Speech and Debate at the Big Gump Classic

Photo Credits: Astha Mehta

On December 5th and 6th, the Vestavia Hills Speech and Debate team competed in Montgomery at Montgomery Academy. The Big GUMP Classic -- one of the most anticipated competitions in the region -- has always been a Vestavia Hills favorite. The adored clay trophies feature a variety of extravagant animals, and the competition is a great way for competitors to grow and learn. The team competed in a variety of events, including Public Forum, Congressional Debate, Impromptu, Extemporaneous Speaking, Duo Interpretation, and many more. 

The debate team faced fierce competition, as the tournament offered winners the opportunity to go to the Tournament of Champions, one of the most prestigious debate tournaments in the nation. Even with this adversity, all four teams in Public Forum competed in the octafinals. Additionally, Vivian Shi and Arhaan Lalani, and William Oglesby and Liam Blakely competed in the quarterfinals!

The topic for the Public Forum debate was: The United States federal government should require technology companies to provide lawful access to encrypted communications. 

The topic required debaters to research the harms and benefits of encrypted communications and debate over topics such as privacy and more. Additionally, Anthony Li and James Reeves competed in Congressional Debate, where the competitors debated a docket of legislation, simulating a congressional session. Topics included funding for rural hospitals and statehood for current US territories. Both competitors performed outstandingly, with James placing in 5th and Anthony placing in 4th. 

Many students also competed in Duo Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, and Informative Speaking, requiring competitors to memorize speeches on interesting topics. Anvitha Yaparla and Kaylee Zhao placed 2nd in Duo Interpretation, competing with a piece that highlighted the struggles of preparing for standardized testing. Additionally, Avery Brooks placed 3rd in Dramatic Interpretation, and Caitlyn Webster-Roberts placed 4th in Informative Speaking. 

Finally, some students also competed in Impromptu and Extemporaneous Speaking, where competitors are given a prompt and required to create a speech in a limited amount of time. In Impromptu, Anvitha placed 6th, and Caitlyn placed 2nd with outstanding performances. In Extemporaneous Speaking, Astha Mehta placed 3rd. 

Overall, the Vestavia Speech and Debate Team had a phenomenal time in Montgomery and is excited to continue on to future competitions, including the Samford University Tournament!