Speech and Debate State Championship

Speech and Debate State Championship

Speech and Debate is at it again! Congratulations to all the members of our State Champion Speech & Debate Team and to their sponsor, Mr. Rumsey.  This is the second time they’ve won in a row! Though their practices have been difficult, since everything was reverted to online because of Covid-19, they still successfully managed to do what they can do and win the championship for us! We’ve all been put in a place where we must improvise, and that takes a lot of work. We see you, we hear you, and we’re very proud of you. Way to go, Knights! Today, I’ll be interviewing Naina Shaik, a sophomore at ACP, and she and her sister took 4th place for Duo Interpretation. Here’s what she has to say!

Q: What made you interested in Speech and Debate?

A: I didn’t really have a voice and I was not very confident in speaking with other people, so I thought Speech and Debate would help me get better at public speaking.

Q: Do you partake in any other hobbies? 

A: I do art and book reviews. 

Q: What made you choose Duo Interpretation and what was your piece about?

A: I did the duo because I always saw people doing them during a tournament, and it inspired the actor in me. My piece was about a little girl who sued God for all he was worth, and the main purpose was to have faith in yourself when things get hard.

Q: Do you think your Speech and Debate skills will come in handy in the future and if so, how?

A: I do think so because I have recognized changes in my confidence, ability to articulate, and write essays. I know those traits will benefit me in the future career because I want to go into journalism and psychology. 

Here’s a list of students who placed at state.

Congressional Debate House 1

  • Yoojin Han – State Champion
  • Delaney Krieger-2nd place
  • Yibo Chen-4th place

Congressional Debate House 2

  • Sebastian Javadpoor – State Champion
  • Waldo King-5th place
  • Ryan Lancaster-6th place

Big Questions Debate

  • Pauline Kousoulas – 3rd place

Public Forum Debate

  • Sebastian Javadpoor & Blake Enwiller – Co-State Champion
  • Delaney Krieger & Yoojin Hann- Co-State Champion
  • Frederick Changho & Brandon Lazna – 3rd place

Information Speech

  • Maddie Rumsey – State Champion
  • Delaney Krieger-2nd place
  • Yoojin Hann- 3rd place
  • Katie Park- 6th place

Original Oratory

  • Yoojin Han – 2nd place
  • Delaney Krieger- 3rd place

Impromptu Speech

  • Sebastian Javadpoor – 3rd place
  • Blake Enwiller- 4th place
  • Brandon Lazna- 5th place

Extemporaneous Speech

  • Nevan Hanford – 2nd place
  • Sebastian Javadpoor-3rd place
  • Sophia Berg- 5th place

Dramatic Interpretation

  • Abby Goon – State Champion
  • Frederick Changho- 3rd place
  • Chandler Hathaway- 5th place
  • Cailen Hughes- 6th place

Humorous Interpretation

  • Abriel Knipmeyer – State Champion
  • Adeline Carder- 2nd place
  • Anthony Cantone- 3rd place

Program Oral Interpretation

  • Maddie Rumsey – 2nd place
  • Lea Flores- 3rd place

Duo Interpretation

  • Naina Shaik & Rayna Shaik – 4th place
  • Cassie Kantrud & Jordan Fuller- 5th place

Poetry Interpretation

  • Daynah Andrews – 2nd place
  • Adeline Carter- 3rd place

Thank you for the interview, Naina, and great job, Speech and Debate! Great work on winning state for us twice; your exceptional effort will not be taken for granted. Remember to strive for the impossible and always be extraordinary!