Sequoyah HS Debate Team Wins State Award, Competes at Harvard

The Sequoyah High School Speech and Debate Team wrapped up its successful season with a competition at Harvard University and a top state award at the Varsity Speech and Debate State Championship!

The team brought 39 students to the Harvard Speech and Debate tournament held at the prestigious university in Cambridge, Mass. to compete against more than 200 schools from across the nation. This was the ninth trip to Harvard University for the team, which is coached by Matt Bartula and Katie Maher, both teachers at Sequoyah HS.

Public Forum participants included: Natasha Ambriz, Valerie Ambriz, Jesus Arreola, Liam Blevins, Sydney Cavin, Hannah Cordell, Caleb Crayton, Nyla Crayton, Mary Beth Dicks, Andrew Doerr, Bailey Eison, Gabby Filkins, Jack Forbes, Andrew Gollner, Olivia Goss, Georgine Gibson, Cailyn Hooper, Alyssa Kirby, Skylar Luke, Allyson Mason, Patrick McKenzie, Emily Minnick, Evelin Pedro, Alex Petersen, Marko Petrovic, Caleb Pope, Jackson Robinson, Zach Rogers, Aicha Sabara and Shira Wildschut. Lincoln Douglas participants were Aaron Brown, Rebecca Choe, Nic Fricia, Noah Campbell, Max Frye and Taylor Jones. Speech participants were Katie Brown, Rebekah Carnes and Maddie Doerr.

The team then won the Georgia Forensic Coaches Association’s Philip Wertz School of Excellence Award at the Varsity Speech and Debate State Championship Tournament held in Atlanta.

It’s the second consecutive year for the team to receive the award, which is presented to schools with 1,600-1,900 students that qualified the most number of students in their division for the Varsity Speech and Debate State Championship Tournament.

The team qualified 16 students: Mary Beth Dicks, Caleb Crayton, Megan Evans, Julianne Clark, Nyla Crayton, Jack Forbes, Andrew Gollner, Zach Rogers, Rebecca Choe, Nic Fricia, Aaron Brown, and Max Frye competing in Public Forum and Lincoln Douglass debates; Rebekah Carnes in Humorous Interpretation and Duo, Maddie Doerr in Impromptu and Duo, Katie Brown in Program of Oral Interpretation and Ben Lowry in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Public Forum Debate students Mary Beth Dicks and Caleb Crayton were octafinalists at the state competition, Andrew Gollner received 5th place speaker award and Nyla Crayton received seventh place speaker award. Speech participant Maddie Doerr was a quarterfinalist in Impromptu Speaking. Maddie and partner Rebekah Carnes placed fourth overall in the state for their Duo Interpretation piece.

More than 50 students participated on the team this year, competing in tournaments throughout the state and at the national level.

“The Speech and Debate team offers our students the unique opportunity to thoughtfully consider and debate issues that are shaping our country and our world,” Principal Elliott Berman said. “The speaking and debating skills they develop here not only benefit them as they look forward to college and job interviews, they prepare them to be well informed vocal leaders of our community and country in the future.”

PHOTO: The Sequoyah High School Speech and Debate Team brought 39 students to the Harvard Speech and Debate tournament held at the prestigious university in Cambridge, Mass. to compete against more than 200 schools from across the nation.