JHS Speech & Debate Team Wraps Up Stellar Season

(submitted by Jeremy Fitzpatrick)

The 2016-2017 season has been Johnston High School Speech and Debate Team’s greatest season in school history. Accomplishments of this season included:

In October, two students won local speech contests (Tara Djukanovic twice and Veronika Silkin once). The debate team won two local debate competitions (Prakhyath Bujimalla and Jimmy Le at Cedar Rapids JFK and Prakhyath Bujimalla and Kate Snyder at Roosevelt High School)

In November, three students won local speech contests (Tara Djukanovic twice, Peter Beebe once, and Veronika Silkin once). The debate team won one local debate competition (Prakhyath Bujimalla and Jack Lucas at Bettendorf High School). November also marked the first time JHS Speech and Debate made a trip outside the state as Peter Beebe, Kate Snyder, Prakhyath Bujimalla, and Jack Lucas travelled to Chicago for the Glenbrooks Invitational.

In December, students competed against nationally-ranked students at the Dowling Catholic Speech and Debate Tournament. In Speech, Tara Djukanovic placed 7th in one event and

Four champion plaques were awarded to Johnston students at the Iowa Forensic League State Tournament in March.

Top 12 in another, Veronika Silkin placed in the Top 12 in two events. In Debate, Jimmy Le and Jailyn Alderman placed 23rd, Prakhyath Bujimalla and Jack Lucas placed 13th, and Peter Beebe and Kate Snyder placed 10th.

In January, Johnston Speech and Debate placed 4th overall at the Iowa High School Speech and Debate Association’s State Debate Tournament. Also, the debate team placed 1st and 2nd at Iowa City City High with Jimmy Le and Jailyn Alderman winning 1st and Peter Beebe and Kate Snyder coming in 2nd. The speech team traveled to Minneapolis to again compete on the national stage. Veronika Silkin and Tara Djukanovic both placed in the Top 12 of their respective events.Tara Djukanovic and Veronika Silkin qualified to the Tournament of Champions in Speech in Kentucky in April.

In February, three students won local speech contests (Alexis Rivett once, Nicole Hobson once, and Veronika Silkin twice). At the regional tournament, seven students qualified for the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Alabama this June, the most in school history with the possibility of more students qualifying in students congress and world schools debate. These will be decided in early April. These students included Alexis Rivett, Nicole Hobson, Asiya Mohammad, Tara Djukanovic, Veronika Silkin, Prakhyath Bujimalla, and Jack Lucas. The debate team wrapped up the month by traveling to Omaha to compete against nationally ranked debaters. Four students qualified to the National Tournament of Champions in Kentucky in April, Prakhyath Bujimalla, Jack Lucas, Peter Beebe, and Kate Snyder. In addition, Peter Beebe and Kate Snyder compiled a record of 8-2 and finished as Semifinalists, while Jack Lucas and Prakhyath Bujimalla ended with a record of 9-1 and won the tournament at Millard North High School in Omaha.

In March, Johnston Speech and Debate competed at the Iowa Forensics League Iowa State Tournament. Both Speech and Debate placed 3rd in overall rankings with 4 students taking home individual state championships. Tara Djukanovic won two speech championships, Veronica Silkin won one speech championship, and Peter Beebe and Kate Snyder won the state debate title in Public Forum, the first in Johnston High School debate team history. In addition, Tara Djukanovic was voted Iowa Forensic League Student/Senior of the Year by the coaches, and Jeremy Fitzpatrick was voted Iowa Forensic League Coach of the Year.