For some Neosho High School students, the last week’s national debate tournament was a “last hurrah.”
The Neosho High School Speech and Debate squad finished first in the nation in accumulated rounds at the National Forensic League National Speech and Debate Tournament in Kansas City. Also, the students won the Bruno E. Jacob Award.
Most who attended the tournament graduated high school in May, so this was their last high school speech competition. May graduates included Chris Holweger, Alexsandra McMahan, Bo Mahr, Ethan Samuel, Jeromy Alexander, Molly Shumaker, Aaron Kocurek and Dillon Ezell.
“I was really proud of the kids,” said David Watkins, speech and debate teacher at Neosho High School. “It was a real team effort.”
The competition took place from June 13-18. The team has been practicing for the competition daily since May 1.
“Overall, I think we were rather satisfied,” said Holweger, who tied for fifth place in supplemental debate.
Prior to the competition, the students were given a handful of topics that would come up in the debates, but they went in without knowing what topic they would speak on.
A speech tournament works similar to any other tournament. There are usually about four preliminary rounds. Surviving those, students advance to quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
Holweger said about three percent of the total national forensic leagues show up at the national competition.
“That’s still a massive number of people,” he said. “Getting into the top 60 is a huge challenge.”
One student, Mahr, took 48th place in U.S. Extemp.
“We have always had debaters in our squad be very successful, and to finally see the
school, our squad and Mr. Watkins be recognized for that on a national level is great to be a part of,” Mahr said.
Along with Holweger and Mahr, another student to take home an individual honor was Shumaker, who advanced to the semifinal round in Student Congress-Senate.
The students who competed in the tournament and their categories are:
- Alexander and Elizabeth Miller in Public Forum Debate;
- McMahan in Lincoln-Douglas Debate;
- Samuel in International Extemp;
- Lauren Gordon in International Extemp;
- Sam Parks in U.S. Extemp;
- Holweger in Student Congress-House of Representatives;
- Ezell in Dramatic Interp;
- Kocurek and Brad Stout in Humorous Interp.
