Maranatha High School’s Speech and Debate Team Zooms Into the 2020-2021 School Year with a Successful Virtual Tournament

On Saturday, September 26, the Maranatha High School Varsity Speech and Debate Team participated in their first Speech and Debate Tournament of the 2020-2021 school year and their first virtual tournament ever.

The tournament featured two rounds of competition. In the first round, students competed in a SPAR: Spontaneous Argument Debate. Spar is a one-on-one debate where the topics are given to the competitors one minute before the debate round begins. Spar debate requires previous knowledge of debate structure, strategy, and tactics for success. In the second round, students performed interpretations of scripts received from the Speech and Debate league and tournament coordinator earlier in the week. Students rehearsed and prepared with MHS Speech and Debate coach Mr. Pat Mesisca ’92 before the tournament and expressed how prepared they felt for their first virtual competition.

Mr. Mesisca said, “I was very anxious to see how a virtual Speech and Debate Tournament would be compared to the live tournaments I have been coaching throughout my career. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficient it was run and I became much more comfortable with the online process once we figured out all of the technology behind it. I’m looking forward to participating in more Fall Speech and Debate Tournaments and helping our students and judges navigate the online world of Speech and Debate Tournaments for the 2020-2021 school year.”

If you are interested in participating in an online Speech or Debate tournament this year, please contact Mr. Mesisca at p_mesisca@mhs-hs.org to discuss the logistics and arrange Zoom meeting practice sessions.

Maranatha High School, 169 S. St. John Avenue, Pasadena, (626) 817-4000 or visit www.maranathahighschool.org.