NHS Debate Team Brings Home Trophies

The Needham High School Speech and Debate Team scared up several trophies and the annual Averill Invitational at Manchester-Essex Regional on Oct. 26-27.

Needham finished second in the 32 school field. Needham students themselves earned four first place awards.

Sophomore Alex Robins won the final round in novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate by a 4-1 vote of the judges and was joined by the top speaker in the 31-person field, ninth grader Anaya Tipnis, in the winner's circle.

Robins was also the fourth place speaker overall.

Junior Emily Touchet was tournament champion in novice extemporaneous speaking.

Radio Broadcasting was a particular area of strength for the Rockets, with senior Emily Pasternack and junior Greg Raubach ranking first and second respectively, while the duo team of juniors Miranda Knox and David Wexler were tournament reserve champions.

Wexler was also fifth in Original Oratory.

Other award-winners included third place Varsity LD finisher sophomore Liz Cylkowski, fifth place novice LD debater ninth grader Maddie Terry, fourth place Congressional Debater Anbo Wei, and fourth place novice extemper sophomore Harry Kapp.

Senior George Chamoun and junior Sara Castiglia ranked fifth and sixth in varsity extemporaneous speaking.

The ninth grade Duo team of Sophie Schaeffer and Emily Zaller ranked fifth, while junior Josh Litchman was a Congressional debate finalist.

Junior Andrew Tierney was the last person out of finals in Impromptu speaking. All received bids towards state championship qualification, as did junior Chloe Weiss in original oratory and sophomore Grace Li in varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate.