The Interp Team was invited to judge speech events at an Intermediate and Middle School UIL competition last weekend.

“I thought it was really an honor just to be asked to judge,” senior Flordeluna Flores said. “So for people to say we played a big role was a shock.”

Due to additional contestants being added at the last minute, the team, which is still in its first year, was invited to help judge.

“If the girls had not shown up there was a very strong possibility that we would not have been able to hold two of three speaking events,” Testing Coordinator Renee Cox said.

For the speech portion of the competitions, participants were to stand in front of the judges and perform a prepared piece, which judges would then critique and rank.

“The thing is you’re not only there to judge, you’re there to help people improve regardless what you place them,” Flores said.

The members have competed regularly in similar events.

“It really helped me understand how things work,” junior Farah Abbubaker said.

Cox plans on having the help of the team again in May.

“Working with the girls was unbelievably awesome,” she said. “I received nothing but positive remarks from the Intermediate and Middle School UIL Coordinators and principals.”