Speech and Debate performs well, supports new members
By Simran Singh, Online Contributor
On Dec. 8, the VOICES speech and debate team participated in their third practice debate tournament of the year. Conestoga participants performed extremely well, many ranking first and second in their respective rounds.
Club advisor and librarian Lydia Lieb said that she was impressed with the way the team has worked to support its newer members, which she believes has caused a great improvement in the quality of their speeches and debate arguments.
“A lot of newcomers performed the best that they had done so far,” Lieb said. The veteran members “have really taken new members under their wings.”
Junior Anu Garikipati, the captain of the Debate subdivision of VOICES, emphasized the great progress that the new members have made.
“They’re doing well and learning quickly,” Garikipati says. When helping new members, “I am making sure to teach them slowly and ease them into the process, as debate can get really overwhelming.”
Junior Jessica Lee, the captain of the Speech subdivision of the club, is also excited about the performances of the newcomers this year.
“In practice, they are making a lot of progress and picking it up very fast. My biggest concern this year, with all of the freshmen, is to ensure that everyone is confident and ready to compete,” Lee said.
Simran Singh can be reached at ssingh@stoganews.com.
