Provided by the Bristol Township School District:
Back Row (L-R): Makenzie Stewart; Olivia Weight; Salena Weston; Erika Kotarba; Rachel Custer; Nirali Patel
Front Row (L-R): Daniel Hebenstreit; Nele Vandeginste
Credit: BTSD
Harry S. Truman High School’s nationally recognized debate team has done it again. The team was recently recognized as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Debate League’s (SPDL) 2013-2014 champion. SPDL is composed of 13 schools from Bucks and Montgomery counties and Truman has won the League sweepstakes for the last six years!
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During the 2013-2014 season Truman compiled 65 points in the League’s three debate and four speech events and captured the Accumulating League Award for the third time since 2009.
Truman students recognized in the debate events are: Joey Shirley (semifinalist in Lincoln Douglas Debate); Anthony Hunter and Elizabeth McGoldrick (Quarterfinalists in Policy Debate); Dan Hebenstreit and Vince Montoya (semifinalists in Public Forum Debate); and Rachel Custer and Nirali Patel (Second Place in Public Forum Debate).
In the speech events, Nana Konadu was a finalist in Extemporaneous Speaking and Raeanne Schneider and Mackenzie Stewart were finalists in Oral Interpretation.
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Nele Vandeginste placed fourth in Extemporaneous Speaking. Taking fourth place in Duo Interpretation were Samantha Haines and Hannah Gregory. Salena Weston, Olivia Wright and Valeria Ochoa captured first, fourth and sixth place respectively in Oral Interpretation.
First place in Dramatic Interpretation went to Erika Kotarba. Hannah Genn finished fourth and Dylan Tyas finished in sixth place.
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In May, Truman students will travel to Chicago and compete at the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) finals. Six Truman students qualified for the NCFL: Sara Stewart, Laura Genn, Rachel Custer, Nirali Patel, Hannah Gregory and Samantha Haines. Truman has competed at national finals for 38 successive years. This is also the first time in 20 years that the Duo Interpretation team is made up of two freshmen students-Haines and Gregory.
Coach Carl Grecco who has coached the District’s high school debate teams for more than 50 years said, “The team has had a great year. With close to 50 members, we have successfully recruited students in the ninth and tenth grades who are learning from their peers and really pushing themselves to think critically, analyze and adapt.”
