JACKSON HOLE, WYO – The Jackson Hole High School Speech and Debate Team found incredible success this past weekend at the National Speech and Debate Association’s District Tournament, held March 15-17, at Western Wyoming Community College. The meet was attended by 18 schools.
Seniors Ellie Dunn and Aaron Trauner, juniors Samantha Smith and Thomas Mercer, and sophomores Maleah Tuttle and Jake Todd will represent the Wind River NSDA District this June. They will travel to Ft. Lauderdale to compete against the best in the nation at the National Tournament.
This is the 21st consecutive year and the 31st year, overall, the team has qualified students for the national meet.
Public Forum Debate proved to be a Jackson strength as the team of Smith and Trauner went undefeated to achieve qualifying status. They spent the weekend debating the question of whether or not the current authorization for use of military force gives too much power to the President.
Team captain Trauner went on to qualify in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking by placing first in a field of 38 competitors. He made it through seven rounds of the event, placing 3rd or higher in each round to achieve his overall 1st place standing. He would have also been attending Nationals this summer in Extemp but a rule preventing qualifiers from competing in more than one event nixed that opportunity.
Trauner placed second in his Congressional Debate chamber as well, securing him the title of first alternate in the event. This marks the third year Trauner has qualified for the National Tournament.
Team captain Dunn and partner Mercer earned their qualifying slot in Duet Interpretation. They wrap up their season by adding the title of National Qualifiers in the event to their State Championship title in the event the week before. Dunn also qualified for the trip to Florida in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking.
Besides her competition on Thursday where she earned 2nd place (and first alternate status) in her chamber of Congressional Debate, Dunn competed in six rounds of extemp on Friday and Saturday to earn her qualifier status. Dunn prefers to compete in Duet Interpretation at the Nationals Tournament.
Tuttle battled her way through six rounds of Lincoln Douglas Debate before she was named as the first alternate in the event. World Schools Debate is a debate event that combines “prepared” topics with “impromptu” topics, encouraging debaters to focus on specific issues rather than debate theory or procedural arguments.
The process for selecting the World Schools team to represent Wyoming at the National Tournament is to pick the first alternates in each of the debate events at the district tournament. Therefore, Tuttle’s 1st alternate status in Lincoln Douglas Debate earned her the bid to Nationals in World Schools Debate.
The entire tournament is based on a double-elimination model. With any placement below third place considered a “down,” and two downs being the basis for elimination, a student must be at the top of their game in order to qualify. Todd made it through five rounds of Dramatic Interpretation with all “ups” to obtain his qualification.
A number of Jackson students achieved “alternate” status in various events as well. Smith was named first alternate in Informative Speaking and third alternate in her chamber of Congressional Debate.
Junior Leila Sandlin earned first alternate status in Program Oral Interpretation where she narrowly missed qualifying based on a tie-breaker when she tied with another competitor from Rock Springs.
Freshman Josh Hansen placed well in his chamber of Congressional Debate earning him alternate status as well.
Trauner also brought Jackson one of the greatest honors of the weekend when he was named Wind River District Student of the Year. This award, based on coach nomination and voting, recognizes the student who demonstrates strong academic standards, is actively engaged in their community through service and action, and exhibits dedication to speech and the values held by the National Speech and Debate Association. Trauner’s name will now be entered into the pool of district winners at Nationals where he will be considered for National Student of the Year.
The JHHS team as a whole earned 3rd in the debate sweepstakes, 3rd in the congress sweepstakes, and 4th in the speech events sweepstakes at the tournament. In the overall sweepstakes Jackson took home 3rd behind Green River and Natrona County.
The 2018 Ft. Lauderdale Nationals will be held June 17-22. Top competitors from across the country will gather to determine the national champion in each forensic event.
The National Speech and Debate Association is an honor society that “promotes interscholastic debate, oratory, and public speaking by encouraging a spirit of fellowship and by conferring upon deserving candidates a worthy badge of distinction.”
As Londe Gagnon observed, “Our entire team represents the qualities the NSDA strives to achieve. All six Jackson students will be exemplary ambassadors in Florida this summer.”
The Wind River District includes all Wyoming high schools west of I-25. At Western Wyoming Community College, competitors traveled from Casper Natrona and Kelly Walsh, Riverside, Rock Springs, Douglas, Laramie, Lander, Riverton, Lovell, Green River, Worland, Saratoga, Star Valley, Evanston, Greybull, Rawlins, Hot Springs and Jackson to compete.
