The Westglades Speech and Debate Team. {WMS}
The Westglades Middle School speech and debate team excelled at the Florida Forensics League State Championship held at Apopka High School, with several students winning top honors for their impressive performances.
Last weekend, the team traveled alongside the MSD Speech and Debate Team and the Coral Springs Middle School Team to the FFL (Florida Forensics League) State Championship to compete in the tournament hosted by the Novice High School and Middle School State Speech and Debate Championships at Apopka High School in Apopka, Florida.
The culmination of months of competitions and preparations, the 12-8th graders prepared admirably, with half of the team advancing to the final rounds amid fierce competition.
“This tournament featured tough competition, and it served as an opportunity to compete among the state’s best and most talented students,” Brooke Pappas, the Speech and Debate teacher at Westglades Middle, told Parkland Talk.
While six out of twelve students advanced to the finals in their respective categories at a competition, those accolades were far from the totality of the group’s recognition.
Samyak Singh and Neel Bharambe made it to the quarterfinals in Public Forum Debate, Gianna Martinez and Riley Gamm advanced in DUO Interpretation, and Lindsay Rosaler and Scott Miller reached the final round of Congressional Debate.
At the awards ceremony, Riley and Gianna placed third in the state for DUO Interpretation, Scott Miller placed eleventh in Congressional Debate, and Lindsay Rosaler secured second place in the state for Congressional Debate.
Pappas shares that the students worked to compete for two days of the tournament – five rounds of performances and debating on day one, and on day two, some would have one more round of competition, while others advanced to finals.
Pappas says the days were long, starting at 8:00 a.m. and ending around 5:30 p.m., but the students were incredible.
“Proud is an understatement. All of my students who attended left as stronger competitors,” Pappas said, adding, “They modeled persistence and determination.”
“I am most proud of their composure and poise in the face of this level of competition.”
In addition to their own efforts, Westglades’ leader made sure to point out the effort she witnessed from the MSD Speech and Debate Team and how thankful she is for the example the team sets for her younger students.
“The MSD Speech and Debate Team has been a tremendous support for our students. They continue to offer their support and wisdom to us. We are grateful for their feedback and coaching.”
Pappas says the experience was great overall but even better for the future of the school’s program.
“This experience was not only incredible for our students who attended but an inspiration for our 6th and 7th graders who have their sights set on attending and competing in future tournaments.”
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Author Profile
- Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiples outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.
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