Fayette had a dominant presence at the 35th Annual Clemson University Foreign Language Declamation with 87 students participating, more than any other school system at the competition.

A total of 55 students from McIntosh High, Sandy Creek High, Starr’s Mill High and Whitewater High schools received first, second and third place awards for their speaking and performance abilities.

The competition is open to foreign language students in grades 9-12 and requires them to memorize and present two poems in front of judges and possibly an audience. The first poem is a mandatory selection with the competitor choosing the second from among three pre-selected poems. Students are judged on pronunciation, interpretation of text, smoothness of delivery and textural accuracy.

Foreign language teachers select students for the competition based on their ability to memorize and perform in front of their entire class. Students begin practice as soon as the selection is made.

The 2007 competition hosted 429 students representing 25 school systems from Georgia and South Carolina.

The following students earned awards:

(McIntosh) Xuandan Shi, Native Chinese, 2nd place and French IV, 3rd place; Cody Mahaffey, French II, 3rd place; Victoria Moriera, French III, 1st place; Kevin Brinson, French III, 1st place; Laura Knapton, French IV, 1st place and Spanish I, 3rd place; Sarah Prewoznik, German II, 1st place; Thomas Hardy, German IV, 2nd place; Clint Kimzey, Latin IV, 2nd place; Nathalie Cuestas, Latin IV, 1st place; Elizabeth Humphries, Spanish II, 1st place; Cameron Elward, Spanish IV, 2nd place; Caterina Carter, Spanish III, 3rd place; Katie Roshelli, Spanish III, 1st place; Melissa Manson, Spanish II, 1st place; Luke Robuck, Spanish II, 2nd place; Margaret Jones, Spanish III, 2nd place; Josy Roman, Spanish Native, 3rd place; Josy Roman, French II, 3rd place; Shawn Yavari, Spanish Native, 2nd place; Victoria Brickenden, French III, 2nd place; Taylor Womack, French III, 3rd place; Wesley Brown, French II, 2nd place and Latin IV, 3rd place.

(Sandy Creek) Casey Harvey, German III, 1st place; Iffie Awaichie, French II, 1st place; Julianne Slaton, German I, 3rd place; Tyler Legg, German III, 3rd place; Victoria Raby, Spanish II, 3rd place.

(Starr’s Mill) Natalya Zmudzin, French IV, 1st place; Shannon Hall, French IVB, 1st place; Lindsay Quandt, German IIA, 1st place; Joe Werner, German IVA, 1st place; Amanda McKenzie, French II, 2nd place; Jessica Lambing, French III, 2nd place; Amanda Wilson, German IIB, 2nd place; Katie Ledbetter, German IIIB, 2nd place; Jenna Livsey, Spanish I, 2nd place; Rachel Jeanes, Spanish I, 2nd place; Amanda Seamon, Spanish II, 2nd place; Spencer Marion, Spanish II, 2nd place; Kelly Rever, Spanish IV, 2nd place; Adriana Acuna, Spanish IVB, 2nd place; Jenifer Marrero, French I, 3rd place; Meredith Shepherd, French III, 3rd place; Travis Richardson, German IIA, 3rd place; Austin Hendricks, Spanish II, 3rd place; Taylor Parman, Spanish IV, 3rd place.

(Whitewater) Kate Walker, French III, 1st place; Kavita Singh, Spanish III, 1st place; Erin Breedlove, Spanish III, 2nd place; Alex Smith, Spanish II, 3rd place; Ridge Davis, French I, 3rd place; Cassie Rogers, Spanish II, 2nd place.

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