- Speech & Debate
Our SRS Debate Squad put up some remarkable performances on Saturday at McQueen High School. In the largest Sagebrush District tournament of the year thus far, twelve fearless Scorpions earned a righteous series of wins, even when the odds were stacked against them. To the deets…
Policy
Aryan Shukla ‘20 and Kira Romberg ’22 did a great job in posting a 2-1 winning record, but did not repeat as finalists this tournament. The good news is that they defeated the team that defeated them last month – a clear step forward. Aryan and Kira will be a strong Policy team at Galena in January, and have a chance to win Districts in April. Well done!
Lincoln Douglas
Isabella Nunez ’21, in her first ever debate tournament, pulled off a surprising 3-1 record for the day and narrowly missed qualifying for finals. Her judges remarked on her “clear delivery,” “excellent research,” and the fact that she “had back-up answers for every question in cross-ex.” This tournament was a clear indicator of her potential in the event. Wow!
Ngoc Tran ’22 was on a mission at the tournament went 3-1 on the day, her strongest outing to date. On one winning ballot, it was noted that “Tran was highly prepared” – on another, she “proved every point of her opponent’s case wrong.” Ngoc has transformed as a debater this year and is clearly on an upward trajectory. Her next tournament might very well be even better. Great job!
Nathan Barth ’22 pleasantly surprised everyone by signing up for this tournament at the last minute, and even with minimal preparation, he was able to go 2-2. His 100 speaker points also point to his strong natural debate abilities. Nathan had great results this tournament, and all indications are that he will have even more success when he gives himself more time to prepare. Well done!
Misha Verma ‘23 is doing a great job learning the ropes of LD debate. Like her teammate Nathan, she hit the 100 speaker point mark, which is always a challenge. More importantly, she went toe-to-toe with much more experienced debaters. Misha has had some unlucky draws in her first two tournaments, and her first win will certainly come next month in Carson. Keep up the good work!
Public Forum
Gil Patterson ‘22 and Carter Burns ’23 brought a lot of energy to their rounds, and came away with a strong win in their second round. In the other two rounds, one judge remarked that her decision was “a very close call,” and another that they “presented a really strong argument,” but ultimately the path to finals was blocked at this tournament. No one will be surprised when they go undefeated next month at Carson. Good work!
Richard Liu ‘23 and Kevin Lu ’23 put up four great efforts today and came away with a solid 2-2 record. Richard continues to be a team leader in speaker points as he earned 106 on the day. Most importantly, the two had a great learning experience this tournament and come away with an improved grasp of their event. These two have a great future in PF debate. Good work!
Big Questions Debate
Ben Miller ’21 is only the second SRS debater in our history to compete in “Big Questions” debate, a format that poses a resolution that draws upon religion, science, and philosophy. Although this was his first attempt at the event, he was pooled with Senior-level debaters with several years of experience in the event. Despite this disadvantage, Ben was able to record a win, and in the process get a better understanding of how to present his cases. He also led all SRS debaters with 113 speaker points. Excellent work!
SPECIAL THANKS to Assistant Debate Coach Gary Brown for organizing the beginning of the tournament and supporting the kids through the first two rounds. Thanks also to Vidhi Pandit ’21 who supported her teammates in the morning as well. Finally, thanks to Bret Thibault for his steady stream of helpful input to our debate cases.
Upcoming debates -- mark your calendars:
Saturday, December 7 at Carson
Saturday, January 25 at Galena
Friday – Sunday, February 21, 22, & 23 at Spring Creek (two nights in Elko)
- Speech and Debate
