“Our Speech and Debate team won the award for the largest number of superiors at this year’s first speech tournament on September 30 and the highest percentage of wins award at the first debate tournament on October 14. Some team members who received superior certificates were Leighton Manalo, Kahiilani Zoller, and Lehua Harris, all of whom were competing in their first tournament ever. This is an excellent achievement for the team, showing their dedication and hard work and that new members can dominate the ambitious field filled with more seasoned competitors.
The recent plaques earned are two of many that the Speech and Debate team has won over the years. Looking back at this past school year, our team took back the highly coveted Originals and Interpretation trophies at the state tournament at Punahou School. This past summer, our team sent seven students to Phoenix, Arizona, to compete nationally, with one of the competitors ranking 14th out of thousands of students. Designated as a culturally enhancing team, our students presented Hawaiian issues on the national stage. A prose written by Queen Liliʻuokalani and poems by Haunani Kay-Trask were presented on the foreign land, spreading the importance of Hawaiian culture and the rooted impacts of colonialism and imperialism that still affect us today.
Mainly a student-led team, captains, members of the executive board, and veterans are credited with these victorious awards, Kapualani Reeves, one of the head coaches of the team, said “The eboard and their planning are shown in the team through their recruits’ commitment to persevere and stand strong in this activity.”
Intertwining scholastic excellence and Hawaiian culture, the Speech and Debate team is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished academic clubs on campus with unwavering success and more accolades to come.”
