Results

April 6th: NCFL  Nationals - Chicago

Needham Speech and debate team continued its consecutive string of having  finish in the top of the United States, dating back to 2013. At the Grand National Tournament in Chicago, Junior Emma Zhang  showed she has "more talents than Medusa has snakes" by ranking seventh in oral interpretation, according to head coach PJ Wexler. Ninth grader Madeleine Clark's similarly showed there was no fantasy about her achievement level in attaining thirteenth place in declamation. Junior Ananya Sharma showcased more abilities than Appalachia has hills by reaching the top twenty-five in oral interpretation of literature. This marks the second consecutive year (and second event) in which Sharma has earned this recognition. Junior Simon Shoemaker was seriously close to breaking to elimination rounds, failing to advance on a tie breaker, and thus finishing in the top fifty in original oratory. All events had just under two hundred entries.

      The junior duo team of Mia Maffeo and Anika Ray was praised as " absolutely genuis" by one judge, while fellow junior dramatic performer Ben Fogler' skill in "(making) a nonexistent  sockpuppet feel  real" was likewise instrumental in him earning a first place from that scorer. Ninth Grader Miles Yountz also earned a first place from a judge for his "emotional range."

  In Congresional Debate, juniors Gabe  Pressman and Max Scott earned accolades. Likewise, did the policy  debate teams of junior Lily Allen and sophomore Kilena Mihova, junior Jeremy Tsung and sophomore Dan Golmohammadi, sophomores Alex Gurchenkov and Lily Wang, and sophomores Jon  Fleischer and Matias Welch. Juniors Emily Flanagan and Lily Bridgers greatly contributed to the team effort .

   Judging  and administering for Needham were coaches Tyler Bates, Jackson Carr, Greg Cunningham, Matt Friosi, Beth Peters, PJ Wexler, alums Shayan Raza, Elizabeth Schwartz, Hannah Warn, Jack  Warn, parent Marina Mihova, Friends of the program David Craig,Matt  McCarthy,  Susan Marianelli, Debbie Simon .

    With no graduates among those attending nationals, Wexler observed that "the future is so bright, it can be seen from both  the top of the (former) Sears  Tower and the stage at  Second City"

    The team next sends to representatives at part of the New England District debate team to nationals in Des Moines in June.

April 6th: MSDL State Speech & Congress  - Catholic Memorial

The Needham Speech and Debate Team put  a rockety-red glare on the local season April 6th at Catholic Memorial, finishing fourth overall. State championships were earned in multiple reading where the team of juniors Ben Fogler, Mia Maffeo, Anika Ray, Simon Shoemaker, and Emma Zhang put on a most ‘ducky’ performance of ‘Greater Tuna’- the only competitive rank where last year’s reserve championship could be excelled. Junior Fogler  earned a hand himself by winning an additional  second state crown in dramatic performance, showing he was no puppet of his  past experiences.  Shoemaker hauled in hardware in  two additional events for a total of three, , adding a fifth place award in oratory through being seriously funny, and sixth place in duo interpretation with partner ninth grader Miles Yountz.

Ninth grade Madeleine Clark earned the reserve championship in declamation, showing that level of success was not a fantasy..  Similarly, sophomore Katherine Calton was reserve champion in poetry reading. Sophomore Szilvia Robertson showed her own success novice year was no child’s play, achieving sixth place in children’s literature.  Junior Talia Musmon ‘versified’ her way to fourth place in poetry reading. On the other end of the grade level spectrum, senior Cameron Markowitz was fifth in group discussion.. Congressional Debater a finalist in his own legislative fashion. Similarly, junior Emily Flanagan showed ‘long knowledge in a short time’ by reaching semifinals in impromptu. 

       Strong Needham performances were by children's literature maven junior Mary Scott Dunn,   ninth graders Zoe Berg, Maggie Sharrard, and Yountz, the duo team of juniors Maffeo and Ray and impromptu speakers Clark, junior Ananya Sharma, and sophomore Dan Golmohammadi. Sharma was a triple entered threat,  who lost her voice at times but not her skill also achieved highly in poetry and prose. Zhang also triple entered to a high level  with prose and poetry in addition to the aforementioned multiple. Informative speaker junior Leah Wang , sophomore Mia Allen in play reading showed ‘the play is the thing’ with  sophomore Radio Broadcaster Briana Sickmier,  and orator ninth grader Ayla-Ryann Thompson being similarly successful., as was Musmon in prose , and Calton in poetry. 

