Solon High School’s Speech and Debate team made history on Feb. 17 by sending a school record of 12 competitors to the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Fort Lauderdale, FL this June. To qualify, Speech and Debate competitors from across Northeast Ohio had to place in the top two in their respective events at the National Qualifier Tournament at St. Ignatius High School.

The team’s national qualifiers include seniors Taleen Avitsian, Vinay Bodapati, Pranav Iyer, Shivani Kaw, Anmol Kumar, Adesh Labhasetwar, Julia Mayer, Luke Qin, Rohit Rambhatla and Adarsh Subramanian, along with junior brothers Brendan and Colton Wang.

In order to achieve this level of success, Speech and Debate team members had to put in a lot of time and effort into their performances. Speech and Debate coach Daniel Ceci attested to his team’s strong commitment and overall focus on the intricacies of a strong performance.

“My team is never done working,” Ceci said. “They always work on fine-tuning their speeches, revising their debate cases, and polishing their presentation skills. In order to best prepare for Nationals, we work on the little things that add up to make a big difference.”

Ceci also elaborated on the example that the team’s national qualifiers set for future speakers and debaters.

“All of my national qualifiers are leaders on our team in some capacity, whether as an officer or event captain, or through their presence at practices and tournaments,” Ceci said. “These students are all passionate and investing in Speech and Debate. Up-and-coming team members can look to their passion and dedication on the team.”

Many can attest to the tall task of speaking in a public setting, but competitors prepare for this strenuous activity in a variety of ways. In fact, Rambhatla, who qualified in the Informative Speaking division, has an unorthodox form of preparation for his speeches: listening to rap music.

“Every tournament, I try to follow the same routine of listening to my playlist of hype music, featuring artists like Kodak Black, Drake and JAY Z,” Rambhatla said.

At its core, Speech and Debate still pits high school students against one another. But while Speech and Debate brings a competitive atmosphere with it, there’s also the opportunity to form long-lasting relationships. Brendan Wang noted the ability he has had to bond with other competitors through his tournaments.

“My favorite part of Speech and Debate is definitely the experience of getting to know and connect with so many new people, from both our school and other schools, that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to otherwise,” Wang said.

Qualifying for the National Tournament was a serious goal, according to Brendan and Colton, and they noted that they could not have reached Nationals alone.

“We view [qualifying nationally] as a great accomplishment that was achieved from a long season of teamwork and dedication,” Brendan Wang said.

“I have been grateful for all the support I received from the whole Speech and Debate team throughout the season,” Colton Wang said. “I am also honored to qualify for Nationals this year.”

As the team gears up for the National Tournament in June, Ceci anticipates that his team will make all preparations necessary for a strong team effort.

“My advice [for them] is simple: enjoy every moment,” Ceci said.

As members begin to wrap up their seasons, Colton Wang stresses that newer team members should show resilience in their preparations for competition.

“Don’t be discouraged if you didn’t perform as well as you expect,” Wang said. “However, learn from your competitors’ strengths and practice.”

Rambhatla expressed that great speakers and debaters are skilled at keeping calm and not letting the pressure of competition get to their heads.

“Speech and Debate is all about one round at a time,” Rambhatla said. “It’s so easy to get caught in the trap of only thinking about results and scores and not staying focused on what needs to be done. With a combination of hard work, confidence and focus on the present, virtually anything is possible. It’s all about the ‘Mamba Mentality,’ [which means] focusing on what you as an individual can control directly.”

The 2018 National Speech and Debate Tournament will be held from June 17-22 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.