“For all of these reasons, we urge a con ballot.”

The debater lowers the notes he is reading from to make eye contact with each of the five judges in the room. Just as the four-minute timer goes off, he returns to his seat, adjusts his suit, and waits patiently for the affirmative team’s first speaker to give her speech. It is the final round of Public Forum Debate.

Many such scenes took place at the 2016 Pennsylvania High School Speech League (PHSSL) State Tournament on Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9. From more than 150 schools in the fourteen districts of PHSSL, over 250 debaters and 400 speakers, as well as numerous coaches and judges, braved rain and snow on their journeys to Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA.

The competition began Friday afternoon with three preliminary rounds in all eleven Speech events and with four preliminary rounds in all six Debate events. With the exception of Impromptu Speaking, Radio Announcing, and Student Congress, each event was open to two teams from each PHSSL district. Earlier, each district had chosen its qualifying teams through a district tournament.

After the Friday preliminary rounds, the top twelve teams in each Speech event and the top four teams in each Debate event advanced to the semifinal round on Saturday. The top six teams in each Speech event and the top two teams in each Debate event then advanced to the final round, which determined the first place team. Some of the larger events such as Impromptu Speaking and Lincoln-Douglas Debate also had a quarterfinal round prior to the semifinal round.

At the tension-filled awards ceremony on Saturday, more Harriton speakers and debaters received certificates and plaques than at any state tournament in recent years. In Speech, Kayla Finn and Jonah Samuels were called onto the stage as semifinalists in Impromptu Speaking and Commentary, respectively. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Debate team of Andrew Blender, Jackson Kane, and David Naftulin was recognized as a semifinal team, and Lincoln-Douglas debater Keren Katz was recognized as a quarterfinalist.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Holy Ghost Preparatory School from Bensalem, PA, emerged as the state champion.

However, everyone on the Harriton Speech and Debate teams was very happy with the tournament results. Dayita Sharma, captain of Public Forum Debate, observed, “It was a successful tournament. A lot of members advanced to the quarter-finals, which is a good development this year. It’s nice to end Debate this way.”

Debate coach Dr. Bonnie Perry agreed, “I am so pleased with all of our students’ performances at States. This was our most successful year recently, with six students winning awards.”

The Harriton Speech and Debate teams look forward to even more success in the future.