Newman Speech & Debate Team Earns Prestigious Award at Nationals

For the first time in school history, the Newman Speech & Debate Team earned a School of Honor in Debate at this year’s National Speech & Debate Association National Tournament, held online from June 14-20. The award, given to the top 20 debate programs in the country, is among many distinctions earned at this year’s tournament.

 

The 2020 National Tournament was the largest to date, with over 1,200 schools in attendance and over 6,000 competitors. The tournament marks the end of the 2019-2020 season, and is a celebration of a year of hard work and dedication. Out of the over 140,000 members of the National Speech & Debate Association, only 4% in the country qualify to compete at the National Tournament. And, even fewer make it to elimination rounds. This year we tied the school record by qualifying 10 students to represent Newman and the state of Louisiana.

 

Overall, the team had an impressive showing at the National Tournament, with the following results:

 

Let’s all give a round of applause to the Newman Speech & Debate Team for another successful season!