By Natalie Hanna

From February 17 to 19, the Speech and Debate Team attended two national-circuit tournaments: the Cal Invitational at UC Berkeley and the Harvard Tournament. Granada Hills Charter (GHC) students competed in a variety of events. The teams excelled at each of their events, returning with numerous awards. 

Cal Invitational UC Berkeley

At the Cal Invitational, there were over 100 competitors in each event. Senior and Congressional Debate Captain Alisha Hassanali placed second in Impromptu Speaking. In this Speech event, competitors were allotted two minutes to prepare a five-minute impromptu speech. 

“One thing I’ve learned is that it’s really difficult to beat people who love what they do,” Hassanali said. “I’ve been so passionate about oratory, speaking, and debating for so long, so it’s meaningful to me.” 

In another speech event, Humorous Interpretation, freshman Emily Alexander made it to the Octafinals. In this event, a student is required to choose a play or short story and perform parts of it by using their comedic skills. 

In the Junior Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate, competitors debated the following resolution: The United States ought to substantially reduce its military presence in the West Asia-North Africa region. Junior June Peers earned a 5-1 preliminary record and made it to the Octafinals. She also placed as the 12th top seed out of 102 competitors. For speaker awards, junior Soren Dela Pena placed as the 7th top speaker.

“The tournament was competitive and difficult, but it was great to be able to talk to the team about our rounds afterward,” Dela Pena said. 

In the Congressional Debate, freshman Ashrith Kasinadhuni made it to the Semifinals. In this event, competitors are required to debate the laws and policies that the U.S. Senate is passing. 

Not only did the Speech and Debate students do well in their events at these tournaments, but they also had fun doing it. On the way to Berkeley on Friday, February 16, a group of students traveled by plane while others embarked on a six-hour road trip to Berkely.

Harvard National Speech and Debate Tournament

Harvard was an even bigger tournament than Berkeley with over 200 competitors in each event. Mostly the GHC Speech Team competed at this event. Upon early arrival at the airport, the team traveled by train from the hotel to the Harvard campus each morning.

In the Congressional Debate, junior Emma Kavcioglu was a semi-finalist and placed in the top 50 out of almost 500 competitors. She also earned a Tournament of Champions (TOC) Qualifying Bid. TOC is considered the nation’s most prestigious and exclusive Speech & Debate tournament. 

In Extemporaneous Speaking, Speech & Debate Captain and senior Aayushi Garg made it to Octofinals. In this event, a competitor is given a political question based on current events. They are then allotted 30 minutes to research the topic to prepare to give a seven minute speech with no notes. At Harvard, Garg spoke about illegal fishing, China’s economy, and homelessness in California. 

“It’s a serious event, but the reason I think I do well is because I get to talk about it from a normal person’s point of view,” senior Aayushi Garg said. “I’ve also noticed I perform better when it’s as if I’m conversing with a friend.”