Speech and Debate was welcomed to ACP last year with open arms. Like any class, sport, or club, skepticism trailed behind, lurking in the shadows; however, our Speech and Debate team has grown leaps and bounds, all within two short years. From the first day of class, to the first tournament, first loss, and first win, the Speech and Debate Team made ACP history.

At the most recent Speech and Debate tournament, the Prep School Classic, located at Chandler prep, Miranda Vega (11) and her debate partner Natasha Zimmerman (10) took first in the duet acting event. Natasha explained the event as a partner acting event and clarified, “You take a 10-minute play and act out the play with two people… playing only two roles…”. Both Miranda and Natasha had never competed in the duet acting event, yet brought home the championship, followed by their own personal trophies and a standing ovation from the crowd. The proper speech and debate etiquette allows only one, simultaneous clap from the audience; however, first place receives a standing ovation, for earning the championship is an arduous task. Natasha continued by saying she didn’t expect to win walking into Chandler Prep. She exclaimed that she hoped her and Miranda would place 5th, but they were both pleasantly surprised to find they earned the championship.

Not only did Natasha and Miranda win, but also Nick Pierce (11). In an interview with Nick, he explained he competed in the Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate and placed third. When explaining the difference between the other debate method, Public Forum, Nick exclaimed that the major difference between the two is that “Public Forum is fake debate…” he continued by defining the rules Public Forum debaters must follow, while the Lincoln Douglas debaters are excluded from these rules. He continued by stating “[Lincoln Douglas] can make real change in the world…”.

Margaret Krenke, a current senior at ACP, was one of many others, including the four highlighted in this article, who competed in the latest Speech and Debate Tournament. She competed in multiple events but said she placed third in her Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate. She continued by saying she was very proud when she placed third in her event but also discovered multiple things she needed to  fix o better improve her performance so she can excel next time. She also highlighted the team bonding that occurs between each round and event. She exclaimed that the team plays card games and even debates on random topics. To end the interview, Margaret said, “I’m really going to miss the team when I graduate…they are like family…”.

Mr. Rumsey, the coach and teacher of the Speech and Debate team, discussed the wins, loses, highs, and lows of the tournament. When asked if he expected to take home the championship, he defined his tactic of not walking into any tournament with any expectations. These words of wisdom help guide him and his team to excel in their craft and work toward helping those who have just joined to build their confidence and polish their talents. He continued by stating the most exciting part of the day was seeing the crowd cheer for Miranda and Natasha and was ecstatic seeing them hold their trophies on stage. Mr. Rumsey not only teaches Speech and Debate, but also Honors English 9 and implements life skills in all aspects of his lessons to better prepare his students for the future.

Even though Speech and Debate only started at ACP in the 2016-2017 school year, the team has already proved they are capable of the extraordinary. Mr. Rumsey’s advice to those who want to join speech and debate were, “Don’t let fear make your decisions”. Mr. Rumsey also put together videos highlighting the Speech and Debate team, including the ones linked below.