Article by Matisen DeBenedetto
Video by Abigail Campbell
After weeks of preparation, the Minaret speech and debate team’s second in-person tournament took place at Mountain House High School, on Saturday, Nov. 6.
Leaving the school at 4 a.m., the early morning jitters were common throughout the whole team.
Junior Devon Christie shared their experience before the competition, “I felt extremely anxious to the point where I felt like I was going to throw up.”
Despite feeling nervous, Christie took second place in National Exempt, taking home a silver medal.
Junior Kat Havens had a similar experience.
“I was really nervous but I was excited because it was my first in-person competition. I was in a speech last year, and I competed through video, and on Zoom, this was my first in-person one, so I was very nervous and excited" said Havens.
Havens competed in the Oratorical Interpretation and Parliamentary Debate, placing fourth in the former.
But the tournament was not just an opportunity to compete and better their speaking skills, but to also bond and grow closer as a team.
Senior Hazel Taintor stated, “Being with everyone, the times in between tournaments when we’re all just sitting and playing card games and things like that. And then on the way back and sitting [at] In-N-Out just chatting-being with people and being able to bond, is just so much fun.”
Although the team is fairly new, they came out swinging in their second in-person tournament.
Senior Jaden Henderson, who took first in Lincoln Douglas Debate stated, “I‘m frankly surprised, I thought we were underprepared, but we ended up coming out as one of the best schools there.”
At the end of the day, the team took first as well as second in three events and various placements in other events.
