Students win speech and debate awards
Ten Fox Chapel Area School District students won awards in several speech and debate tournaments.
Six Fox Chapel Area High School students placed in the Dalmasse Sterner Steel City Invitational. The team of senior Adhitya Thirumala and junior Moonyoung Hwang won first place in Policy Debate and earned a bid to the Pennsylvania High School Speech League (PHSSL) State Championships. Additionally, the team of sophomores Joanna Li and Zachary Rubin were named semifinalists, meaning they were in the top four of Policy Debate Teams; sophomore Ulyana Kubini won fourth place in Persuasive Speaking; and junior Swati Mylarappa placed sixth in Impromptu Speaking. The Dalmasse Sterner Steel City Invitational was held December 15 & 16, 2023, and was hosted by Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic high schools. A total of 274 students representing 22 high schools from across Pennsylvania competed at the event.
Three Fox Chapel Area High School students were named winners in the North Catholic High School Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament. The Parliamentary Debate team of sophomores Maya Agarwal and Prachi Behal were named semifinalists finishing in the top four, and sophomore Ulyana Kubini won fourth place in Persuasive Speaking. The North Catholic speech and debate tournament was held December 8 & 9, 2023, at North Catholic High School. A total of 295 students representing 25 high schools from Western Pennsylvania competed at the event.
Two Fox Chapel Area High School students placed at the TOC Digital Speech and Debate Series 1 Tournament. Senior Adhitya Thirumala and junior Moonyoung Hwang finished as octofinalists, meaning they were in the top 16 out of 60 Policy Debate teams at the tournament. A total of 929 students representing 188 high schools from 33 states participated in the virtual tournament that was held December 1-3, 2023.
Five Fox Chapel Area students placed at the Moon Area/Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School Speech and Debate Tournament. The team of Fox Chapel Area High School junior Moonyoung Hwang and sophomore Joanna Li won first place in Policy Debate; the team of sophomores Maya Agarwal and Prachi Behal placed sixth in Parliamentary Debate; and Dorseyville Middle School eighth-grader Divya Thirumala won sixth place in Humorous Interpretation. The tournament was held at Moon Area High School November 18, 2023. A total of 279 students representing 23 high schools from Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia participated in the competition.
Two Fox Chapel Area High School students placed at the annual M & M Lake Erie Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament. The team of junior Moonyoung Hwang and sophomore Joanna Li won third place in Policy Debate. The tournament, sponsored by Mercyhurst Preparatory School and McDowell High School, was held November 11, 2023, on the campus of Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pennsylvania. Approximately 200 students from 14 high schools from Western Pennsylvania and Northeast Ohio participated in the event.
Two Fox Chapel Area students placed at the Seton LaSalle High School Novice Tournament. Dorseyville Middle School eighth-grader Divya Thirumala placed second in Dramatic Performance, and Fox Chapel Area High School sophomore Priscila Hayetian won fifth place in Impromptu Speaking. The tournament was held at Seton Lasalle High School October 28, 2023. A total of 181 students representing 20 high schools from across Western Pennsylvania participated in the competition.