 schools competing in the Trinity North Oldham Classic speech tournament held at Trinity High School in Louisville on Jan. 27; champions in extemporaneous speaking and storytelling at the Bardstown Tiger Invitational Tournament, placing second overall as a team behind Lexington Henry Clay on Dec. 16 last year; and a first-place finish out of 26 schools from nine states at the Western Kentucky University Hilltopper Speech Tournament on December 9, 2017.

For this special Lunch with the Arts presentation, guests will get a chance to hear about the program from several participating students who will also demonstrate the types of performances they do for tournaments.

Online: www.danvilleforensics.org/Home_Page.php

www.speechanddebate.org/competition-events/

IF YOU GO

Lunch with the Arts will feature the Danville High School Forensics Team noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21 at the Community Arts Center, 401 W. Main St. The cost is $5 at the door. 

On Exhibit

New Year New Art – through Feb. 23

Coming up 

• Due to a snow cancellation in January, Erika Holmquist-Wall, Chief Curator for Louisville’s Speed Museum, has rescheduled her program for Feb. 28, when she will discuss the Speed’s current exhibit, “Women Artists in the Age of Impressionism.”

On March 21, Lunch with the Arts will feature Jerry Sampson, author of the popular Personal Effects column, about antiques,  in The Advocate-Messenger. Mark your calendar for both programs and check The Advocate-Messenger or the Community Arts Center’s website for additional information as the dates approach.

• Art in Music, noon-1 p.m. Feb. 20, $13/door; an art history lecture with Barbara Hall 

• Photo Editing Workshop, 6-8 p.m. Feb. 22, $30/person, instructed by Brandon Long

• Watercolor Workshop, 1-4 p.m. Feb. 24, $50/person, instructed by Connie Tucker 

• Time for Impressionism, an art history lecture with Ken Keffer, noon-1 p.m. Feb. 27, $13/person

• Starry Night Studio: The Ballerina, 6-9 p.m. Feb. 28, $35/person, instructed by Amanda Hendershot

• Art Adventures, 10-11 a.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 20-March 13, $40/each, instructed by Niki Kinkade, for ages 3-5 

• Creative Kids Club, 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 20-March 13, $60/each, for third-sixth grades

• Kids Knitting Workshop, 4-5 p.m. Wednesdays, Feb. 21 and 28, instructed by Carrie Farmer, for third-ninth grades 

• Kids Visual Arts, 4-5 p.m. Wednesdays, Feb. 21-March 14, $40/student, for kindergarden-third grade