East Texas sending dozens of students to national speech and debate tournament

Published 5:45 pm Friday, June 10, 2016

Approximately 30 East Texas students from several area high schools will sharpen their skills and meet new people as they compete in the National Speech and Debate Tournament next week in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Out of all the schools in the region, Van ISD had the most qualify with nine students – a record number – headed to the national tournament, followed by Lindale ISD with eight national qualifiers.

Van ISD has qualified students for the national tournament for the last 12 years. To qualify for the tournament, a student must place in the top 250 in their event across the nation, J.P. Fugler, Van ISD coach and speech and debate teacher, said.

“That’s pretty prestigious in itself,” he said, noting the work that students put into qualifying.

After roughly 30 tournaments throughout the school year, the national tournament for Van ISD is “icing on the cake,” Fugler said.

Students have spent the approximately three weeks since school dismissed for the summer preparing.

“It does take a lot of work outside of school, a lot of research and staying up late working on cases,” Jackson Heard, 18, a Van ISD senior, said.

Heard, who will make his second trip to nationals this year, said competing on the national level “makes you be a better debater. You get to see how well your peers do in the same events and meet people from all over the country.”

Dylan Gray, 17, a Van ISD senior, who will be making his first trip to nationals, said he expects his skills will be tested. Being able to put on his resume that he qualified for and participated in the national tournament will “give a foot up” on his applications for college and for college scholarships, Gray said.

Heard said being in speech and debate has “helped me come out of my shell.”

“Before I was in speech and debate, I wasn’t a talkative person at all,” Gray said. “It’s helped me form my ideas and how I like to speak to people.”

Fugler said debate students learn to have intelligent conversations without offening others, despite having vastly different options on politics, current events or other topics. 

Jonas Thrasher-Evers, a Lindale ISD competitor, attended nationals last year in Dallas, where he and his partner placed 64th. 

“We hope to go past that barrier to the top 32 or top 16 this year,” he said.

Ashley Ray, another Lindale ISD contestant, said she expects to not only learn more about debate but also see different argumentation styles and ways of thinking about topics, see other people’s perspectives and to meet new people.

Victoria Huggler, one of four national qualifiers from All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler, anticipates the national tournament will be “a unique and practical experience” where she meets talented people from across the country and furthers her debate skills.

East Texas schools sending contestants to the national tournament include:

All Saints Episcopal – Cameron Erickson, Ethan Guidry, Ezhan Hasan, Victoria Huggler and Ezhan Hasan

Athens HS -True Head, Matthew Hernandez and Michael Pulver

Canton HS – Emily Nicks

Cross Roads HS – Luke Carnes

Gilmer HS – Cameron Fox

Good Shepherd School – Laurel Kay Maynard

Hallsville HS –Lauren Dirksen

Lindale – Evan Bewersdorf, Ashley Ray, Jonas Thrasher-Evers, Ronak Desai, Peyton Mizell, Alex Ramsey, Samantha Rodden and Elizabeth Tagg

Mabank HS – Jacey Pridgen

Union Grove HS – Sera M. Allen

Van ISD – Jackson Heard, Dylan Gray, Olivia Allen, Hobbes Halt, Bryan Knous, Caroline Laicer, Alli Lloyd, Jennifer Neely and Caleb Weave

Westwood HS – Abby Grifno and Saavan Nanavati

Twitter: @Betty_TMT