Speech & Debate team shines at nationals

Recent graduate Ashe Sobel-Drum reached the Semifinals in the House (Congressional Debate) and finished as the top National Forensics League Honor Society point earner in Upper St. Clair team history with 2,201. The previous high was 2,122 by 2021 graduate Madeline Nolen. Ashe served as the team’s secretary this past season. 

Priyasha Itani, a 2024 graduate, earned a spot in the Octofinals (Top 60) and was one rank away from Quarterfinals, finishing 31st in Original Oratory. She also earned her fourth career nationals break, finishing in the Double Octofinals in supplemental Impromptu Speaking to add to her PHSSL State Championship from earlier this season. Priyasha served as the team president this past season.

Rising senior Ishaan Sharma reached the Octofinals in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking for his third career nationals break. This season, Ishaan was also a PHSSL state champion and served as the team's Extemporaneous captain. 

Rising junior Prachi Chetlur reached the Octofinals in International Extemporaneous Speaking and made her third nationals break by reaching the Octofinals in supplementary Commentary. 

Rising senior Isabel Vilensky, this year's vice president, went undefeated on the first day of the supplemental Extemporaneous Debate, the largest event at the competition, and advanced to the seventh round. 

Recent graduate and Congressional Debate Captain Ujal Gautam was 121st in the Senate, one spot away from advancing to the Quarterfinal round.

Overall, 17 members of Upper St. Clair High School Speech & Debate team qualified to compete at the NSDA National Tournament this year, sweeping the Speech, Debate, Congress, and Overall Sweepstakes awards for the first time in team history. 

Also qualifying were 2024 graduates Oratory Captain Aarav Patil (Original Oratory), Treasurer Theeya Chen & Minister of Propaganda Lucia Miles (Policy Debate), Shubham Patel (Chosen for Pittsburgh's World Schools Debate Team); and rising seniors Deputy Treasurer Opal Miller (Chosen for Pittsburgh's World Schools Debate Team), Rohan Mehta (Domestic Extemporaneous), Roshan Mishra (International Extemporaneous), Aaryan Kumar (Isabel Vilensky's partner in Public Forum Debate), Shreya Sriram (Program Oral Interpretation), Manav Patel (House), and Deputy Minister of Propaganda George Abdel-Messih (House). 

The Upper St. Clair High School team is coached by teachers Ben Edwards and Dave Watson, with outside consulting from Erin Wolf, Oscar Heller and Saif Durrani.