Judging for Nedham were parent David Markowitz, coaches Tyler Bates, Jackson Carr, Greg Cunningham  Matt Friosi, Joanna Goldenberg, Adam Nir, Beth Peters,and PJ Wexler. The team looks forward to  attending nationals In Chicago and Des Moines this coming spring.

March 22-23: MSDL State Debate 

Sophomore Jon Fleisher reached  semifinals, dropping to eventual state champion Concord-Carlisle  Junior Lilly Allen and sophomore Alex Gurchenkov  ranked in the top ten, with Allen dropping a 2-1 decision to  and Gurchenkov being ‘coached over’  by a coaches decision to teammate Fleisher.  In novice LD Debate, ninth grader Casey Canzano was 7th place speaker while Allen was twelth place speaker in varsity.  Sophomore Andrey Kalashnikov missed advancing to elimination rounds in novice LD  on speaker points.  Similarly,  ninth grader Maise Berger and junior Rina Fisch had very strong days. In  varsity LD debate junior Jeremy Tsung and sophomores Dan Golmohammadi,  Kalina Mihova, Matias Welch, and Lulu Wang did the same. Junior Julia Gendin  earned the state reserve championship in Biq Quesions debate. Judging for Needham were co-capatin Leah Wang, alums Sophie Bierman, Jackie Hazan and Sean Kelleher and parents Alan Canzano, Daryn Berger, Sudshana  Fisch, Marina Mihova, and Tom Welch, friend of the program Gabby Knight,with coach Paul Wexler in tabulation. The entire coaching staff is extremely  proud."

March 16th: March Merryness at Needham H.S.

While simultaneously hosting the largest Massachusetts Speech and Debate League Tournament since the onset of COVID at over forty schools and six hundred students, the competing NHS  Speech and Debaters did splendidly themselves, rocketing to a third place sweepstakes.

     Sophomore Don Golmohamadi and ninth graders Zoe Berg, Maggie Sharrard, and Miles Yountz excelled in both ‘regular’ and ‘Needham Special’ events to tie for fourth to earn ‘Show Them Greatness’ accolades.  The latter three were second, sixth ,and fourth in declamation. Sharrard and Yountz were the opposite of frozen by finishing third and fourth in freeze improv while Berg ranked highly in sales impromptu to seal their performance. Golmohammadi was an impromptu semifinalist and 5th place in impromptu sales while also participating in novice extemporaneous.

    The Multiple Reading team of juniors Ben Fogler, Mia Maffeo, Anika Ray, Simon Shoemaker, Emma Zhang and  took a break from tournament administrative duties to show they, as Renaissance humans, can walk, talk, and chew over administrative duties at the same time.  Folger and Zhang were also ' ‘interstellar by any other name” in finishing fourth, joined on stage by the ninth grade team of Clara Brough and Hari Prasad Kumar in sixth. The latter two were also the top novices 

    Ninth grader Madeleine Clark proved she was a lion at heart and in the courtroom by invoking Simba as tournament champion in impromptu storytelling 10th grader.   Clark also added to her collection of state bids in declamation. Ninth grader Vaneezah Khan sent no mixed messages be earning the tournament championship in mixed duo with her Catholic Memorial partner, joined on stage by fourth  place finisher junior Lily Bridgers, who did so by ‘Standing in by standing out’ as a last minute replacement with an Acton-Boxborough student. 

Alex Gurchenkov 'rehabilitated’ his break from competition to go undefeated to be tournament champion in varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate while also earning enough recognition to ‘had been’ first palace speaker.  Sophomore Jon Fleischer was third place speaker. Sophomore Lulu Wang earned a state bid, while sophomores Fleisher  Kalina Mihova and Kevin Xu advanced to the ‘play-in’ round to do so. 

     In novice Lincoln Douglas ninth grader Casey Canzano was undefeated on the day, ranking third. Junior Rina Fisch was sixth  placer. On the speaking side of the equation,ninth grader Maisie Berger was the champion speaker, junior Clayton Pachus forth and ninth grader Gemma Noukas fifth place. Ninth grader Brooke Donohue,sophomore Andrey Kalashnikov and  Pachus earned state bids. Gemma Noukas and  Reis Conway advanced to the ‘play-in’ round for that particular ribbon. 

Junior Jiyu Li was first place in Big questions debate, joined by third place finisher Julia Gendin, third place finisher and second place speaker overall, both showing there was nothing supernatural about their talents.

