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The Meyers Speech & Debate team opened its 2019-20 season by winning the championship of the Colonel Kickoff Classic hosted by Wilkes University on Oct. 26.
En route to the title, Meyers brought home five individual event championships. Twenty-three Meyers speakers and debaters contributed to the outcome.
Juniors Kevin Welles and Nicholas Wiley won the dramatic duo championship, performing material from “Pulp Fiction,” by Quentin Tarantino.
Sophomore Samaria Brown placed first in declamation for her delivery of Markie Dell’s speech, “Escaping the Pain of Human Trafficing.”
Sophomore Sam Conklin earned the extemporaneous speaking championship, delivering speeches on the future of ISIS following the Turkish invasion and whether pharmaceutical companies should be held responsible for the opioid crisis. Conklin was followed by sophomore Brooke Chapple who placed third in the event, and freshman Michael Andrews, who placed fourth.
Sophomore Michaela Barney won the original oratory competition with her speech, “From Diapers to Defiance.” Junior Tio Marello placed second, senior Erin Cook placed fifth, and eighth-grader Cheyenne Zyskowski placed sixth in the event.
Seventh-grader Tess Welles was the champion of dramatic performance with her presentation of “Mick Hate Was Here” by Barbara Park.
In Lincoln-Douglas debate, sophomore Angel Estrella placed second and senior Andre Roberson placed third. They debated both sides of the topic, “Resolved: The United States ought to eliminate subsidies for fossil fuels.”
In oral interpretation, eighth- grader Jacinda Miller placed second, eighth-grader Ayele Kouevi placed third, seventh-grader Chloe DeGraffenreid placed fourth, eighth-grader Erin Akoute placed fifth, and eighth-grader Kayla Tyndall placed sixth.
In congress, junior Anthony Martinez placed fifth and freshman Natalie Rose placed sixth.
Also competing for Meyers at the Wilkes Tournament were Joseph Matthews in oral interpretation; and Carlos Buestan and Gavin Nichols in congress.