From March 17-18, 2017, the Harriton Speech and Debate team competed at the state competition at Bloomsburg University. In the end, five Harriton students qualified for elimination rounds, a Harriton record.

The team arrived on Friday, March 17, after leaving school around 8:30 in the morning. All the preliminary rounds occurred that afternoon, starting at 2:00 and continuing until 7:00 or 8:00. At the team banquet that evening, results gradually came in for which students would be competing the elimination rounds.

On Saturday, March 18, the elimination rounds started. Some students came to watch their classmates in a round if they had not made it; others watched the elimination rounds for their event. The awards were given at 3:00 that afternoon as follows:

Jonah Samuels—fourth place in the state in Commentary (students comment on a single phrase or word to a panel of judges)

Camila Madero—fourth place in the state in Prose (students give interpretations of prose)

Ben Feldman—fifth place in the state in LD Debate (students debate over philosophy and policy actions)

Graham Branscom—eighth place in the state in Senate (student senators debate bills presented)

Kayla Finn—twelfth place in the state in Impromptu (students answer a question in a speech after getting minimal time to prepare).

The season has been a successful one. The debate banquet will follow the state competition.