On the weekend of February 28, nine of Brecksville’s very own students competed in Ohio’s Speech and Debate State Tournament. The team, though very small, went above and beyond expectations, beating out teams double their size and scoring a grand total of 156.98 points, placing them in the top 20 overall out of 89 schools.
Senior Henry Churchin, a member of the team, says, “We have a lot of raw talent on our team and a ton of potential.” The school’s achievement at states was a fantastic accomplishment, and each of the competitors deserves their own recognition.
It must be acknowledged that each of BBHHS’s competitors has trained extremely hard for their category. Upon joining Speech and Debate, there is a wide range of events to take part in. At BBHHS, three competitors qualified for Congressional Debate, one for International Extemporaneous Speaking, one for Dramatic Interpretation, two for Original Oratory, and two (one pair) for Duo Interpretation.
For anyone new to Speech and Debate, all the terminology may be confusing. As each category is very different, each requires its own explanation. According to the National Speech and Debate Association, “Congressional Debate is a mock legislative assembly competition where students draft bills (proposed laws) and resolutions (position statements), which they and their peers later debate and vote to pass into law and then take action on by voting for or against the legislation.” Students attending tournaments for Congress write up to six speeches on bills they must discuss, and judges score them based on the execution of the speech, material used, and response to a questioning period.
As for the team’s students, all three who competed in Congressional Debate performed exceptionally well. Atidya Mohan, junior, competed in the Congressional Senate and qualified for the semifinals. Nakshatra Mohan, also a junior, competed in the Congressional House and qualified for the finals, placing 11th overall. And, a huge congratulations to Aksh Dantal for placing 4th in the state of Ohio for Congressional House! Dantal is a sophomore, and has been training in Congressional Debate since middle school. Congressional Debate is extremely demanding and requires competitors to be well-rounded in both speech and debate skills. All three of the competitors deserve a huge applause!
Another category that heavily depends on a stellar speech is Original Oratory. Original Oratory, or “OO,” is a speech category that requires a competitor to write their own speech about any topic of their choosing. The speech must be under 10 minutes and is judged solely on the effectiveness of the message and the presentation. Many competitors choose to write about current issues or personal events, adding a touch of personalization to each speech.
At States this year, BBH proudly welcomed two OO competitors. Henry Churchin, a senior, qualified for states by placing second in one of the end-of-year tournaments. He then advanced to the quarterfinals, a happy ending to his last year of Speech and Debate at BBHHS. Churchin says, “I’m pretty proud of my Speech and Debate career. My only regret is not joining sooner.”
The second competitor was the defending state champion, Shashini Mohan. Shashini placed first in the state for OO in 2024 as a sophomore and returned this year to qualify for the semifinals, delivering an outstanding performance for the second year in a row.
On a more global scale, BBHHS also sent one qualifier for International Extemporaneous Speaking, which the National Speech and Debate Association defines as a category where, “students are presented with a choice of three questions related to international current events and, in 30 minutes, prepare a seven-minute speech answering the selected question. Students may consult articles and evidence they gather prior to the contest but may not use the internet during preparation. Topics range from country-specific issues to regional concerns to foreign policy. The speech is delivered from memory.”
In a category that requires remarkable talent for memorization and intellect, BBH sent one competitor, junior Donnie Karpowicz, who qualified for the quarterfinals.
Turning to the more performative side of Speech and Debate, sophomore Swarika Totapally qualified for Dramatic Interpretation. Dramatic Interpretation involves a student taking a piece of published work—such as a movie, play, or book—and performing up to 10 minutes of that piece. The goal is to properly convey the emotions and atmosphere of the work through performance, and often the chosen piece is highly emotional or intense.
The last category is similar to Dramatic Interpretation, but with a unique twist—it’s performed in pairs. Duo Interpretation also involves a 10-minute performance from a piece of media, but it is performed with two people, often each playing multiple roles. The judges score based on the delivery of the performance, but several limitations are imposed in Duo, such as the rule that competitors cannot make eye contact or touch their partner during the performance.
BBHH’s Duo team this year consisted of sophomores Katie Young and Nicholas Toth, who have shown remarkable improvement over the past two years. They secured their spot as 7th in the state. Toth says, “I love the competitive nature of States. It was really cool getting to see the best people in the state perform.”
At BBHHS, the team perfectly embodies the definition of “small but mighty”. Every competitor trains extremely hard for their category and continually strives to reach their full potential. As Young says, “I really love Speech and Debate. I love making new friends and meeting people from other schools, and I think it’s really helped me improve my public speaking.”
A special thanks goes out to the two phenomenal Coaches, Kaylyn Bass and Adam LeBenne, for dedicating extra time coaching and helping each student improve. Their dedication has helped the team improve leaps and bounds. Congratulations to all the competitors and good luck to everyone returning next year.
