By Sama Allam
While COVID-19 halted numerous activities and future plans, this was not the case for speech and debate. This summer, Tempe Prep senior Violeta Panayotova climbed the speech and debate ladder, and made her way up to semi-finals. Speech and Debate Nationals looked a little different this year, though — all events were online.
Done over Zoom, it was odd sitting down, Violeta recounts, as she grew used to standing up on a stage and giving a speech to the judges. Nonetheless, she adapted quickly to the new environment. This unfamiliar terrain did not phase her though. “The feeling of being there, even in a Zoom setting, with a group of people who have worked their entire lives to be there and to compete for that first place was the most amazing thing in the world.”
During her sophomore year, fueled by her competitive nature, her goal of being a great lawyer, and her desire to improve her English speaking skills and public speaking presence, Violeta decided to take a plunge into the cutthroat world of speech and debate. What kept her there was her newfound passion for public speaking (read: debating), the speech debate team and community, and of course, the cookies. From then on, Violeta has made leaps and bounds in her Speech and Debate journey.
Now, let it be known that making it to the national speech and debate tournament cannot be accomplished by just about anyone. This year, the selection process looked a little different, but here’s an overview: The state selects a contestant’s best three tournaments and combines the scores into a cumulative score.
Qualifying for nationals was nerve wracking because the process of selection was so different than previous years. Violeta recounts her past doubts, where she wondered whether or not her scores were good enough to propel her to the national level. Going to nationals and competing was incredibly difficult, but “it was the most rewarding thing in the world.”
This year, Violeta competed in the Congress Debate event. Congress, Violeta describes, is like playing pretend-House of Representatives and/or pretend-Senators. In this event, Violeta worked with a group of people to advocate for a certain policy they wanted to push through, or argue against another policy. Violeta practiced her topic beforehand for hours on end.
After safely making it through the pre-elimination rounds, where contestants give their topics and speeches, Violeta held her breath for the next event, the elimination round, where judges remove contestants from the contest if they fail. Much to her surprise, Violeta witnessed her very own name on the list of contestants who progressed to quarterfinals. Violeta recounts breaking into quarterfinals (in Speech and Debate lingo, that means making it to the next level): “When I saw my name, a little part of me died inside. I couldn’t believe it. How can I be there?”
Violeta encourages anyone and everyone to try out Speech and Debate. Her accomplishments are results of her belief that “dedication is key.” Participating in these high stakes events has taught Violeta to use her fear as fuel to work harder.