Interpretation Awards

Interpretation events require participants to select, edit, block, memorize, and perform a ~10 minute version of someone else’s work. Dramatic Interpretation (DI), for instance, allows students to shine with Oscar-worthy monologues. Humorous Interpretation (HI) lets students dazzle audiences with dizzying character transitions as they change voices, postures, and actions at the drop of a hat. Programmed Oral Interpretation (POI) showcases students’ directorial abilities; they piece together works of prose, poetry, and drama in order to express a clear theme. That’s just the tip of the miles-deep interpretation iceberg!

• Combined Interpretation Results: 
• Grace was the CHAMPION at the National Online Forensics Summer Royale tournament. 
• Ashley was the CHAMPION at the National Online Forensics high school championship. 
• Casey was the High School CHAMPION at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament.
• Declamation Results:
  • Emily W. was given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND.
  • Meera won SILVER at the National Online Forensics middle school championship.
• Poetry Results:
  • Casey was a NATIONAL FINALIST at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship. 
• Programmed Oral Interp Results:
• Emily W. was given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND.
• Annie was an octofinalist at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship. 
• Storytelling Results:
  
  • Audrey was given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND.
  • Grace won GOLD at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
  • Anya won SILVER at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
  • James won BRONZE at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
  • Ziqi won BRONZE at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
  • Casey was a double-octofinalist at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship. 
• Prose Results:
  • Casey was a double-octofinalist at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship. 

Platform Speaking Awards

Platform speaking categories give Speech and Debate students an amazing opportunity: ~10 uninterrupted minutes to persuade, inform, and entertain an audience. The students who take advantage of this platform and share their stories are developing the skills used by business-people, TED Talk presenters, teachers, and other professionals on a daily basis. Whether they choose Original Oratory (and convince the audience to challenge a societal problem) or Informative (where they shock the audience with highly impactful, rarely understood facts), they’re preparing themselves for a life of leadership.

• Original Oratory/Persuasive/Public Address Results: 
  • Nathan was the High School CHAMPION at the National Online Forensics championship. He was also the CHAMPION at the National Online Forensics Summer Royale tournament and a NATIONAL FINALIST at the National Speech and Debate Association - China’s National Championship. 
  • Shirley won SILVER at the National Online Forensics middle school championship. She was also given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND.
  • Casey was the High School RUNNER-UP at the Tokyo Debate and Oratory championship. He was also the High School CHAMPION at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament.
  • Olivia was the RUNNER-UP at the National Online Forensics Summer Royale tournament and the Junior RUNNER-UP at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament.
  • Emily W. was given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND.
  • Ashley was the High School CHAMPION at the Tokyo Debate and Oratory championship.
  • Anna was the Middle School CHAMPION at the Tokyo Debate and Oratory championship. 
  • Sophia was the Middle School RUNNER-UP at the Tokyo Debate and Oratory championship.
  • Weiyan was a NATIONAL FINALIST at the National Speech and Debate Association - China’s National Championship. 
  • Emily was a NATIONAL FINALIST at the National Speech and Debate Association - China’s National Championship. 
  • Ziqi won SILVER at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
• Informative/Expository Results:
  • Shirley won BRONZE at the National Online Forensics middle school championship. She was also given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND.
  • Izzie won SILVER at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. She was also the CHAMPION at the National Online Forensics Summer Royale tournament. 
  • Grace was the Junior CHAMPION at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament.
  • Casey was an octofinalist at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship. 
• Original Spoken Word Poetry Results:
  • Shirley was given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND.
  • Emily W. was given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND. 

Limited Prep Awards

As the old saying goes, most people would rather be in the casket than deliver the eulogy. Public speaking is terrifying. For many, the scariest sort of performance is one where you can’t prepare. These Limited Preparation categories challenge students to think on their feet. Whether it’s Spontaneous Argumentation (only one minute to think), Impromptu Speaking (two minutes to prepare a five-minute speech), or Extemporaneous Speaking (30 minutes to prepare a research-driven seven-minute oratory), our ModernBrain students challenged themselves to excel. 

• Impromptu/Prompt Speaking Results:
• Izzie won GOLD at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. She also was the CHAMPION at the Make a Statement tournament and the CHAMPION at the National Online Forensics Summer Royale tournament. 
• Grace won SILVER at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. She also was the RUNNER-UP at the Make a Statement tournament and the Junior CHAMPION at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament.
• Casey was an octofinalist at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship. He was also the High School CHAMPION at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament.
• Audrey was given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND.
• Emily W. was given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND.
• Shirley won GOLD at the National Online Forensics middle school championship.
• Meera won GOLD at the National Online Forensics middle school championship.
• Austin won BRONZE at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
• Anya won BRONZE at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
• Olivia was the RUNNER-UP at the National Online Forensics Summer Royale tournament. 
• Carl was the High School RUNNER-UP at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament.
• Spontaneous Argumentation Results:
  • Shirley won GOLD at the National Online Forensics middle school championship.
  • Grace won GOLD at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
  • Anya won GOLD at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
  • Izzie won GOLD at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
  • Meera won SILVER at the National Online Forensics middle school championship.
  • Elaine won SILVER at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
  • Natalie was a finalist at the National Online Forensics high school championship. 
  • Sophia was a finalist at the National Online Forensics high school championship. 
  • Wenyi won BRONZE at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
• PSDA Debate Results:
  • Nathan was the High School CHAMPION at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament, winning a scholarship. 
  • Justin was the Junior CHAMPION at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament, winning a scholarship. 
  • Joanne was the High School RUNNER-UP at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament, winning a scholarship. 
  • Anya was the Junior RUNNER-UP at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament, winning a scholarship. 
  • Casey was High School 3rd Place at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament, winning a scholarship. 
  • Simran was Junior 3rd Place at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament, winning a scholarship. 
  • Carl was High School 4th Place at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament, winning a scholarship. 
  • Timothy was Junior 4th Place at the Professional Speech and Debate Association’s second tournament, winning a scholarship. 
• Extemporaneous Commentary Results:
  • River was a quarterfinalist at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship. 
  • Casey was an octofinalist at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship.  

Debate Awards

When people think of Speech and Debate, many imagine Denzel Washington in The Great Debaters: serious people stand at podiums, speak slowly, and use the art of rhetoric to strike blows for their side. In actuality, Debate events are far more versatile. Lincoln-Douglas challenges students to argue both sides of a philosophical question. Public Forum and Policy ask them to partner up and argue if a heavily researched  resolution is true or not. Parliamentary Debate asks them to work in teams, only giving them 20 minutes to research questions of value, policy, and fact before they launch into an extemporaneous debate.  Student Congress asks them to embody representatives and senators as they argue whether or not bills and resolutions should be passed into law.

• Great Communicator Debate Results:
• Casey took 3rd Place at the Ronald Reagan Great Communicator National Championship, winning a scholarship. 
• Eugene took 6th Place at the Ronald Reagan Great Communicator National Championship, winning a scholarship. 
• Congress Results:
  • Emily W. was given the highest honor at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Middle School Challenge: the SHOWCASE ROUND.
  • Jeremy won GOLD at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
• Public Forum Results:
  • The team of Austin and Ben won BRONZE at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. Austin was the 4th place overall speaker.
  • The team of Braden and Vivian won BRONZE at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship. 
  • Caroline was the 7th place overall speaker at the National Online Forensics elementary school championship.  
• Lincoln-Douglas Results:
• Casey made elimination rounds at the National Catholic Forensic League and National Speech and Debate Association National Championships. 
• Extemporaneous Debate Results:
  • Casey made elimination rounds at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship.