Speakers gear up for state competition after taking silver at district
The speech and debate team is sending 20 competitors to the state meet after taking second place at district April 2-4. Back row from left: Kelsey Dunn, Laurel Mcgrane, Daniel Lawrence, Brian Yang, Alex Serurrier, and Daniel Cohen. 2nd row: Charles Liu. Will Leo, Lukas Schwab, Amy Qiu, Orion Cleaver, Colin Phipps, Mai O’Neil, Hanna Wilson, Miles Stepelton, Brad Subraminium, Johnathan Huang, Jamie Bikales. Front row: Noah Hoffman, Shelia Panyam, Zoie Brauser, Anisha Rajbhandary, Maia Abruzeeze, Stella Wiswall, Kate Weeks, Clara Schwab, Sammy Webb, Lea Voight, and Jack Sanders.
The speech and debate team took first place in debate sweepstakes, and second in overall sweepstakes at the District 13 speech and debate tournament hosted by Lincoln April 2-4. Lincoln will be represented by nine debate teams and six individual event speakers at the OSAA State Competition in Monmouth on April 22-25.
According to coach Jenny Owen, Lincoln competes in the “toughest district in the State of Oregon.” Lincoln won three of the debate categories: Alex Serrurier and William Leo, Parliamentary; Kelsey Dunn and Laurel McGrane, Public Forum; and Lukas Schwab and Miles Stepleton, Cross-Examination. “It felt good to win because it showed us our hard work paid off,” Dunn, a sophomore, said.
Taking second place in the debate division and also qualifying for state were Orion Cleaver and Daniel Lawrence, Parliamentary Debate; and Daniel Cohen, Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
The biggest speech event wins were Daniel Lawrence, After Dinner Speaking; Juhui Lui, Literary Interp for Beginning and Intermediate English Learners (LIBIELL). Sheila Panyamtook second place in Original Oratory.
Even teammates who did not place at districts are supportive of the team. Zoie Brauser, sophomore, said “ I’m not sad that I didn’t win. I did my best, and I wish everyone luck at State.”
The team will continue practicing each Wednesday before state. According to Owen, District 13, containing all Portland public schools, is an advanced district, meaning that most competitors who do well end up doing well at state.
Results:
Sweeps:
Debate
Qualifying to state:
