Speech and Debate Team
Overview
The RRCA High School Speech and Debate Team was formed in 2008-2009 to provide a venue for students to compete in forensics competitions. The speech and debate tournament events that students compete in include speaking, reading, acting, and debate. RRCA competes in public and private school invitational tournaments from September onward in preparation for district and state competition for TAPPS and the NFL. RRCA has active membership in the National Forensic League, the speech and debate honor society for public and private schools. In the fall of 2010, our school was designated with Chapter status by the organization, the highest of four rankings a school can obtain.
The Speech and Debate Team is coached by Cathleen Ferose.
2017-2018 Highlights
TAPPS Speech State Competition, April 9-11, 2018
Congratulations to the TAPPS Speech Team for being named State Champions!
Lincoln Douglas Debate: 5th place (tie) – Jenna Kim, 3rd place (tie) – Christian Gonzales, 2nd place – Matthew Tweden
Persuasive Speaking: 4th place – Christian Gonzales, 1st place – Matthew Tweden
Oratory: 7th place – Morgan Whitley, 5th place – Matthew Tweden
Prose Interpretation: 8th place – Morgan Whitley, 6th place – Caitlin Lee
Poetry Interpretation: 6th place – Sophia Fernandez, 1st place – Sophia Berg
Solo Acting: 6th place – Caitlin Lee, 1st place – Sophia Berg
Duet Acting: 1st place – team of Sophia Berg and Caleb Roark
Special Congratulations:
Matthew Tweden – Top Speaker in Lincoln Douglas Debate
Sophia Berg – Top competitor in Speech events
Elementary Speech Meet, April 6, 2018
Congratulations to competitors at the ACSI Elementary Speech Meet at Central Texas Christian Schools. There were 4 schools competing in events 1st-6th grades. Here are the results:
1st grade Poetry: 1st place, Superior Rating – Tobe Esomeju
1st grade Bible Memorization: Excellent rating – Asher Asiedu
3rd grade Bible Memorization: Excellent rating – Ellyn Seib
3rd grade Poetry: Good rating – Gauri Babbar
4th grade Bible Memorization: 1st place, Superior Rating – Patrick Asiedu
4th grade Fables and Folklore: Good rating – Andrew Balid
4th grade Fables and Folklore: Excellent rating – Arianna Jemal
5th grade Bible Memorization: Good rating – Krishna Yeada
6th grade Patriotic Oration: 1st place, Superior rating – Mahlet Messay
Shamrock Tournament, March 23-24, 2018
Congratulations to the Speech & Debate team who competed on Friday and Saturday at the Shamrock Tournament. Here are the results:
Prose: 7th place – Micah Headley
Prose: 8th place – Danny Tomlin
Solo Acting: 4th place – Danny Tomlin
LD: 2nd place and Top Speaker – Matthew Tweden
Oratory: 2nd place – Matthew Tweden
Extemporaneous Speaking: 7th place – Jenna Kim, 1st place – Matthew Tweden
Celtic Invitational, January 27, 2018
Congratulations to the RRCA speech and debate competitors for 1st place Team Sweepstakes at the 14th Annual Celtic Invitational at Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Temple. Ten schools competed in 13 speaking, debating, and acting events for grades 4th-9th.
Lincoln Douglas Debate: 4th place - Max Chhabra, 3rd place - Kiera Dixon, 2nd place - Grant Brown, and 1st place - Matthew Tweden.
Solo Acting: 6th place - Douglas Chaiken, 5th place - Sarah Benitz
Prose Interpretation: 6th place - Douglas Chaiken, 4th place - Kiera Dixon, 3rd place - Sarah Benitz
4th-5th grade Poetry: 4th place - Arianna Jemal, 1st place - Colin Russell
6th-7th grade Poetry: 6th place - Rachel Millikan, 4th place - Kiera Dixon, 3rd place - Mahlet Messay
Poetry: 5th place - Sarah Benitz, 2nd place - Douglas Chaiken
4th-5th grade Storytelling: 2nd place - Colin Russell
Storytelling: 6th place - Rachel Millikan, 2nd place - Sarah Benitz
Impromptu Speaking: 1st place - Matthew Tweden
Oratory: 1st place - Matthew Tweden
Bible Reading: 5th place - Douglas Chaiken, 4th place - Micah Headley, 2nd place - Jerell Isaac, 1st place - Matthew Tweden
Group Improv: 1st place - team of Matthew Tweden, Micah Headley, and Douglas Chaiken
Best Speaker of the Tournament: Matthew Tweden
Thank you to the following students who volunteered their time to serve at the tournament: Alex Chaiken, Christian Gonzales, Sophia Fernandez, Caitlin Lee, Caleb Roark, Morgan Whitley, and Perry Williams
El Campo, January 12-13, 2018
RRCA won Grand Sweepstakes at the El Campo High School Speech & Debate Tournament.
