Traveling around the corner to neighbor private school NSU University School, the Speech and Debate team brought thirty students to compete at the tournament. In a pool with hundreds of national competitors, Heritage students earned recognition at the Nova Sunvitational January 10-12.
The tournament began Friday afternoon with the first two preliminary rounds ending at 9 p.m. Saturday, competitors participated in events from eight in the morning to ten o’clock at night, where preliminary rounds three through six and then the first elimination round of the best thirty-two people remaining took place. On Sunday morning competition took place where it left off, and the elimination rounds continued until the judges crowned a champion.
At such a reputable tournament, the Patriots were proud of their performance. “Sunvite 2020 was by far one of Heritage’s best tournaments as a team and one we will never forget.We had a member from the team final in almost every event we entered,” junior Public Forum debater Isaac Ratzan said.
In Lincoln Douglas Debate, sophomores Emilin Mathew and Prateek Gupta placed in the final sixteen competitors, junior Anika Dham placed in the final eight, freshman Mary Abi-Karam lost in the semi finals (top 4) and senior Perry Beckett came in second place. In extemporaneous debate, senior Juliette Reyes finaled. In Congressional debate, senior Luca Zislin also finaled.
In Speech events, the team had many finalists, including sophomores Oliver Lackso and Saatvik Kaul in Humorous Interpretation, sophomore Abigail Canalejo in Point of Information, seniors Courtney Medwin and Adelina Marinello in Duo interpretation, senior Juliette Reyes in impromptu speaking and senior Jana Kelly and sophomore Saatvik Kaul in Original Oratory.
Overall, the team had many students go far in their event, and they hope to have the same success at the next tournament January 25-27 at Emory University.