Ninth grader Sienna Tow was fourth place in novice oral interp, coinciding with a state bid in poetry .She was joined in  earning accolades for reading prowess by sophomore Silvia Robetrson  who ranked  sixth place in children’s literature. Sophomore Matias Welch was sixth in sales. Strong performances were turned by kiddie lit readers Ivy Brough ,Mihret Hopkin(in her debut)  and Khan, the double-entered Maddy Weirup in prose and declamation, impromptu speaker sophomore Suriya Keshava, informative speaker junior Leah Wang,    orator Ayla-Ryann Thompson, prose reader ninth grader  Asha Padmanabhan and  radio broadcaster Shreyan Dahiya. Strong debating was done in varsity LD Debate by sophomore Sid Karjee ‘shaking off the rust’ and novice LD by ninth graders Giselle Millien, Rafael Morales, and Riley Nauyokas in her own debut.

Judging for Needham were parents Mark Allen, Daryn Berger, Linda Lin,Karen Morales,  Eric Pressman,Ariel Shoemaker, Amanda Weirup and Tom Welch.  Coach Greg Cunningham along with fellow coaches  Tyler Bates, Jackson Carr. Joanna Goldenberg Adam Nir.  and Beth Peters. These, and a wealth of Needham parents helped organize a vast swatch of tournament organization and hospitality, according to coach PJ Wexler. “Needham would be not nearly as merry as it is without them”

March 2nd: Mardi Gras

The Speech and Debate Team celebrated the 29th Anual Mardi Gras Invitational at Shrewsbury HS by ranking seventh as a team on March 2nd.  Ninth grader Madeleine Clark earned the right to enter the ‘double speak’ category at states by reaching the semifinals in impromptu, as did junior Ananya Sharma be earning a state bid in that category. Junior Leah Wang ‘needed no AI’ to finish sixth in informative speaking, and it was no joke that junior Simon Shoemaker ranked fifth in original oratory.Junior Gabe Pressman gaveled his way to a finalist position of 7th place in Congressional Debate.  Junior Jeremy Tsung and sophomore Lulu Wang ‘rehabbed’ their arguments to  earn state  bids in varsity Lincoln-Douglas Douglas debate. Clark added to her collection of state bids in declamaton, as did juniors Ben Fogler in dramatic performance and Cameron Markowitiz in group discussion. . Ninth grader Maddy Weirup double entered  successfully in both declamation and prose, as did fellow first year Ayla  Ryann-Thompson in original oratory. Coaches Tyler Bates, Jackson Crr  Greg Cunninham, and PJ Wexler celebrated the Mardi Gras spirit judging at Needham.  The team looks forward to hosting the annual’March Merryness’ tournament March 16th.

Feb 17-19: Harvard Invitational 

The Needham Speech Team was in both Crimson and Clover at the fiftieth annual Harvard University Speech and Debate Invitational. Sophomore Dan Golmohammadi reached the semifinals of junior varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate to earn a third place finish in the two hundred person field. Golmohammadi dropped a 2-1 decision to eventual tournament champion Cary Academy of North Carolina. He was also sixth place speaker. Sophomore Kalina Mihova was seventeenth overall, dropping on her own 2-1 decision to Durham Academy, also of North Carolina.. Sophomore Matias Welch was ranked third, dropping 2-1 to Ridge High School of New Jersey in the round of sixty-four. Ninth grader Maddy Weirup celebrated her first Harvard tournament by participating in Congressional Debate, giving an authorship and acquitting herself with “  tone of voice” according to one judge and a prediction that in the future  Maddy shall “dominate this space.” Coach Paul Wexler praised overall Needham performance, noting the success that was both deep and broad. 

Alternate positions were attained by  Congressonal Debater junior Gabe Pressman (first) , junior Talia Musmon in Oral Interpretation of Literature (second)  and Lincoln-Douglas Debaters sophomores Matias Welch. and Lulu Wang.(third and second in turn)  Strong delivery on the day was punctuated b declamation experts ninth graders Zoe Berg, Vanezah Khan, Maggie Sharrard, and Madeline Weirup,dramatic performers sophomore Zzilvia Robertson and junior Marsy Scott Dunn,  Lincoln-Douglas Debaters junior Lily Allen,sophomores Dan Golmohammadi,   Kalina Milova  and junior Jeremy Tsung,and oral interpers sophomore Katherine Calton and junior LIly Katz, and ninth grade oratgor Ayla Ryann-Thompson. 