Bible Reading: 6th place - Caleb Roark, 5th place - Micah Headley, 4th place - Sophia Fernandez, 3rd place - Christian Gonzales, 2nd place - Danny Tomlin, 1st place - Sophia Berg
Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate: Quarterfinalist - Perry Williams
Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate: 1st place - Matthew Tweden
Novice Prose Interpretation: 2nd place - Caitlin Lee, 1st place - Micah Headley
Senior Prose Interpretation: 4th place - Alex Chaiken
Novice Poetry Interpretation: 6th place - Caitlin Lee, 1st place - Micah Headley
Senior Prose Interpretation: 3rd place - Sophia Fernandez
Humorous Interpretation: 1st place - Sophia Berg
Dramatic Interpretation: 2nd place - Morgan Whitley, 1st place - Caitlin Lee
Auditioning: 6th place - Morgan Whitley, 3rd place - Christian Gonzales, 2nd place - Sophia Berg
Storytelling: 2nd place - Alex Chaiken, 1st place - Sophia Berg
Duet Acting: 4th place - Alex Chaiken/Danny Tomlin, 2nd place - Sophia Berg/Caleb Roark
Novice Extemporaneous Speaking: 1st place - Matthew Tweden, 6th place – Hannah Vo
Impromptu Speaking: 5th place - Alex Chaiken, 4th place - Christian Gonzales, 3rd place - Matthew Tweden
Oratory: 2nd place - Matthew Tweden
Program of Oral Interpretation: 4th place - Christian Gonzales, 3rd place - Morgan Whitley
Group Improv: 1st place - team of Sophia Berg, Christian Gonzales, Caleb Roark, Morgan Whitley, and Matthew Tweden
Record Mime: 3rd place - team of Sophia Berg, Sophia Fernandez, and Caitlin Lee, 1st place - team of Christian Gonzales, Caleb Roark, and Morgan Whitley
Reader's Theater: 2nd place - team of Sophia Berg, Caitlin Lee, and Caleb Roark, 1st place - team of Alex Chaiken, Sophia Fernandez, Christian Gonzales, Danny Tomlin, and Morgan Whitley
Best Actor: Sophia Berg
Best Speaker: Matthew Tweden
Best Novice: Micah Headley
Bay City, December 1-2, 2017
Congratulations to the Speech and Debate team for placing 2nd overall at the Bay City tournament.
Novice Poetry: 4th place - Caitlin Lee
Senior Poetry: 8th place - Hannah Feldman, 3rd place - Sophia Fernandez
Novice Prose: 4th place - Micah Headley
Senior Prose: 6th place - Sophia Fernandez
Friday Storytelling: 2nd place - Christian Gonzales, 1st place - Sophia Berg
Saturday Storytelling: 5th place - Alex Chaiken
Dramatic Interpretation: 5th place - Caitlin Lee, 2nd place - Hannah Feldman, 1st place - Morgan Whitley
Humorous Interpretation: 6th place - Christian Gonzales, 4th place - Caleb Roark, 3rd place - Danny Tomlin, 1st place - Sophia Berg
Program of Oral Interpretation: 3rd place - Christian Gonzales, 2nd place - Morgan Whitley
Duet Acting: 5th place - Christian Gonzales/Morgan Whitley, 1st place - Alex Chaiken/Danny Tomlin
Auditioning: 1st place - Sophia Berg
Novice Extemporaneous Speaking: 1st place - Matthew Tweden
Novice Impromptu Speaking: 3rd place - Matthew Tweden
Original Oratory: 7th place - Perry Williams, 4th place - Matthew Tweden
UIL Lincoln Douglas Debate: Quarterfinalist - Rebecca Rasmussen, Semifinalist - Jenna Kim, 2nd place - Matthew Tweden, 1st place - Perry Williams
Music Interpretation: 1st place - Sophia Berg
Dance Interpretation: 4th place - team of Caitlin Lee, Caleb Roark, Christian Gonzales, and Morgan Whitley
Duo Improv: 6th place - Morgan Whitley/Caleb Roark, 5th place - Christian Gonzales/Sophia Berg
Group Improv: 7th place - team of Alex Chaiken, Danny Tomlin, and Micah Headley, 1st place: team of Sophia Berg, Christian Gonzales, Caleb Roark, Morgan Whitley, and Matthew Tweden
Record Mime: 3rd place - team of Christian Gonzales, Caleb Roark, and Morgan Whitley
Reader's Theater: 6th place - team of Hannah Feldman, Micah Headley, and Grace Wu, 3rd place - team of Sophia Fernandez, Danny Tomlin, Alex Chaiken, Christian Gonzales, and Morgan Whitley, 2nd place - team of Sophia Berg, Caleb Roark, and Caitlin Lee
Trinity Classic, November 4, 2017
Congratulations to the Crusader Speech and Debate team on their Sweepstakes win.
