Teenager finds right words to earn top honor at Yale
BY LARRY HLAVENKA JR.
Staff Writer

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - During Yale University's illustrious history, some of the world's great public speakers have passed through the New Haven, Conn., university.

Add local resident and Freehold Township High School junior Alanna Autler to that prestigious list.

Alanna, 16, won first place in the Original Oratory category at the Yale Invitational Debate and Speech Tournament at the historic campus on Sept. 15-17.

The Yale Debate Association has sponsored the event for 14 years and the competition abides by National Forensic League rules.

In her event, Alanna bested more than 75 competitors to earn top honors. She was required to write and memorize a 10-minute speech and then deliver it in front of a panel of judges.

For her topic, Alanna discussed the demise of classic, wit-based humor in favor of slapstick comedy. In her speech "Potty Nonsense," Alanna punctuated her disdain for slapstick.

"I noticed that in the new millennium we embrace slapstick comedy over witty humor, satire and irony," the teenage said. "Wit - it's dying out and it's our core of truth and culture."

Alanna attributes the downfall of classic comedy to variables including problems with education, political correctness and media influence.

Her ascension to the top of the standings, though, was unexpected despite previous success in local forensics tournaments.

"What happened at Yale, it was a surprise," she said. "Originally, I was just going for the ride."

With more than a half-dozen rounds of competition and many talented orators, Alanna said, "I just wanted to have fun. When I did find out I was a finalist, I was shocked. It was electrifying."

Alanna is the secretary of the forensics club at FTHS. The club has regular meetings and travels to local tournaments on Saturdays from October through March. She said public speaking is "very intense, it's like my life."

Although Alanna's "connection" with her speech helped push her to the top, she remains humbled by the tournament.

"I was just honored to be [at Yale]," she said. "You think you are just a little girl from a small town in New Jersey, you don't think you can't run with the big dogs. But impossible is nothing. It's an experience I'll never forget. It was the best weekend of my life."

Alanna hopes to pursue a career in broadcast or print journalism, "something with public speaking and writing," she said. "I want to connect with people."