There's No Debating North Hills School District Pair's Speech Skills

After just two months of existence, the North Hills High School Speech and Debate Club is making its mark.
Seniors Bridget McCole and Sara Custer placed third in the duo interpretation category for the National Speech and Debate Association qualifiers. That makes the pair an alternate for the association’s national competition, which will be held in June in Birmingham, Alabama.

That’s quite an accomplishment considering the club was revived in January after being dormant for nearly a decade. Overseen by secondary teachers Dawn Zahorchak and Stephanie Celender, the club attempts to develop students research skills so they can construct the logical arguments that are the lynchpin of any debate.

The club’s 15 members are attending their first tournaments in which they will replicate a congressional session, perform dramatically and debate political issues.

McCole and Custer third-place finish occurred at a recent competition in the North Allegheny School District. The pair delivered a 10-minute excerpt from “Junie B. Jones is (Almost) a Flower Girl.” a humorous children’s book.

Photo via North Hills School District.