GCHS Debate Team Qualifies Students And Receives Awards
USD 457
The Garden City High School Debate team finished the national qualifying tournament for the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) on April 17th. The team qualified a number of students that will be competing at the national tournament this June. The team also received a series awards from the NSDA. The school belongs to the West Kansas NSDA.
The following students have earned qualifying spots and will be competing at the national tournament. The team qualified a number of seniors for nationals in Public Forum Debate. They are Reagan Wright and Gracie Mueller. This will be Mueller’s fourth national competition. She is only GCHS’ second ever four time qualifier for national competition. Other qualifying students include: Jessica Angulo/Riley Metheney, Duo Interpretation; Maddie Stout/Chelsea Valadez, Duo Interpretation; Jessica Angulo, Humorous Interpretation (deferred for Duo); Jacob Wegner, Humorous Interpretation; Jyothi Kalaikkal, Program Oral Interpretation; Natalie Radke, World Schools Debate; Kira Roth, Prose; and Anne Lofquist, Poetry.
The school also received a number of awards from the West Kansas NSDA. Drew Thon, Garden City High School Athletic Director/Associate Principal, was awarded the Administrator of the Year for his support of all sports and activities. Mandy Chapman Semple (Class of 1998) was awarded the District Alumni of the Year for her long term work as an advocate, organizer, and manager of assistance programs for urban homeless populations. Russ Tidwell, debate and forensics coach, received the Communicator of the Year award.
