Ossining Resident Wins Speech Tournament

OSSINING, NY — Olivia Pasquarella, a senior at Loyola School in New York City, won first place in the Student Congress category of the 74th annual Chaminade Invitational Speech Tournament Jan. 8.

An interleague competition, the tournament featured students from NYC, Long Island, and Brooklyn.

Forensics, the study and practice of debate and argumentation, is closely related to forensic science, the analysis of scientific evidence during legal investigations.

Pasquarella has dominated in the former since she began competing as a freshman.

A list of her accomplishments:

• National Catholic Forensics League (NCFL) Grand National Champion of Congressional Debate (11)
• New York State Forensics League Champion of Congressional Debate (11)
• Champion of the 2020 National Princeton Classic in Congressional Debate (11)
• Congress Champion of the 2021 National Speech and Debate University of Kentucky Season Opener (12)
• 1st place at the 2021 Villiger National St. Joseph’s University Tournament (12)
• 2nd place at the 2020 Villiger Tournament (11)
• Received 2021 Outstanding Distinction Degree from National Speech & Debate Association Honor Society for success on national circuit
• Champion of 2022 Chaminade Interleague Tournament (12)
• Champion of 6 NYC Forensics League local tournaments (10-12)
• 2021 Harvard National Tournament Leadership Award, voted best leader by preliminary competitors (11)
• 7th place at the 2021 Cavalier National Invitational at Durham Academy (11)
• Four-time NY State Forensics League Championship qualifier; 31st in state as freshman & 1st in state as junior (State Championship canceled sophomore year due to COVID-19)
• Semifinalist at 2021 National Speech & Debate Association Tournament, 2021 Yale University Invitational, & 2019 National NYC Invitational Tournament (10-12)
• Qualified twice for the Tournament of Champions (11 & 12)

"I don't know yet where I'll be attending college next year, but wherever I go I want to study philosophy," the Ossining resident told Patch. "I would also love to continue competing in debate on a college team, as well as judging high school Congress tournaments for Loyola School."