   Shoemaker and Yountz double-qualified, and relinquished their spot in duo, as did Fogler and Zhang. . Other  double-entered individuals included Lily Bridgers in dramatic performance. 

   Judging for Needham on the day were coaches were parents Mark Allen, Matt Flanagan, Nicole Maffeo, Marisa Mihova, Jeremy Sharrard, Kevin Stephenson and Haleh Valian and  Xinyu Wang.  Coaches Tyler Bates, Jackson Carr, Greg Cunnigham, Mattheus Friosi, Adam Nir, and Paul Wexler  did so as well, along with friends of the program Joe Bowden and Gabby Knight. Coach Paul Wexler praised the overall Needham performance as ‘Tremendously Terrific”and thanked the hard work by the students and the great support by Needham coaches including Mary Peters,  volunteers, parents, and alums, such as Julia Clark '22- and additional alum work by other alums over the course of the year. 

Jan 20th: Boston Latin Speech, Congress & Debate

The Needham Speech and Debate Team “warmed up the cold” with its words at the Boston Latin School’s Keith West Memorial Invitational on Saturday, January 20th. 

Juniors Mia Maffeo and Anika Ray earned the tournament championship in Duo interpretation. The double-entered Maffeo nearly matched that with a third place finish in her children’s literature debut, a spot behind reserve champion junior Mary Scott Dunn and  just ahead of sophomore Szilvia Robertson in fifth place. Sophomore Katherine Calton put the exclamation point on never being the ‘verse’ with the tournament championship in novice oral interpretation. She was joined on stage by ninth grader Vaneezah Khan, ranking third. Further West  tournament championships were earned by double-entered ninth Graders Maddy Clark and Zoe Berg in Improv Duo, with the reserve championship in that event belonging to ninth graders Maggie Sharrad and Miles Yountz. Rockets orating on the Declamation stage in finals included  Clark and Yountz  who stood in fourth and fifth  place on the dais.

In novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate, ninth grader Casey Canzano celebrated her first debating appearance at the  ‘oldest public school in America’ by earning seventh place speaker. In Varsity Lincoln-Douglas debate, junior Lily Allen ranked fifth and sophomore Dan Golmohamadi eighth. Sophomore Kalina Mihova missed advancing to elimination rounds by one tenth of a speaker point. Allen was fifth place speaker overall, sophomore Jon Fleischer seventh, Golmohammadi eighth, and sophomore Matias Welch tenth. 

 In poetry, junior Talia Musmon was reserve champion of the West  Memorial Invitational, while fellow junior Gabe Pressman found the proper congressional procedure was to rank third in Congressional Debate.   Sophomore Brianna Sickmier read her way to a fifth place finish in radio broadcasting.  

State bids were earned by Berg in Declamation, Calton in poetry,  Khan  in children’s literature, junior Emily Flanagan in impromptu, and senior Cameron Markowitz in group discussion.  Other strong performances were turned in by Ivy Brough in double entered- Ivy Brough In impromptu and children's literature.  ninth graders Ayla-Ryann Thompson in oratory, Sherrard in declamation, Calton and Musmon in prose,  junior  Lily Bridgers  in   play reading (with  teammate  with Flanagan in duo) and Dunn in play reading.  Junior Jeremy Tsung and sophomore Lulu Wang accomplished the same in varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Ninth graders Clara Brough and  Hari Prasad Kumar’s debut of a new piece in duo was well received.  The sophomore public forum debate team of Sophomores Suriya Keshava and Isabel Tashie reached the ‘bump’ round for a state bid in their PF debut.

Alum parent Todd Eyler, alums Julia Clark and Evan Eyler, parents Christian Bridgers, Susan Moffitt, Xinyu Wang and Tom Welch,, and coaches Jackson Carr, Greg  Cuningham,  Mattheus Friosi, Mary Peters, and PJ Wexler  judged for Needham. 

Jan 13-14th: Lexington Winter Invitational (Big Lex)

Junior Clayton Pachus led an strong Needham contingent at the forty-something annual ‘Big’ Lexington Debate invitational. Pachus finished ninth overall in novice Lincoln-Douglas Debat, dropping in elimination rounds to New Jersey's Ridge Hgh School. Junior Rina Fisch and ninth grader Angela Wang reached their ‘play-in round in the same  division. Ninth graders Casey Canzano and Gemma Nauyokas celebrated their competitive debuts with eleven vigorous debate rounds between them. In varsity Lincoln-Douglas  sophomores Lulu Wang and Matias Welch had strong performances. Juniors Lily Allen and Jeremy Tsung judged for Needham while 'coaching up' the novices, the latter of which they joined by Wang and Welch. Coach and judge PJ Wexler said it was a happy day. At the New England District Congressional Tournament, junior Max Scott legislated his way to a top level demonstration of talent. 

