Speech and Debate Tournament

by James Deorio

Akshara Nimmagadda and James Deorio represented West Chester East High School by competing in the state championship in the category of parliamentary debate. They were one of only two teams (4 people total) from the district to qualify for the state championship in their category, going 2-1 in districts and finishing second. They competed on March 21st at Bloomsburg University. Even though they did not qualify for day two, simply qualifying and competing in states alone is a huge achievement. After interviewing team members, one thing’s for certain: everyone is looking forward to what the future holds for this club.

James Deorio (Author) on their experience with districts and states: “Mrs. Rosenthal and I have an inside joke about my first Speech & Debate meeting. It was the first day of March Madness, and I remember watching the games on her computer instead of debating because I was new to the club, and the other students were planning for the following year. A year later, it's March Madness again and we’re going to compete at the state championship at Bloomsburg University. 

I went into the district playoffs/state qualifier with an “underdog mentality”. On the drive to Harriton High School for districts, I was extremely nervous, so I listened to the story of David and Goliath on my phone and just followed the advice of David- trusting in God and allowing Jesus to calm my nerves whenever I got them. This was my first year competing in Speech and Debate tournaments, and I’d started the season with an 0-4 record at prior competitions. Now, I was going to compete in playoffs against the best and most experienced high schoolers in the district. Also a school is only allowed two team entries for districts, and our club presidents would normally have been the ones debating at districts, but they had a DECA event. Therefore, Akshara and I ended up being able to compete. I wanted to do my best, and I felt like if I did, I could be satisfied with the result. Despite my attitude, qualifying for states was more satisfying than just doing my best. I felt I had earned my place. I felt good, and I competed even better. And even though I felt I did my best, it still came as a surprise when I learned that we came in second place in our district and qualified for the state championship! I remember on the ride home thinking of how exciting it was going to be to compete in the state tournament. 

 Even on the way to the states, I was still incredibly excited but once again I was still a little nervous. Now we were competing against the best kids in the state and both of us were in our first season. Nerves were starting to get to me a little bit, but all those nerves went away when we arrived at the hotel. The minute I saw the other buses from schools in PA that I had never even heard of, I was more ready and excited than ever to compete against them. 

Regardless of the outcome, states was really fascinating and I was able to meet a lot of interesting and intelligent people there. In competitions, it was difficult to go against the best in the state, since my job was to refute their logic and perspectives, it was a lot harder than normal considering how experienced and talented they were. The competitors were there for a reason and it showed but it was still a unique experience and one I’m very glad I got to partake in. One thing I learned and will carry with me into next season is that, in parliamentary debate you cannot anticipate a thing! Your opponent is as unpredictable as the resolution you’re going to be arguing about. You have to always be attentive, think on your feet, and argue every point the other side makes, because it’s better to try and fail, then leave a point unrefuted. 

 I want to finish by thanking God, all glory to him, and I want to thank Jesus Christ. He’s the reason I was able to perform to the best of my abilities. I can’t wait for next season and I can’t wait to see the future of this club. I would also like to thank Mrs. Rosenthal for being open to helping me whenever I needed it, her role in my development in parliamentary debate cannot be overstated. And I want to thank my team and I want to thank Akshara. I look forward to next season.” 

Akshara Nimmagadda on what it was like to qualify and compete in the state tournament as a freshman?:

“It was really intimidating, especially since most of the people there seemed very experienced. However, it was nice to get feedback from them and even become friends.”

Mrs. Rosenthal’s answer to the question “What was the experience like in terms of coaching when it came to prepping Akshara and Jimmy for states? And also what was it like to judge and witness parliamentary debate at the state level?”

“I honestly didn't know what to expect in judging at the state level of competition, so l was a bit intimidated at first. I didn't know how to best prepare Jimmy and Akshara, so I hope I was able to provide them with enough guidance! I did a ton of research, watched videos of debates, and read articles and rule guides for the two weeks leading up to states. It was a new experience for all of us, but we learned so much and can't wait to apply all of that knowledge moving forward to next season.

Judging at the state level was extraordinary! I have never seen students debate at that caliber, and I was beyond impressed by every team. The whole competition was an amazing opportunity for Jimmy and Akshara as well as for me —we can't wait for next season!”

Naina Bhatia (Co-founder): Where do you see the club’s future for next year? And do you believe that West Chester East will be back competing in states?

“I definitely see the club expanding, as it has been since its start two years ago. This would include new members, more competitions, and better results. And my answer to the second question is definitely! It is such an honor seeing all of my teammates improve with every practice, and with the rate of growth that we’ve seen, I envision us all at States next year.”

Angelina Vo (Co-founder): When you and Naina first started speech and debate, did you believe that within two years, you would have a team that was able to qualify and compete in the state tournament?

“When Naina and I founded the speech & debate team at East, we definitely had high aspirations for success, but the team has exceeded our expectations. We put a lot of effort and planning into recruitment and creating an accessible environment where complex speech & debate concepts felt approachable and fun. While Naina and I already believed in the team’s potential, having qualifiers is an amazing validation of everyone’s hard work! We fully believe that our team can go beyond what we’ve already accomplished: maybe joining new leagues and attending nationals next year!”

Jack Armbruster (Membership officer): How do you feel the club has grown and blossomed in its brief two-year existence?

“Over the last two years, our team has had the unique opportunity to dive in-depth into the world of speech and debate events. Through the efforts of all of our members, we have challenged ourselves to succeed in competition, and I would say we have already accomplished a great deal. Two years ago, none of us had any experience competing, but this year, we were able to send members of our team to the state competition. I think this exemplifies the tremendous growth our club has seen, and we are only just getting started. Next year, in addition to expanding our membership, we are planning on traveling to more exciting locations, including an event in Pittsburgh. I can’t wait to see the future direction of our club, and I look forward to the future success of our members!”

Caroline Brittingham (Fundraising officer): As a long time member of speech and debate, how do you see this club help its members, especially newer members, grow? 

“As the club has grown since my freshman year, I have witnessed its members become not only better debaters, but also better thinkers. This club has improved my critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and general understanding of the world around me. Many of my fellow club members would say the same!”

Information About the State Championship Process:

• The way the state championship tournament is set up is that you have to arrive at Bloomsburg University by 7 a.m. You sit and listen to the head of the tournament read over certain standard rules. Then you would be split up into your categories. Then you would receive an email with the resolution (what you have to argue about), and an online coin would decide who gets to choose if they are for or against the topic. Regardless of your record in those debates, you are still required to compete in four, even after being ineligible for qualifying for the second day. There are eight total judges, two per round. You have to sway 6 out of 8 judges' votes to qualify and compete on the second day. If you fail to do so, you may spectate the next day but you are eliminated from the running of state champion.

• Parliamentary debate is when two teams of two are given a resolution (Example: this house would expand the supreme court) and then a coin flip decides who gets to call if they want to be house (in this instance this means they are for expanding the supreme court) or opp (meaning they are opposed to expanding the supreme court). They are then given fifteen minutes to research their topic and then go off to give an opening speech that they are both allotted seven minutes for, a rebuttal speech which is another allotted seven minutes, and finally a conclusion speech which is a five minute speech. Both sides are allowed to interject and ask a question but they must be approved by whoever is the current speaker.