Photojournalism- CV Speech & Debate Shuts Down Dallastown

CV Speech & Debate Shuts Down Dallastown

By: Dan Williamson  11/22/14

 In the room of a fierce argument, Cumberland Valley coach and judge, Ann Pickering, stands immersed in the final decision of the policy debate before her.         

            Upon arrival at Dallastown High School, the Cumberland Valley speech and debate team was faced with all sorts of jitters and shivers, but not just from the brisk November morning. Nerves ran high throughout those competing in the tournament, and tension filled the atmosphere, hidden beneath the smell of coffee and freshly printed documents. For nearly three months, some more than that, the speech and debate team at Cumberland Valley had been building and preparing for debates or presentations, and this was their first chance for application. Dallastown, the first Saturday tournament of the year, was here. Some mundane, cliché announcements were made, and it was time to start round 1. And with that, a collective increase in heart rate signified that the pressure was on.

            “Don’t interview me,” said Pooja Saiganesh, senior Lincoln-Douglas debater, demonstrating precisely the blunt emotions felt by every competitor. They were stressed and anxious, but excited to put all the hard work to good use, and they were hopeful. Every student debating or speaking was in the zone. “It’s very stressful at times. You can definitely feel that in the room, for sure, but in the end, it is what it is, and you power through it. It’s fun,” said spectator Ami Patel (12), summing up the emotional process that comes with the debating and speaking experience. “Debate is the real-time clash of researched and deeply considered ideas around topics vitally important to our world and our lives today,” stated CV speech and debate coach and tournament judge, Ann Pickering. “Debaters and speech makers are challenged to confront these current controversies, to find solutions, to say something important in well-articulated ways and to perform under the pressure of a competition.”

            Although the pressure was felt, for Cumberland Valley it was not shown. CV came home winning first and second place in policy debate, first in extemporaneous speech, and first, second, and third place in original oratory speaking. This had them scoring the most points of overall in the tournament as well, and taking home the Dallastown trophy that evening. Senior debater Sammie Paul says quite honestly, “Debate is a great way to get extracurricular activities on your resume, yes, but it teaches you a new way of thinking that you don’t really get in school, and it’s hard—it takes dedication—but it’s very rewarding as we saw today.”

 Before the start of the tournament, CV organizes their materials, preparing for an eventful day full of victories.

     Nervously fiddling with their fingers, students wait in anticipation, minutes before the start of the next round.

 Confident about her recent debate, Anusha San (11), is all smiles while reorganizing her files.

 In a moment of contemplation, senior Lincoln-Douglas debater, Sammie Paul, re-thinks her case during some down times between debates.

 Senior policy debate team Amanda Smith (left), and Cody Madison (right) confidently pack up their evidence after a heated debate.

Dallastown Tournament Gallery