Speech festival to delay traffic around campus

On Friday and Saturday, April 15-16, the Wisconsin High School Forensic Association will hold its 116^th State Speech Festival on campus.

Nearly 5,000 high-school and middle-school students from throughout Wisconsin will be performing in four rounds, two on April 15 and two on the morning of April 16. The annual event will take place in several buildings, primarily in the central campus area.

School buses full of students and their coaches will begin arriving around 3 p.m. on April 15. Motorists can expect traffic delays from 4-7 p.m. in the vicinity of Langdon, Park and Charter streets, and on Observatory Drive between Park and Charter.

Observatory Drive will remain open to two-way traffic. UW Police will assist with traffic control.

The Wisconsin High School Forensic Association is the oldest of its kind in the nation. Its mission is to provide an opportunity for students to enhance communication skills through participation in theater, debate and speech activities. It has held the speech festival at UW since 1895.