Solo Acting: 3rd place - Morgan Whitley
Duet Acting: 3rd place - team of Morgan Whitley/Christian Gonzales, 2nd place - team of Alex Chaiken/Danny Tomlin
Prose: 6th place - Sophia Fernandez
Poetry: 5th place - Morgan Whitley, 4th place - Christian Gonzales, 2nd place - Alex Chaiken, 1st place - Caitlin Lee
Bible Reading: 5th place - Christian Gonzales, 4th place - Grace Wu
Duo Improv: 4th place - team of Christian Gonzales/Matthew Tweden, 1st place - team of Morgan Whitley/Caleb Roark
Soapbox Speaking: 5th place - Morgan Whitley, 3rd place - Christian Gonzales
Impromptu Speaking: 3rd place - Matthew Tweden, 2nd place - Morgan Whitley
Extemporaneous Speaking: 5th place - Christian Gonzales, 3rd place - Perry Williams, 1st place - Matthew Tweden
Oratory: 2nd place - Matthew Tweden
Congressional Debate: 4th place - Matthew Tweden
Lincoln Douglas Debate: 1st place - Matthew Tweden
Top Speaker: Matthew Tweden
Best All Around competitor: Matthew Tweden
Journey Tournament, September 23, 2017
Crusaders won Team Sweepstakes!
Lincoln Douglas Debate: 4th place - Rebecca Rasmussen, 3rd place - Jenna Kim,
1st place and Top Speaker: Matthew Tweden
Public Forum Debate: 1st place - team of Anna Jacks and Christian Gonzales
Congressional Debate: 3rd place - Matthew Tweden
Informative Extemp: 5th place - Jenna Kim, 3rd place - Rebecca Rasmussen
Persuasive Extemp: 6th place - Perry Williams, 2nd place - Christian Gonzales, 1st place - Matthew Tweden
Oratory: 3rd place - Perry Williams
Dramatic Interpretation: 3rd place - Hannah Feldman, 2nd place - Caitlin Lee, 1st place - Morgan Whitley
Humorous Interpretation: 6th place - Anna Jacks, 4th place - Caleb Roark, 3rd place - Christian Gonzales, 1st place - Danny Tomlin
Poetry: 6th place - Alex Chaiken, 5th place - Hannah Feldman, 3rd place - Kenzie Jones, 2nd place - Anna Jacks, 1st place - Sophia Berg
Prose: 8th place - Morgan Whitley, 7th place: Kenzie Jones, 4th place - Caitlin Lee, 3rd place - Anna Jacks, 1st place - Christian Gonzales
Program of Oral Interpretation: 3rd place - Anna Jacks, 2nd place - Morgan Whitley
Hurricane Debate Tournament, September 9, 2017
Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate: 4th place - Rebecca Rasmussen, 1st place - Matthew Tweden, Top Speaker - Rebecca Rasmussen
Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate: 5th place - Sophia Fernandez, 1st place - Perry Williams
Extemporaneous Debate: 5th place - Matthew Tweden, 4th place - Perry Williams, 3rd place - Morgan Whitley, 1st place and Top Speaker - Danny Tomlin
Impromptu Speaking: 6th place - Morgan Whitley, 4th place - Christian Gonzales, 2nd place - Danny Tomlin
Public Forum Debate: 5th place - team of Anna Jacks/Christian Gonzales, 4th place - team of Caleb Roark/Morgan Whitley, 2nd place - team of Rebecca Rasmussen/Matthew Tweden, Top Speaker - Matthew Tweden