Immaculate Heart’s Speech and Debate Team Shines This Season



Winning recent awards for Immaculate Heart’s Speech & Debate Team are (left to right) junior Danielle Dosch, junior Mia Speier, and sophomore Emma Lehtonen.

Members of Immaculate Heart’s Speech & Debate Team continue to garner success since launching a new season and welcoming a new coach.

Junior Danielle Dosch recently qualified for the Tournament of Champions (ToC), the highly competitive national tournament held each spring in Kentucky. Dosch earned her first ToC bid by advancing to the quarterfinals at the Meadows Invitational in Las Vegas. She garnered her second bid at the recent Alta Invitational in Utah where she was a quarterfinalist and 11th placed speaker.

In recent league competition, junior Mia Speier went undefeated in Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate and placed second at the Western Bay Forensic League (WBFL) Tournament at Narbonne High School. Senior Daniela Elizondo won a majority of her rounds and received a medal, and sophomore Emma Lehtonen was undefeated in Novice L-D, earning second place in that event.

In November, the team took second place sweepstakes at the WBFL Congress at Torrance High School, and senior Cameron Hendrickson placed first in her congressional house and tied for an overall first place award as presiding officer. Others recognized were Elizondo, who placed second in her house and then took first as presiding officer in her house; Speier, who was awarded first in her house; Lehtonen, who was second in her house; junior Ariana Diaz, who received a silver medal of superiority; and sophomore Chelina Rhee, who gained a bronze medal of excellence for her efforts

Now guiding the 20-member team is IH alumna Ellen Ivens-Duran, a member of Immaculate Heart’s Class of 2012 and herself a former debater for her Alma Mater. She returned to campus this year both as an academic enrichment counselor and the head coach of the IH Speech & Debate Team. David Dosch returned as assistant coach.

“Being back at Immaculate Heart is such a gift,” Ivens-Duran said. “I have the opportunity to watch IH students grapple with important issues and practice both competitive and cooperative skills. I’m excited to see what this year brings to the team.”

About Immaculate Heart

Founded in 1906, Immaculate Heart educates young women in grades sixth through 12th from its central location in the Los Feliz foothills near Griffith Park in Hollywood. The school has a long and distinguished history, with more than 10,000 graduates. Today’s student body of more than 700 young women is both geographically and ethnically diverse, drawing on students from throughout Los Angeles County. Last year, virtually 100 percent of Immaculate Heart graduates matriculated to colleges, including the most prestigious schools in the country. http://www.immaculateheart.org/page/Home

 

 

 

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