Speech and Debate at WHS competes virtually

Wimberley High School students competed in the first speech and debate contest of the season on September 12. The La Vernia TFA Bear Brawl was virtually hosted by La Vernia High School. Three WHS teams competed in CX Debate, they were: Daniel Morgan and Dani Perez, Rex Jackson and Jackson Delhagen, and Elysia Becken and Evie Jennings. All three of the teams went 2-2 at the tournament.

WHS freshmen Kathryn McKinney and Lucas Brookshier competed in their first high school debate contest, competing in Novice Lincoln/Douglas. While competing against other first-year competitors, McKinney went 3-1 and won first place while Brookshier went 1-2.

The virtual tournament was the first of its kind for WHS debaters. Seven of the eight competitors competed virtually from separate classrooms at the WHS campus, while another was able to compete while on a trip out-of-state. The event was hosted through tabroom.com, an online application that indicated which side each team or student was debating and what virtual room they would compete in. The application would then open a Zoom video call with the opposing debaters and a judge included.

The next meet for the WHS Speech and Debate team is scheduled for September 26, hosted by San Antonio MacArthur High School. The WHS Speech and Debate team is coached by Kyla Brookshier-DeLeon.