Debate and forensics hopeful for Nationals

Delaney Jackson, Features Editor

This year’s debate and forensics team is having a strong season and hopes to finish stronger with bigger tournaments upcoming.

The debate and forensics team has been competing since October, and it’s been one of their most successful seasons yet. Senior debater Cooper Giles talks about how he thinks the season has gone.

“The season has gone well so far. Our big tournaments (Conference and Districts) are in the next few weeks, so we’ll have a better idea of the season then. But overall it’s been very good,” Giles said.

Also, juniors Lexi Holder and Ben O’Brien have been placing well in duo interpretation for forensics.

“The season has gone really well; me and Lexi Holder have been placing consistently in duo, and I couldn’t be happier with it because I really want to go to the National Tournament with her,” O’Brien said.

Holder says that she likes the duet she’s been doing with O’Brien a lot.

“We’re doing ‘Evil Dead: The Musical’, and it’s insane how well we’ve done. My favorite part of this year has been by far making our duo ours and really slaying the game with it,” Holder said.

Along with this being one of their best seasons thus far, there have been many other changes compared to previous seasons. Giles explains what’s different for him this year.

“This season is very similar to last season comparing the two squads as a whole. Both years started with mild success and continued to improve later in the season. For me personally, the years have been drastically different. Last year I was in policy debate partnered with a senior at the time, Kirsten Pryde. She was the president of the team and I played a supportive role. This year I have taken the responsibility of vice president of the speech program and have stepped into a leadership role,” Giles said.

While actual debate rounds are serious, the team also has plenty of time for jokes. Giles explains what one of the running jokes the debate team has.

“At the beginning of this year, (Kelly) Morrill (the debate coach) was convinced that one of our debaters, Tavarus Pennington was always late. It caught on and became a running joke throughout the squad, a few tournaments in he ended up actually being late to the bus and he still hasn’t heard the end of it,” Giles said.

On the other side of the squad, O’Brien has a favorite memory from this season.

“I think my favorite part of this season was the Jeff City tournament, I roomed with really good friends and got second in informative, and it was just a really memorable time being away from home with my favorite people,” O’Brien said.

The season is coming to a close and both teams are looking to have more team members qualify for Nationals than they ever have before. But first, they have to conquer Conference this weekend.

O’Brien says he hopes to be among those at Nationals.

“I’m really looking forward to Districts where I’ll be competing in duo, I really hope that me and Lexi will do good and get to Nationals as well as so many people on my team. Districts is very fast paced and very competitive and it’s so exciting to perform and see people qualify to Nationals, especially considering it’s something a lot of us dream about,” O’Brien said.

The same goes for the debaters.

“I’m really looking forward to the Conference Tournament. The entire team has been putting in a lot of work and we are looking for a chance to take back 1st place from Lee’s Summit West,” Giles said.