Speech & Debate Kicks Off Seventh Season of Competition

This month the Speech & Debate Team at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart kicked off the seventh year of interscholastic competition with eleven students competing at the New Jersey Speech & Debate League (NJSDL) October 2023 Online Speech Festival. The competition featured over 100 student entries from 9 schools across New Jersey as well as schools from California, Georgia, and Ohio.

The NJSDL October Festival included traditional speech and debate events as well as themed events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. In the Congressional Debate Authorship Challenge, Daniel I. ‘24, Gregory F. '26, Nathan L. '26, and Alex N. '26 presented arguments for bills and resolutions inspired by the legislative priorities of the United States Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Asa Gee ‘25 competed in Prepared Prompt (the asynchronous version of Impromptu Speaking) exploring the quote “My only weapon is the question” by Jorge Ramos, Mexican American journalist and author, chosen from the themed prompts celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. 

In the Pro Con Challenge, Yidrew Chen presented cases both for and against the September/October Public Forum topic Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its military presence in the Arctic. In the event of Declamation, Levi M. ’24, Gonzalo K.P. ‘25, Jayden L. ‘25, and Waliyy M. ‘25 presented TED Talks on topics important to them that they believe should be shared. Levi M. ‘24 and Rayn Z. ‘24 presented meaningful poems in Poetry Interpretation while Anthony M. ‘26 presented a cutting from Michael Phelp’s autobiography NO LIMITS: The Will to Succeed in Prose Interpretation.

Princeton Academy was awarded the Silver Medal for second place in Middle School Team Sweepstakes at the NJSDL October Festival and the following PASH students earned individual awards:

• Yidrew C. ‘24, Gold Medal of Excellence in Pro Con Challenge
• Levi M. ‘24, Gold Medal of Excellence in Declamation
• Jayden L. ‘25, Gold Medal of Excellence in Declamation
• Gonzalo K-P., ‘25, Gold Medal of Excellence in Declamation
• Alex N. ‘26 Silver Medal of Honor in Congressional Debate Authorship Challenge
• Levi M. ‘24, Silver Medal of Honor in Poetry Interpretation
• Anthony M. ‘26, Silver Medal of Honor in Prose Interpretation
• Levi M. ‘24, Gold Medal in Individual Sweepstakes

Twenty-two students are competing this week at the National Online Forensics (NOF) Oak Tournament – the most ever to compete this early in the season. Results will be posted early next week.