By: Katie Border

Opinion Editor

The LGHS Speech and Debate Club continues to make its way through competitions with stunning victories at the Stephen Stewart Invitational, the Jack Howe Memorial Invitational, the Coast Forensic League 1 Debate, and, most recently, the John Lewis and Glenbrooks Invitationals. On Nov. 20, seven Speech and Debate team members competed in the John Lewis Invitational in San Jose. Meanwhile, the varsity seniors flew to Northbrook, Illinois, for the Glenbrooks Invitational that took place from Nov. 18 to 20. 

Varsity senior Zachary Benitez, who participated at the Glenbrooks Invitational and  successfully made it past the preliminary rounds and into the quarterfinals, remarked, “[It was] a huge success for me to do that, especially on a national level.” Benitez, currently competing in his seventh season of Speech and Debate, explained the powerful topic he chose this year: society’s stress on winning. “Society is too focused on winning … we have to be okay accomplishing our personal goals and that needs to be seen as winning as opposed to just beating other people.” Benitez is excited to see what’s in store for the rest of this season and reflected, “I really appreciate how it’s like an entire journey of just making something better throughout the whole year. And at the end of the season, we finally have a product that we feel really great about.”

Meanwhile, returning for his fourth year, senior Connor Barirani smashed it at the John Lewis Invitational in late November. Although he has participated in Speech and Debate since freshman year, the John Lewis Invitational was his first competition, and he took home first place. Barirani described, “[walking] in with my little Hawaiian shirt and looked at everybody else and they were wearing suits and ties. I was nervous the whole time, but as the day went on I started to feel more in control, and like I really deserve[d] to be there.” Barirani is excited for the upcoming Coast Forensic League competition and feels confident about the LGHS Speech and Debate team dynamic, explaining, “We just have a blast at practice and that makes going into tournaments so much more fun because we have that synergy.” 

Junior Gwyneth Pang, who’s in her sixth year of Speech and Debate, enjoys it because of its supportive and welcoming community. She said, “I feel like [Speech and Debate] gives people a platform to speak out for themselves and practice public speaking … [it allows people to consider] multiple points of view when it comes to current events and political topics.” Pang looks forward to the upcoming competitions and hopes to get more people on the team to compete in the tournaments for CFL.

After a great first semester of camaraderie and victorious competitions, the LGHS Speech and Debate team is currently preparing and refining the pieces that they will present and use in next semester’s competitions.