Imagine waking up at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday. Doesn’t sound scary enough? You’re not waking up to run a marathon, go to a charity event or morning yoga session, but instead only to drive all the way to Enloe High School and compete and public speaking.
To most this sounds like a horrific nightmare, but for Leesville’s Speech and Debate team this was a reality. Students competed at the tournament in all forms of debate: Lincoln Douglas, public forum and student congress, as well as original oratory and impromptu, both speech events.
The Leesville team had its inception last year and first competed at the Enloe tournament last spring.
Abbott Gaddy, sophomore and Lincoln Douglas debater, said, “Competing a second time was a lot less nerve-wracking. I felt much more prepared than I had last time and was able to enjoy the tournament more because I wasn’t as worried. I definitely felt more confident and think I did a better job because of that.
Leesville secured two podiums with Austin Credle taking fourth in original oratory and first in impromptu. Last year, Grace Egly and Sonali Biswas placed sixth place in Lincoln Douglas and student congress, respectively.
The team is excited for the future as well as experiencing more tournaments and gaining more experience with time. “I know next year will be even better,” said Gaddy.
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