During the weekend of November 15, Mentor High School’s halls were graced with over 500 students talking to the walls.
Virtually every Saturday, the MHS Speech and Debate team awakens at the crack of dawn, taking snow-dusted trips for a day filled with debating, performing, and, of course, plenty of water breaks. This past November, however, our team got to bring the dialogue to their home court in an annual affair, hosting 21 high schools and 12 middle schools. The event brought together 550 students in 21 events, ranging from dramatic performances to persuasive debates.
Speech and Debate helps students build strong communication skills, critical thinking, and confidence by teaching them how to research issues, organize arguments, think on their feet, and speak persuasively in front of others. Mentor’s annual invitational serves as an opportunity to advance skills in teamwork and develop respect for different viewpoints, which are valuable in academics, leadership, and everyday life
“Speech and Debate offers a wide variety of events to compete in,” says senior Juliana Nichols. “Whether you want to debate one-on-one with someone or give a humorous speech, tournaments around Ohio offer a myriad of events that I would strongly recommend participating in.”
“My biggest takeaway has honestly been overcoming my social anxiety and finding my voice after being scared for so long,” added Debate Captain Ellie Coleman, reemphasizing the impact of Speech and Debate on students’ personal growth and self-confidence.
Mentor represented our home team well in competition. Nichols claimed the title of tournament champion after going undefeated in all of her four rounds of Big Questions Debate as sophomores Marcos Watson and Amelia Lee placed an impressive 4th and 5th, respectively. At the end of the day, Solon High School reigned the tournament team champion after accumulating 95 points, with Mason High School claiming runner up with 86.
The team thanks NHS students for volunteering, Cardinal Parents for staffing concessions, and MHS teachers for opening their classrooms. Their efforts make it possible for students to grow, compete, and achieve their best.
After a successful home tournament, the team hit the road the following week, traveling to the Chagrin Falls Tournament on November 22, where Coleman took 5th place in Congressional Debate, then winning 4th place just a week later in the Olmsted Falls Tournament on December 6.
A snowy Saturday trek to the Vermilion Tournament on December 13 punctuated the semester with even more to celebrate. Watson was named the tournament champion in Big Questions Debate while Coleman took 2nd place in Congressional Debate, earning her a bid to the State tournament. Juniors Brayden Schlacht and Yaprak Yilmaz both achieved personal bests in their performances in Congressional Debate and Original Oratory, respectively.
So far this season, several team members have additionally earned their spots in the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Honor Society, where competition points accumulate toward both membership and various degrees of recognition. Coleman earned her Degree of Superior Distinction with 750 points, while Yilmaz earned her Degree of Honor with 75 points and Schlacht and Watson earned their memberships and Degrees of Merit with 25 points. At upcoming tournaments, freshman Liv Butterfield is on track to earn her membership.
From hosting a home tournament to earning strong finishes across the region, the MHS Speech and Debate Team is off to a stellar start and looks forward to the rest of the season.
