By Rachel Neglia

Have you noticed that a specific minority is beginning to attend school again on Fridays? That there are fewer coffee stains on assignments, and fewer issues of The Economist nonchalantly lying around the campus? That’s probably because TPA Speech and Debate has recently concluded another successful season.

This year was the team’s first in Division I, where it competed against large schools like Desert Vista and Brophy. Although the season was not ideal, it was a step in the right direction for further successes in the future. At the Division I state tournament and the national qualifier tournament particularly, TPA had a strong presence. We proved that with effort, even a team of 12 can be a fighting force against a team of 80.

The Division I state tournament presented many individual successes for TPA students.

Lyubov Kapko, a senior, won Lincoln-Douglas Debate, a form of philosophical one-on-one debate which requires extensive practice for success, and Impromptu Speaking, an event in which speakers have two minutes to formulate a five-minute speech for immediate presentation. She placed second in Extemporaneous Speaking, where speakers receive their current-events based topics 30 minutes before giving a seven-minute speech. Lyubov also placed within the top six of her extremely competitive Congressional Debate chamber.

Senior Kate Coriell broke also to semifinals in Poetic Interpretation.

Several underclassmen also had success in their individual events. Sophomore Rachel Neglia advanced to semifinals in Extemporaneous Speaking and in Oratory. Jacqueline McIntosh, also a sophomore, advanced to semifinals in Poetic Interpretation.

When all of the accumulated points were aggregated, Brophy’s team won the state tournament, followed by Desert Vista. TPA came in fifth, following McClintock – a team that has significantly more people. What’s more, TPA followed McClintock by only 13 points – meaning that if two more people would have advanced to semifinals, TPA would have ranked higher. This shows that with a few more hard-working members, TPA’s Speech and Debate team can go far.

The District Qualifier Tournament, in which the students who are to represent Arizona at the national tournament in June are chosen, was successful for TPA as well. Within this tournament Divisions I and II are combined. Like other tournaments, there are no separate categories for the different stages of high school.

In Congressional Debate, Erin Guiney, a sophomore, Rachel Neglia, also a sophomore, and Yegor Zenkov, a junior, all placed among the top six in their houses.

In International Extemporaneous Speaking, Yegor placed third and qualified to nationals, continuing the TPA legacy in this event.

In Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Rachel placed second out of 28 entries, also qualifying to the national tournament. She is the first from TPA to qualify in debate.

Next year with the departure of Lyubov Kapko, the team will need to step up its game to maintain its position in Division I. Above all, this means more hard-working members on the team. Coach Wolnisty explains that “People often don’t know what Speech and Debate is like until they experience it for themselves.” If you have even the slightest interest in the many benefits that Speech and Debate provides, come to a meeting to see how you can get involved.

There are several upcoming events that all TPA students are invited to attend. First is the annual showcase, in which this year’s speech and debaters will present their pieces to the team. The showcase is a great opportunity to experience the different events included in the activity, and dinner is provided. Another event that will be held in July is the Speech and Debate informational camp. Last year’s Speech and Debaters, along with TPA alumni, will give presentations about argumentation, philosophy, public speaking, and acting, and anyone can participate.

Come and see for yourself the unparalleled benefits that you can gain from this wonderful activity. The TPA Speech and Debate team needs you!