Jan 6th: Newton South Winter Festival

The Needham Speech and Debate Team ushered in the 2024 New  Year the same as the old, by wading in a collection of trophies at the Newton South Winter Festival.  Nine Needham students earned two oR even three trophies on the day. The Multiple team of juniors Ben  Fogler, Mia Maffeo, Anika Ray, SImon Shoemaker, and Emma Zhang were tournament champions, with the duo team of Maffeo and Ray performing their way to their own championship. Zhang “won more trophies than Medusa has strands of hair” with two additional pieces of hardware, a  third place in poetry and 5th in prose. Juniors Ananya Sharma and Talia Musmon were “taller than the mountains of Appalachia”  and “beyond simply surviving” with their own accolades. Sharma was tournament reserve champion in poetry and third in prose, while Musmon was fourth in poetry and sixth in prose.  The Rockets made up half the field in both prose and poetry finals.

 Ninth grader Miles Yountz and junior Shoemaker joined the parade by joining forces to rank fourth in duo, while Yountz was reserve champion in declamation.  Junior Mary Scott Dunn was better received than  clementines in winter,: winning the reserve championship in children’s literature. Sophomore Dan Golmohammadi celebrated his novice extemporaneous speaking debut with a reserve championship performance, which dovetailed with an honorable mention in impromptu.  Fogler was no mere puppet in becoming fourth place finisher in dramatic performance. Sophomore Szilvia Robertson was fifth in novice oral interpretation. Fellow sophomore Matias Welch earned a state bid in  impromptu himself. Juniors Scott and Gabe Pressman “spoke up”  their performance, finishing in fourth and as a finalist in Congressional Debate. Other Rocket performances leading to a third place overall team sweepstakes performance were children’s literature readers Clara and Ivy Brough, declamation expert ninth  graders Vaneezah Kahn and  Madeleine Weirup, dramatic performer and play reader junior Lily Bridgers, orator Claire Auffermann,play reader Dunn, and radio broadcaster Welch. Alums Annie, Jack, and Jason Stein showed their speech and debate progeny the ‘Stein  Way’  through judging.   Parents Nicole Maffeo and Sari Musmon, along with coaches  Tyler Bates, Jackson Carr, and PJ  Wexler also judged for Needham.  

Dec 16th: Holly Festival (Natick HS)

The Needham Speech and Debate Team celebrated the 61st annual Holly Speech and Debate Tournament by lining up almost two dozen trophies and nutcrackers, including fifth place overall. 

The first place multiple team of juniors Ben Fogler, Mia Maffeo, Anika Ray, Simon Shoemaker, and Emma Zhang “put all their ducks  both in and out of rows”, earning the honor of performing on the Natick stage at the awards ceremony. Other first place awards were earned by  sophomore dramatic audioner Mia Allen who “avoided the herd”  to be called back to earn her laurel.   Junior poetry reader  Talia Musmon, and junior impromptu speaker  Emily Flanagan also reached the  podium pinnacle,, as did ninth grader Madeleine Clark in declamation. Declamation and Duo finals were fifty percent filled  with Rocket speakers.   Clark was joined on the dec award stage by tournament reserve champion Maggie Sherrard  and sixth place Miles Yuontz. In duo, Maffeo and Ray were  similarly tournament reserve champions while Flanagan and partner Lily Bridgers similarly ranked sixth   while Shoemaker and Yuontz completed the day in  fifth place.

    Juniors Max Scott and Ananya Sharma exemplified the outer limits of ' ‘speechie stamina”  were by no means ``weary in the woods' ' by partnering in duo and also  taking part in  the Pentathlon, which requires quintuple entering. Scott  also achieved in broadcast editorial, and impromptu, while earned a state bid in play reading  Sharma took fifth place in extemporaneous literature, earned a state bid in  poetry reading, and was  silvery of tongue in impromptu and like Scott, took part in the  press conference event.

