By REBECCA HATTAWAY

Staff Writer

Claremore High School senior Jessica Lundie now has two more awards to add to her collection of accolades earned during her years of competing in speech, drama and debate.

She recently won first place in Monologue and third place in Dramatic Interpretation at the OSSAA State Speech and Debate Tournament held at the University of Oklahoma.

For the monologue event, she performed two short pieces, the humorous “Workout,” and the dramatic “Don’t Be Sorry.” Her dramatic interpretation was titled “Smack.”

“As a team we go to about five qualifying tournaments a year,” she said. “If you place in the top three in any event at those tournaments, then you go on to regionals. The top eight in each event there go on to state.”

Lundie has been in drama for five years and competing for four years.

“I love the friendly competition and meeting the kids from other schools that are interested in the same thing I am,” she said. “It’s fun expressing yourself — getting to be somebody else for day.”

Her involvement in high school productions began as a freshman with the play “Alice in Wonderland.” She was in the one act play “Jacob Comes Home” during her sophomore year. As a junior, she had the lead role in the one act play “Fuddy Meers” as well as the lead in the school play “Picnic.”

This year, Lundie was in the student-directed one act play, “Amelia Once More.”

“I’m very sorry to see Jessica go since she’s graduating, but I’m excited that she’s pursuing a degree in the arts,” said Gina Brown, director of theater and forensics at Claremore High School. “It’s been a lot of fun to coach her in speech events and direct her in shows. She definitely has a good work ethic.”

Lundie says her passion for performing began as a young girl.

“In fifth grade my class wrote, produced and directed our own play,” she said. “I designed sets for that and had a small part. That’s when my love of theater really started to grow.”

She was Associate Scenic Designer for the recent CHS production, “Into the Woods.”