Fowla was pleased to contribute $3,000 to Emerson’s successful speech/debate team tonight.
Emerson’s team had a remarkable first year last year and we know they will continue their success this year.
Fowla’s contribution was made possible by our corporate and community sponsors.
More From the Emerson website (www.emersonms.org)…
Emerson Triumphs at National Debate Competition
Two Emerson students were selected to represent Emerson Middle School’s Speech and Debate team at the National Junior Forensics League’s Middle School National Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama, in June. Over 700 students from 94 schools across the country competed in ten speech events and four debate events. The competition included 1,126 entries as each student could compete in up to four events. The competition consisted of six rounds over three long days, beginning at 8:00 a.m. and concluding at 5:00 p.m. each day. Emerson 8th graders, Hannah Grace Smith and Asa Ferguson received top honors in three categories. Hannah Grace and Asa reached the quarterfinals (top 24) for Impromptu Speaking, the semifinals (top 12) for Dramatic Interpretation, and Hannah Grace placed 2nd in the finals for Impromptu Speaking. “I spent countless hours memorizing scripts, revising, improving my technique, practicing, researching, and analyzing the methods of several past winners,” says Hannah Grace about her preparation for Nationals. Hannah Grace, now a freshman at University High, plans to volunteer as a student coach for this year’s debate team at Emerson.
Emerson’s coach, Lily Parker, is an English Language Arts teacher who established Emerson’s debate team for the first time in the 2012-13 school year. With the assistance of Iain Lampert, a UCLA student and Speech and Debate national champion, Ms. Parker entered Emerson in one of the most competitive leagues in the country. Three other schools in the Southern California league have received the Schools of Excellence Award for their longstanding Speech and Debate programs.
Ms. Parker and her Speech and Debate team wish to thank the many students, parents, teachers, and community groups that donated money on short notice to cover the cost of registration, travel and accommodations when the students learned that they had advanced to Nationals. We look forward to another exciting and challenging year as the team heads into its second season.
Click on the link to view a photo montage from the team’s inaugural year: http://vimeo.com/67476832
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