Los Alamos High School Hilltalkers celebrate their state wins. Courtesy/LAHS
Hilltalker Yunseo Kim is a double first-place winner in Program of Oral Interpretation and Dramatic Interpretation.Courtesy/LAHS
SPEECH & DEBATE News:
The Los Alamos High School Hilltalkers Speech and Debate team and the Los Alamos Middle School Hawktalkers Speech and Debate team invite the Los Alamos community to attend a Showcase performance 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 15 at Fuller Lodge.
The Showcase features award-winning performances by the Hilltalkers and Hawktalkers at the New Mexico State Speech and Debate Tournament.
The Showcase is a free performance featuring homemade desserts and a silent auction to benefit the Hilltalkers and the Hawktalkers.
The event is family-friendly, and both teams welcome and encourage members of the Los Alamos and White Rock communities to come and support them.
Many local businesses have donated to the silent auction that is part of the Showcase. The Hilltalkers and Hawktalkers appreciate the willingness of the local businesses to support Speech and Debate in the community.
The Hilltalkers and the Hawktalkers competed last month at the state tournament where they earned multiple placings. For the sixth year in a row, the Hilltalkers brought home a New Mexico School of Speech and Debate School Excellence Award.
The following students were top placers in their events.
Hawktalkers Speech and Debate team state finalists
- Brinda Sreenivas—Third place, Novice Lincoln Douglas debate
- Caemeron Cole—Sixth place, Program of Oral Interpretation
- Luke Favorite—Outstanding Novice in Big Questions Debate
Hilltalkers Speech and Debate team state finalists
- Elizabeth Frost–semi-finalist, Big Questions Debate
- Elizabeth Adams–fourth place, Dramatic Interpretation
- Yunseo Kim-first place, Dramatic Interpretation
- Keturah Sherrill and Rylee Meechum–seventh place, Duo Interpretation
- Yeanwoo Park and Ben Tolk–fifth place, Duo Interpretation
- Emily Holmes and Neha Sadasivan–second place, Duo Interpretation
- Olivia Koo and Izze Thomas–first place, Duo Interpretation
- Lauren Poague–second place, Humorous Interpretation
- Pippa Fung–third place, Informative Speaking
- Olivia Koo–third place, Informative Speaking
- Dana Roelofs–fifth place, International Extemporaneous Speaking
- Gopal Nadiga–first place, International Extemporaneous Speaking
- Olivia Koo and Dana Roelofs–second place, Policy Debate
- Dana Roelofs—Noel Trujillo Award for the top speaker in Policy Debate
- Yunseo Kim–first place, Program of Oral Interpretation
- Dominic Dowdy and Brian Han–second place, Public Forum Debate
- Shena Han–third place, United States Extemporaneous Speaking
- Shena Han–quarterfinalist, Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate
Note: Of the 22 Hilltalkers who were finalists at the State Competition, 16 of them are proud graduates of the Los Alamos Middle School Hawktalkers Speech and Debate team.
Donations made to the Hilltalkers and Hawktalkers are tax-deductible since the LAHS Hilltalkers is a 501c3 organization. Donations made at the Showcase will allow the LAHS Hilltalkers to reduce travel costs for both teams and to fund scholarships for students who may need financial support in order to participate in speech and debate.
For more information, contact Margo Batha, coach of the Los Alamos High School Hilltalkers Speech and Debate team at m.batha@laschools.net.
