Upper St. Clair High School’s Forensic Team Is Awarded Membership into the “100 Club”
The Upper St. Clair High School Speech and Debate program received national recognition with an invitation to become a member of the “100 Club.”
The speech and debate students earn points and degrees in the National Forensic League honor society
based on competitive and service-related activities, ranging from the Degree of Merit with 25 or more points to the Degree of Premier Distinction with 1,500 points or more.
When a forensic chapter achieves 100 or more degrees, it is ranked among the top 10% of schools nationwide, and earns membership in the National Speech and Debate Association’s prestigious “100 Club!”
According to the association’s Executive Director J. Scott Wunn, the milestone of becoming a member of the 100 Club is remarkable because “it demonstrates commitment to teaching students essential life skills - including communication, research, listening, writing, and organization.” In a letter to USC sponsor/head coach Mr. Benjamin Edwards, he commended the Upper St. Clair forensics chapter. “The hard work you have invested to achieve this distinction will pay dividends for years to come.” He concluded, “I encourage you to build upon this momentum to ensure that even more students are empowered to become engaged citizens, skilled professionals, and honorable leaderships in our global society… Keep up the good work, and best wishes for another successful season.”
The Upper St. Clair High School chapter of Speech and Debate is both a club and a team. Students sharpen skills in public speaking, oral interpretation, and formal debate through regular practices at the high school. Students then compete with other high school teams at locations around Pennsylvania from November through March.
The students and faculty coaches, Mr. Ben Edwards and Mr. David Watson, are congratulated for entering the “100 Club!”
Pictured:
Top photo: Members of the award-winning USC Forensics team include (left to right, front row) Katherine Starr, Amna Amin, Macey Kaplan, Saraj Quinto, Hunter Lantzman, Neale Misquitta, Arushi Kewalramani, Krisha Monpara, Anvi Kumar, Ariana Chiu, and Mor Shimshi; (second row) Daniel Speer, Jacob Lantzman, Erik Warmbein, Chase Miller, Kristen Buckholt, Tana Mahajan, Hannah Sanner, Allison Lento, and Ava White; (back row) Rod Smith, Paul Abrams, Wyatt Keating, and Thomas Mologne.
Bottom photo: Speech and Debate students preparing to leave for a tournament on Saturday, November 7, include (left to right) Mor Shimshi, Neale Misquitta, Ashton Saunders, Malika Matharu, Meghan Joon, Sravya Maddipatla, Pravalika Ravula, Shraya Gumudavelli, and Allison Lento.