       Ninth grader Szilvia Robertson earned the reserve championship in novice interpretation and fellow first year Rocked Ivy Brough marked her eloquence with crayons as sixth place  trophy winner in children’s literature. Sophomore Brianna Sickmier earned high ranks with great frequency by celebrating her radio broadcasting debut in fourth place. Junior Congressional Debater  Gabe Pressman gaslit nobody by ranking fifth in Congressional Debate and Fogler was  nobody’s puppet by similarly reaching fifth place in dramatic performance.  Junior Mary Scott Dunn was an honorable mention in children’s literature 

      State bids were earned by Bridgers in dramatic performance, Robertson in children’s literature,  Allen in play reading, Golmohammdi in radio,  and junior Lily Katz and Zhang in prose..

    Exemplary performance contributing to Needham earning the fifth place sweepstakes nutcracker were many debuting and second-timer Rockets. Ninth grade declamation-deliverers  Zoe Berg and the debuting Vaneezah Khan  both of whom earned first place ranks in prelims. Impromptu speaker Shrehan Dahiya, poetry reader Sienna Tow,   prose reader Leelah Murstein and the duo team of ninth graders  Clara Brough and Hari Prasad Kumar numbered among them, as did third-timer Congressional Debater Maddie Weirup   while ninth grader Ayla Ryann-Thompson did so in oratory.  Berg,  Ivy Brough, Clark, Khan ,Robertson and Sherrard all double-entered in extemporaneous literature 

The double and triple- entered sophomores  Matias Welch ( impromptu and duo) Katherine Calton  (poetry and prose) Golmohommadi  and Katz(impromptu),  Fogler (original literature), Shoemaker ( oratory)  Dunn (play), Zhang  (poetry)  and Musmon (prose) also spoke exhaustively during the day. Group discussion maven  senior Cameron Markowitz and Congressional Debater junior Jeremy Tsung spoke up a storm. 

Judging for Needham were alum Elizabeth Schwartz, parents Allen Sickmier,Kara Sickmier,  David Markowitz,and Marcus Yountz, and coaches Tyler Bates, Jackson Carr ,Greg Cunningham, Joanna Goldenberg, Adam Nir , and PJ Wexler. 

Dec 9th: Lincoln-Sudbury Warrior Showdown (Lincoln-Sudbury HS)

NEEDHAM SPEECH AND DEBATE SHINES IN 4TH PLACE SWEEPSTAKES AT LINCOLN-SUDBURY 

Ninth graders Madeleine Clark and Myles Yountz proved to be ‘declamation dynamite’ by ‘closing out’ the first and second place positions in declamation at the annual 2023  Lincoln-Sudbury Warrior Speech and Debate Tournament. They were joined in the gold medalist circle by the multiple reading team of junior Ben Folger, Mia  Maffeo, Anika Ray, juniors Simon Shoemaker and Emma Zhang. The duo interpreation  team of juniors Mia Maffeo and Anika Ray also entered the first place circle of champions. Duo saw three Needham teams on the stage, with juniors Lily Bridgers and Emily Flanagan finishing fifth  and novice ninth graders  Cara Brough and Hari Prasad Kumar being school-ready by  ranking sixth.  The double-entered Clark was also a seventh place finisher in her debut in  impromptu speaking, an event where  Flanagan emerged in fourth place. Shoemaker, also double-entered, orienting his performance towards achieving a  similar fourth place in original oratory, joined in finals by oratory newcomer ninth grader Ayla-Ryann Thompson finishing seventh in the same event. Yountz earned an honorable mention in impromptu. 

      Junior poetry maven Ananya Sharma shook the dust off to win the tournament reserve championship in poetry,  also avoiding said dust was third place finisher Talia Musmon. Musmon had to do so twice, receiving her sixth place trophy in prose  on the same stage. Congressional Debater junior Gabe Pressman legislated his way to sixth place accolades. 

     In debate, novice Lincoln-Douglas debaters took necessary action  including  third place finisher Brooke Donohue and quarterfinalist Rafael Morales.   Donohue and Morales were 4th and 3d speakers in turn. In varsity debate junior  Lily Allen and sophomore  Alex Gurchenkov fueled their accomplishments over fossils by being named quarterfinalists.  Allen was the sixth place speaker. 

    State bids were earned by ninth grader Zoe Berg in declamation  Fogler in dramatic performance,  Sharma in prose, Zhang in poetry, and junior Lily Katz in both prose and impromptu speaking.Sphomore debaters  Kalina Mihova and Matias Welch and junior Leah Wang  earned state bids, which were narrowly missed by sophomores Kevin Xu and Brianna Sickmier and junior Jeremy Tsung. Similarly, speech mavens ninth graders poetry reader, children’s lit story teller   Ivy Brough, declaimer Maggie Sharrard (with her first place laurel round one) , sophomore poetry performer Katherine Calton, and junior dramatic performer Bridgers had strong days contributing the Needham’s  fourth place sweepstakes finish. 

