CHS debate team claims honors at tourney

Carson High School’s debate team competed in the second season tournament at Spanish Springs Oct. 20 and 21. The tournament included 15 schools and 183 competitors. The Carson Squad advanced members into the final round in every speech event Friday and half of the debate events Saturday. Here is a breakdown of Carson finalists:

Novice Storytelling

- 6th, Noelani Ochoa performing selections from “Hamilton” by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Novice Informative

- 6th, Pebble Wiggins, topic: “The Guillotine”

Senior Informative

- 6th, McKenzie Merrell, topic: “Oppenheimer and Nuclear Weapons”

- 5th, Nasia Perkins, topic: “Morbid Curiosity”

Senior Extemporaneous

- 6th, Kyle Allen

- 2nd, Viviana Castro

Novice Dramatic Interpretation

- 6th, Claire Dillon performing “With the Fire on High” by Elizabeth Acevedo

Senior Dramatic Interpretation

- 4th, Summer McGill performing scenes from “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson

- 1st, Emily Tran performing “Room” by Emma Donoghue

Senior Duo Interpretation

- 1st, Chelsea Empeno & Kaden Sa performing “The Second Bakery Attack” by Haruki

Murakami

Novice Public Forum

- Thomas Lance, 7th place speaker points

Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate

- Emily Tran, 5th place speaker points

- Alexis Ropp, 2nd place speaker points, 2nd overall

Senior Lincoln Douglas Debate

Viviana Castro, 1st place speaker points, 3rd overall

The team will be in action at the Boonanza and the next tournament is Nov. 17 and 18 at Reed High School. Members of the team will travel to Las Vegas to compete in the Golden Desert Tournament of Champions Qualifier in November, and the team is preparing for the American Legion Oratorical Contest as well as the Poetry Out Loud Competition.

Patrick Mobley is a social studies teacher and speech coach for Carson High School.