Winners at December 2 Olentangy Liberty Tournament (Photo/Staff)

After weeks of training, Academy’s Speech and Debate team competed at Olentangy Liberty on Saturday, December 2, placing 5th out of 17 central Ohio schools. Several students earned podium rankings in their respective events, with Dilin G. receiving a fourth-place individual sweepstakes out of 43 total competitors.

Interpretation events require competitors to act out a play or short story (sometimes including multiple characters), capturing the audience with tactics including drama and humor. In Dramatic Interpretation, Carolina M. secured a fourth-place finish and Top Novice Award, while Gavin H. earned third in Humorous Interpretation. Program Oral Interpretation requires that students combine two genres—prose, poetry, or drama—to convey a theme. In this event, Grace H., Jennifer L., and AA A. nabbed third, fourth, and sixth, respectively. 

Public Address focuses on a competitors’s ability to deliver an original speech and persuade, educate, or answer a question for the audience. In Informative Speaking, captain David W. memorized his ten-minute speech to earn a third-place rank, and Eva L. won Top Novice. Ellie T. also delivered a ten-minute persuasive speech in Original Oratory to acquire fourth. Dilin G. secured an impressive first place in International Extemporaneous Speaking after crafting, memorizing, and delivering a seven-minute speech about an international issue with 30 minutes of preparation.

Students attribute their success to the team’s advisor, Ms. Hogan, and coaches, Mr. Mann and Ms. Reiner, who have spent countless out-of-school hours coaching them with necessary skills. Ms. Hogan specializes in declamation, Mr. Mann focuses on extemporaneous speaking, and Ms. Reiner helps fine-tune other events.

This is Ms. Reiner’s second year with Academy. From participating in Speech and Debate in high school to coaching at her previous school, Ms. Reiner wants to give back to help students build confidence, self-esteem, and public speaking skills. Ms. Reiner also serves as the District Chair and Treasurer for the Columbus District, is a representative of the Ohio Speech and Debate Association, and won the Western Ohio New Coach of the Year Award in the 2022-2023 season. 

Ms. Reiner says, “It takes guts to put yourself out there, and students should be proud of the bravery it takes every single time. I always ask my students three questions after a competition: fdid you do your best, did you learn something, and did you have fun? As long as they answer yes to those three questions, nothing else matters.”