     Judges for Needham included junior Selene Solari-Cis, parents Tora Brough, Karen Calton, Susan Moffitt, Karen Morales, Jeremy Sharrard, Brian Shoemaker, and Kalena Wang,along with coaches Greg Cunninham and PJ Wexler. The team next looks forward to the Holly Festival at Natick High  School

Dec 2nd: Arlington St. Nick Showdown (Arlington HS)

The Needham Speech and Debate Team  showed up in force at the St. Nick Showdown on December 1st, 2023. Junior Max Scott gaveled to a tournament championship in Congressional Debate..  Senior Cameron Markowitz danced through the group discussion rounds to earn the tournament reserve championship at second place. Ninth graders Madeleine Clark and Mlles Yountz orated to  third and fifth finishes  in declamation, with Clark showing a top novice award was not a fantasy. Ninth grader Szilvia Robertson told tales worthy of earring fifth place in children’s literature. In novice Lincoln-Douglas debate,  ninth grader Angela Wang took the action necessary  to earn fourth place speaker, while in varsity Lincoln-Douglas Deabte junior Jeremy Tsung and sophomore Josephine Calzada drilled  and fueled through the knowledge necessary to  finish fourth and fifth place finish  in turn  Calzada was also fifth place speaker. Double-entered sophomore Mia Allen celebrated her  2023 debut by earning state bids in playing reading and impromptu speaking.  Allen was  ‘last person’ out of finals in impromptu.

 Sophomore Marco Barbosa also earned his state championship qualifying bid in novice Lincoln-Douglas.. Parents David Markowitz and Eric Tsung along with coaches Greg Cunningham, Joanna Goldenberg,  and Paul Wexler judged for  Needham. Wexler said ‘despite the tournament running program going down  nationwide for an hour , the Rockets were able to regroup and and shakeup the field at the showdown”  The team looks forward to attending Lincoln-Sudbury on December  9th and the Holly at Natick on December 16th. 

Nov 18th/19th: Little Lex (Lexington HS) + VILLAGER (St. Joe's University in PA )

The Needham Speech and Debate Team ushered in Thanksgiving week with revolutionary ventures to both Philaelphia and Lexington.

At the Villiger Invitational at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, the Duo team Juniors Mia Maffeo and Anika Ray were second place in duo interpretation.   Fellow juniors Ananya Sharma and Emma Zhang read riotously to a fifth and six place finish in  oral interpretation. Congressional Debater Max Scott was an acclaimed finalist.

The Needham Lincoln-Douglas debaters made up one quarter of the elimination round pool, including semifinalist Leah Wang who dropped on a 2-1 decision. Her partners in trophy collection included  quarter finalist junior Lily Allen and ‘sweet sixteen’ finishers junior Jeremy Tsung and sophomore Matias Welch.

Dramatic performer junior Ben Fogler was no mere puppet to fame in his semifinals performance in dramatic performance, nor was junior Simon Shoemaker in his own quarter finalist ranking the same event.

Additionally, “uttering the  light fantastic( fully) into the ‘Philadelphia) were congressional debater junior Gabe Pressman, declaimer ninth grader Madelaine Clark, dramatic performer juniors  Lily Bridgers and Mary Scott Dunn, sophomore Lincoln-Douglas Debaters Jon Fleischer and Dan Golmohammadi, and junior  oral interpers Lily Katz and  Talia Musmon. Coaches Tyler Bates, Jackson Carr, Greg Cunningham, and parent Susan Moffitt judged for Needham, along with friend of the program David Craig.

Locally, Ninth grader Maisie Berger emerged as a’victor  valiant’ by winning the reserve championship at the Little Lexington November Classic.  Ninth grader Brooke Donohue ranked fourth. Junior Reis Conway earned a state bid in his debut.  In  varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate, sophomore Josephine Calzada earned a state bid. Strong performances were articulated by novice ninth grader Rafael Morales and sophomores Alex Gurchenkov, Sid Karjee, and Kevin Xu. Captain Seleen Solari-Cis and parents Daryn Berger, Katherine Calzada and Brad Donohue along with coach PJ Wexler judged for Needham. Wexler said that the ‘rain did not down the Needham competitive prowess.”

