The Valparaiso Speech and Debate team has had great success at the District competitions this year. District competitions for the Speech and Debate qualify people to go to the National Tournament held every year. Valparaiso is taking the most people to Nationals it ever has.
The first District competition was for Congress. In Congress, students simulate a real Congress session giving speeches in favor or against bills and voting on the bills. Connor Devine qualified and Sarah Simon, Dana Khabbaz, and Anand Balar all are alternates to go if someone who qualified can not attend.
The second District competition occurred a few weeks later for Debate. In public forum debate, a partner event, current questions are debated in a manner that anyone off-the-street could understand the debate. Sarah Simon and Dana Khabbaz qualified as a team. John Miller and Nicola Pniak are alternates in public forum.
In Lincoln-Douglas debate, a debate over philosophy, Valparaiso won both entries to go to Nationals this year. Kelly Adams and Sofia Grimsgard are our National Qualifiers in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
In the third event policy debate, a partner event, teams advocate the acceptance or rejection of a public policy change. Valparaiso qualified its first team in Policy Debate for Nationals since the 1990s. Jacqui Peterschmidt and Kaitie Barton qualified for Nationals after being alternates last year.
The last District competition was for Speech events. In United States Extemporaneous Speaking, an event where contestants have 30 minutes to synthesize resources they have previously compiled to give a memorized speech on a current U.S. issue, Jane Tullis, a freshman, placed as an alternate along with Sarah Simon. Now if you think you have seen Sarah’s name before in this article, it is because you have. Sarah qualified or was an alternate in all three events this year. Go Sarah!
In humorous interpretation, an event where contestants perform a funny piece from memory, Daniel Azar is an alternate.
In International Extemporaneous Speaking, an event like the U.S. version except the contestants talk about foreign issues instead of U.S. ones, Anand Balar was an alternate.
The qualifiers will be going to Birmingham, Alabama in June. Any donations will be gladly accepted. You can go to giveyouthavoice.causecast.com/fundraiser/7035/valparaiso-speech-debate and donate any amount tax-deductible.