Speech and Debate

This was my first tournament of the 2023-2024 season. It was held at the ASU Tempe campus from 01/05/2024 to 01/07/2024. I competed in Original Oratory and Informative Speaking. I had just finished memorizing both of these speeches the day before the tournament started, so I was worried about my performance. However, I was able to push through and make it to the final round of Informative Speaking. In the end, I placed 5th out of 75 competitors in the West Coast for Informative Speaking. This placement earned me a TOC and NIETOC bid. However, it was only the start of my tournament record.

This tournament was special because students could compete in up to four events. Since I wanted to push myself, I entered three events: Declamation, Original Oratory, and Informative Speaking. Held at James Logan High School from January 12, 2024, to January 14, 2024, this tournament spanned two full days from morning to night. Despite the intense rainfall and constant running around campus to make it to my rounds, I was able to push through and perform well. In Informative Speaking, I placed 4th out of 99 entries, earning both a NIETOC and TOC bid. In Declamation, I placed 4th out of 63 entries. In Original Oratory, I placed 8th out of 119 entries. While these were good results, I knew I could do better.

Also known as CFL Speech 3, this tournament was held at Milpitas High School on January 21, 2024. I had to compete in this tournament to qualify for the State Qualifier Tournament. I competed in both Informative Speaking and Original Oratory. After finishing the Arizona and James Logan Tournaments, I was exhausted and had come down with an illness. However, I wanted to show my best as I wanted to demonstrate what underdog schools were capable of. After four intense rounds of speaking, I placed 1st out of 75 entries in Informative Speaking, securing a TOC bid. This tournament was incredible for me for two reasons. First, it was the first tournament I had championed in my entire career. Secondly, I had finally proven to myself and other competitive schools that I was a force to be reckoned with.

One of the most prestigious and nationally recognized tournaments on the West Coast, the Cal Invitational, was held at UC Berkeley from 02/17/2024 to 02/19/2024. Although I was advised not to attend this tournament since I did not need the bids for Informative Speaking, I really wanted to prove my skills to the rest of the S&D community. Additionally, I wanted to perform better than last year as I did not place well. At the end of this three-day tournament, I placed 3rd out of 102 entries in Informative Speaking. This was a major victory for me as this tournament was an indicator of how well you can do at the national level!

This was the tournament I needed to do well in to qualify for the California State Championship, one of the hardest tournaments in the nation. It was held at Palo Alto High School on March 2, 2024. I competed in Informative Speaking and Declamation. I placed 4th out of 54 of the best competitors from my league in Informative Speaking. I was going to the California State Championship!

Being held at Bellarmine College Preparatory on 03/22/24, this tournament determined who would make it to the National Tournament. The entry pool consisted of the top three students from each school. Out of 22 entries, only three advanced to the National Tournament. Fortunately, I placed 3rd in Informative Speaking. I was going to the National Tournament!

This was it! After months of preparation, I attended the biggest California tournament: The Championship. Out of the 700 competitors in Informative Speaking, only 54 qualified for the State Championship, which was held at Clovis North High School from 04/12/2024 to 04/14/2024. I was incredibly nervous for this tournament as it was my first time qualifying. The entry pool was filled with National Finalists, previous California State Champions, and more. Every round was filled with anxiety and stress. However, after five rounds of facing the toughest competition I have ever known, I won the tournament. I was officially the California State Champion!

Now, I entered the big leagues. The National Individual Event Tournament of Champions (NIETOC) was held in Omaha, Nebraska, from May 10, 2024, to May 12, 2024. I worked for the last six months, perfectly crafting my speech. However, two big challenges hindered me right before the tournament. First, I had just finished my AP Psychology exam and had to study for my AP Calculus exam on the Monday right after the tournament. Thus, anxiety and worry permeated my mind. Secondly, I had a minor throat infection, which made it difficult to speak well. However, I had to persist because I wanted to test my limits. I competed in the two hardest speech events: Informative Speaking and Original Oratory. In both events, there were 150 entries in this tournament, but over 2,000 students had tried to qualify. At the end of the National Tournament, I placed 33rd in Original Oratory and 20th in Informative Speaking. I was extremely happy with these results, as I battled multiple unexpected challenges and still placed very well!

The Biggest Tournament in the USA! Held in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 16, 2024, to June 21, 2024, this tournament was the true test of one's speaking skills. I competed in Informative Speaking at this tournament. Out of the 6,000 students participating in Informative Speaking, only 262 entries qualified for this tournament. I had just come back from a Kung Fu performance and did not practice enough for this tournament. However, I took 3 days to simply revise my speech at least 30 times. After this tournament concluded, here were the results: I was 33rd out of 6,000 students in Informative Speaking. I was both surprised and extremely grateful for these results. This concluded my tournament season!