Great Falls High Schools will be hosting an upcoming Speech and Debate tournament. This event will take place in November and promises to be a significant occasion, attracting approximately 600 students from across the state.
The initial tournaments will be held in Helena, Missoula, and Billings; however, the Great Falls tournament will mark the first two-day event of this season. An estimated 550 to 600 students are expected to compete in 15 distinct events.
To adequately support a tournament of this magnitude, 80 to 100 judges will be required for each round, which will occur every two hours. The schedule will commence at 4 PM on Friday and conclude at 10 PM, resuming on Saturday from 8 AM until 6 PM. Complimentary food and beverages will be provided for all judges throughout the event.
Local participation consists of seven coaches across the three high schools, four of whom are new this year. The coaching staff includes Stephanie Majors at Great Falls High, Kaycee Wolf and Alex Rosenleaf at C.M. Russell High, along with Tony Rosales (serving both C.M. Russell and St. Patrick’s Academy) and Leyton Quinn (at Great Falls High and St. Patrick’s Academy). Collectively, there are approximately 60 students enrolled (32 at C.M. Russell, 22 at Great Falls High, and 10 at St. Patrick’s Academy). Three students from C.M. Russell have competed nationally at the NSDA National Tournament on two occasions. During last June’s event in Des Moines, Iowa, eleven participants engaged in multiple events, gaining valuable experience despite not advancing beyond the preliminary rounds.
This tournament, named “Voices of the Falls,” will be held at Great Falls High School and represents a collaborative effort among the three high schools, collectively known as Emerging Voices.
For more information or to donate your time, please visit https://www.cmrspeech.com/judge
Author: Karen Anderson
Karen is the Editor-in-Chief overseeing all news operations at Foxys Publishing Co. She also loves photography and spending time with her dogs.
