Southern Bell Forum

One of the most competitive tournaments in high school debate, the Billy Tate Southern Bell Forum has been hosted in Nashville, Tennessee by Montgomery Bell Academy every January since 1983. It offers fierce competition, outstanding judging, and unparalleled hospitality. Until 2014, only the single best team from each school was invited to enter the tournament. Beginning in 2014, a select number of second teams have also been invited to compete. 

“There a handful of national tournaments that generate a buzz in the debate world,” former MBA Coach Alan Coverstone said of the tournament in 2006. “The Southern Bell Forum is one of those events that teams strive to reach; it’s definitely a top five tournament in the country.”

Woodward Academy has cleared 20 teams to the elimination rounds at the Southern Bell Forum including finalists in 1998, 2006, 2018, and 2020. 

Four teams—Avery Dale & Peter Miller in 2000, Naomi Dale & Niji Jain in 2004, Aliya Bhatia & Seth Gannon in 2005, and Evan Matthews & Matthew Pesce in 2008—achieved 4-2 records but did not qualify for elimination rounds based on speaker points and opposition wins. 

Impressively, Woodward teams achieved a winning (4-2 or better) record at 14 consecutive Southern Bell Forums between 2000 and 2013.

Woodward did not attend the Southern Bell Forum in 2017, 2019, or 2021. 

Octafinalists

1984 (closed out with teammates)

1988

Cyclone Covey & Eric Zampol, 1997

Avery Dale & Genna Cohen, 2002

Bobo Bose-Kolanu & Bobby Rosenbleeth, 2007

Brittany Nehman & Matthew Pesce, 2009

Rahim Shakoor & Jason Sigalos, 2011

Rahim Shakoor & Jason Sigalos, 2012

Alex Duner & Karthik Srinivasan, 2013

Alanna Pearson & Arjun Srinivasan, 2018

Quarterfinalists

1984

Nishita Ghanate & Sachi Reddy, 2020

Semifinalists

Nathan Holmes & Andre Hylton, 1992

Avery Dale & Peter Miller, 2001

Genna Cohen & Lauren Tanis, 2003

Matthew Pesce & Max Plithides, 2010

Finalists

Jacob Brown & Eric Zampol, 1998

Aliya Bhatia & Bobo Bose-Kolanu, 2006

Mona Mahadevan & Malachi Robinson, 2018

Ashna Ghanate & Sam Wombough, 2020

Top Speaker Awards

Arjun Srinivasan — 4th Speaker, 2018

Jason Sigalos — 5th Speaker, 2012

Malachi Robinson — 5th Speaker, 2018

Mona Mahadevan — 6th Speaker, 2018

Naomi Dale — 8th Speaker, 2004

Aliya Bhatia — 9th Speaker, 2006

Genna Cohen — 11th Speaker, 2003

Matthew Pesce — 12th Speaker, 2010

Avery Dale — 15th Speaker, 2002

Evan Matthews — 15th Speaker, 2008

Lauren Tanis — 16th Speaker, 2003

Rahim Shakoor — 16th Speaker, 2012

Bobo Bose-Kolanu — 17th Speaker, 2007

Alanna Pearson — 18th Speaker, 2018