Nov 11th: Gracia Burkill Memorial Speech (Natick HS)

Juniors Lily Allen and Mary Scott had zero 'Durr' moments at the annual Graciela Burkhill tournament, soaring to first place titles in Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Children's literature reading. Double-finalizing unior Talia Musmon versified her way to a second poetry reading  finish which shall appear nicely next to sixth place final's finish in prose. Junior Emma Zhang joined the ranks of prose finalists with a fifth place laurel.. Juniors Gabe Pressman, the team of Mia Maffeo and Anika Ray along with sophomores Lulu Wang and Sophomore Myles Yountz rose to third in Congressional Debate, Duo interp, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Declamation in turn, with Yountz being recognized as top novice. Ninth grader Katherine Calton added to the third place mantle piece with a trophy in novice oral interpretation. Junior Leah Wang finished fourth in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. along with junior Ben Fogler in dramatic performance. Junior Jeremy Tsung in LD Debate and sophomore Dan Golmohammadi in his impromptu speaking debut enjoyed state bids. Ninth grader Maddie Clark was recognized for earning a first-place rank, as was sophomore Matias Welch and junior Jeremy Tsung, despite not placing.   in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Zhang replicated that  feat in poetry, along with several of those on stage. Congressional debaters Rafael Morales and Maddy Weirup, The double-entered juniors Lily Katz (prose and poetry), Simon Shoemaker (dramatic performance and oratory)  Kiddie Lit reader Szilvia Robertson, Declamer  Ayla Ryann-Thompson, and LD Debater Brianna Sickmier also had hearty exclamation points for Needham. Judging for Needham were parents Eric Tsung, Haleh Valian and Xinyu Wang, and coaches Tyler Bates,Jackson Carr, Greg Cunningham, Adam Nir, and Paul Wexler.

Oct 28th: REVERE SPEECH (Revere HS)

At the Revere High School's Fall Fesival, Needham ranked third among small school entries. Ninth grader Katherine Calton  was celebrated her first regular season tournament by earning the tournament reserve championship in novce oral interpretation of literature. Junior Ananya Sharma  double entered, earning sixth place in prose reading and conducting her own celebration in her impromptu speaking debut be earning a state bid. Junior Max Scott was a finalist in Congressional Debate. He, along with dramatic performing junior Lily Bridgers, celebrated the very definition of the word 'stamina' by sandwiching their entries into the bookends of the SAMD Friday/Saturday performances of 'Urinetown .Coaches Greg Cunningham and Beth Peters judged for Needham with support from Tyler Bates.

At the virtual Averill tournament,junior Jeremy Tsung and sophomore Jon Fleischer earned state bids in varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate Sophomores Matias Welch and Lulu Wang missed out narrowly on doing so, dropping their 'bump' rounds. Novice Shreyan Dahiya has a strong debut. Coach Adam Nir '02 Alum Evan Eyler '21, parent Thomas Welch, and coach PJ Wexler judged for Needham.

Wexler said that the overall NHS performance, was 'mighty and proud'.

Oct 21st: Novice Festival at Thayer Academy (Braintree) 

The Needham High Speech and Debate Team  Flew gamely and enthusiastically through the Massachusetts Speech and Debate League's  annual novice festival at Thayer Academy in Braintree,Saturday,  October 21st.

Children's Literature readers Clara Brough and Szilvia Robertson,  Congressional Debater maven  Madeline Weirup, Declamation stars Madeleine Clark, Ayla-Ryann Thompson, and Isacc Veiner, Lincoln-Douglas Debater rapiers Leelah Murstein, Raina Fisch, Marisa Green, Emmy Yang, Brooke Donohue, Asha Padmanabhan, Sienna Tow, Rafael Morales, Madelyn Bracken,Arya Chaven, Marco Barbosa, Maisie Berger, Angela Wang, Giselle Millien, Juna Banks and Clayton Pachus had marvelous days. So  did  sterling poetry readers Katherine Calton and Harper Schneiderman and 'starling' prose  readers Chloe Crable and Ivy Brough. 

Judging for Needham were team captains and leaders  Lily Allen, Cameron Markowtiz,,Gabe Pressman, Anika Ray, Kyle Railton, Simon Shoemaker, Selene Solari-Cis,  Jeremy Tsung and Leah Wang. Sophomore leaders who attended to support the team  were  Alex Gurchenkov, Suriya Keshava, Kalina Mihova,  and Matias Welch

. Coach PJ Wexler observed that the overall excellence of the 'novi'  performances on the day