US Speech & Debate Team Brings Home Hardware From Final Competition of Season

The Upper School Speech and Debate team, helmed by faculty advisor and upper school English teacher Dr. John Peruggia, traveled to Park Vista High School for their final match of the season. 

Fourteen upper school students participated in the categories of original oratory, duo interpretation, public forum debate, and congressional debate. 

Isabella Spinola ‘27 who competed in the original oratory category with a piece about the importance of education, finished in the top 20 and was praised for her piece’s “composition, her confident delivery, and ability to shift between seriousness and humor.”

Deve Maharaj ‘26 and Nico Leonard ‘26 performed a two-person piece by Jesse Eisenberg in the duo interpretation category that was praised for their "illustration of how two different people can have totally different interpretations of the same interaction." The duo finished in sixth place. 

Liam Duffy ‘26 and Annabel Bridger ‘26 also performed a two-person act in the same category and were praised for their emotional connection to the characters. The pair finished in 10th place. 

London Allen ‘26 and Owen Olbers ‘26 won 14th place in the public forum debate category with their resolution that the United States should accede to the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court and were praised for their research, crossfires, and rebuttals. 

Sebastian Scaperotto ‘26 and Evan Sluiters ‘26 competed in the same category, finishing with a record of 1-3. Maya Ross ‘28 and Charlotte Green ‘28 finished with a record of 0-4 and Chester Coles ‘25 and Madeleine Barakett ‘25 finished with a record of 3-1. 

Finley Strauss ‘27 won first place in the congressional debate category and was ranked as a top legislator in her chamber by 3 of the 4 judges. 

“A special thanks to our volunteer judges for giving up their Saturdays to support the team: Grandpa Duffy, Father Sluiters, Father Strauss, and social studies expert Ms. Hamilton. Oh, yes, our bus-driver Ryan was awesome too,” said Peruggia.