Neenah High School Debate

Please visit the Chipotle in Appleton on Wednesday December 22nd to help us fundraise for national tournaments! All proceeds from this event will be allocated to transportation and lodging needs.

Sunday closed a uniquely difficult and immeasurably different season for debaters across the state. We are pleased to announce that in spite of such difficulties, Neenah students have once again persevered in the face of adversity to secure some of the most successful results our team has ever seen. Neenah has not been immune to COVID-19 and its many implications. Though the pandemic has made coaching (and posting about!) our students more difficult, they have overcome such obstacles with inspiring vigor, and we would like to share with you the culminating results of our students’ work as they appeared at our state tournament.

🚀 Arin Pitzrick and Alex Farhenkrug, VCX, finished their season strong despite facing many difficulties throughout the year. We are impressed by their resilience and we wish Arin, who is graduating this year, the best of luck in all her endeavors.

🚀 Sarah Hoffmann, JVLD, has been independently motivated throughout the season and has consistently taken care to prepare for her rounds, adapt to feedback, and remain calm despite strenuous situations. Sarah’s mindset of growth will undoubtedly benefit her throughout the remaining three years of her debate career, and will surely follow her beyond graduation.

🚀 Isabel Hoffmann, VLD, sought to learn and develop as much as possible throughout our season, often opting into national tournaments despite their increased difficulty level. These experiences undoubtedly benefitted her going into our state tournament. Despite meeting many difficult opponents in preliminary rounds, Isabel advanced into quarterfinals, dropping only because of a coach-over to her teammate. Isabel willingly concede to the coach-over, a fact which demonstrates selflessness and maturity. Although she was, at that point, eliminated from the tournament, Isabel stayed to help her teammate prepare for future rounds, shunting aside her own disappointment. Isabel’s resolve as a team player has made her an invaluable member of our team.

🚀 Isabel, in addition to an impressive record, also tied as the tournament’s second speaker, tying with the tournament’s champion.

🚀 Megan O’Keefe, VLD, concluded her tremendously successful debate career most impressively, and her legacy will surely be remembered throughout the state for years to come. Megan has unanimously been considered an extremely competitive debater throughout the totality of her career, and these sentiments were only strengthened at the state tournament. Megan earned in an impressive record through preliminary rounds and advanced through quarterfinals into semifinals where she dropped on a 2-1 decision to the tournament champion. Megan’s pragmatic approach to debate allowed her to take this loss with grace and poise, a fact for which we are equally proud.

🚀 Megan was also named the tournament’s top speaker, thereby crowning herself the best speaker in the state.

🚀 We wish also to congratulate Megan on having received one of only three scholarship awards granted to WDCA seniors. Upon receiving this award, Megan’s peers and judges were fast to congratulate her on a deeply impressive career. We cannot wait to see what Megan does in the future.

Please congratulate all our students on what would have been an impressive winning streak absent the pandemic. Their ability to adapt to unprecedented circumstances speaks only to their resilience as individuals.

Stay tuned for team photos, which will be uploaded as soon as we receive our well-earned hardware in the mail.

🚀 The Wisconsin State Debate Tournament has officially concluded and we are excited to report results as we close out this season!

🚀 Despite this year being one of transition, and one that often required our debaters to take on responsibilities many students never do, we are proud to have qualified eleven debaters and have brought nine of them to state. This was an incredible year of growth for both our students and coaches, and we are incredibly excited for the changes and enhancements to be made in the future.

🚀 We would like to highlight our two senior public forum debaters, Jacob and Austin, who were integral in helping their teammates qualify for state and preparing for it. We are also tremendously proud of our other public forum team, consisting of Elrik and Jadon, for keeping morale high and giving their all this weekend.

🚀 Our policy debaters, Alex and Arin, competed in the varsity division at the state tournament for the first time this year, and approached such with open minds and a goal of growth. We are especially happy for Arin, who after two years of spectating at state, competed this year and did impressively well. Congratulations Arin!

🚀 Three of our LDers (Megan, Isabel, and Will) came with us to state this year, and two of them broke to elimination rounds, a fact we are extremely grateful for.

🚀 After a year of approaching debate from a new angle, Megan came to the state tournament with a mindset of growth and startling maturity in the face of adversity. Her leadership this weekend has proved invaluable, and we are excited to announce that she advanced to octofinals (after an impressive preliminary run) where she dropped on very narrow a 2-1 decision. Megan additionally earned 6th speaker at the tournament, and we are so excited to see what she does next year as a senior.

🚀 Isabel, a sophomore, managed an equally impressive streak and advanced through octofinals into quarterfinals where she was upset on a 2-1 decision by a two-time state champion. With two more years of debating, we are excited to see where the activity takes Isabel in the future!

🚀 As the season wraps up, we want to express how grateful we are for a team of enthusiastic and creative students. Please be sure to check our page often for updates on fundraising events we’ll be holding in the semester to come, and, of course, our annual banquet!

🚀 Appleton East Challenge Results:

🚀 In PF, Jadon and Elrik saw the first of many victories and performed better than they have at any other tournament in the past! We are extremely excited for how the learning they experienced this weekend will translate into their garnering legs to state in the coming weeks. Please congratulate them on developing a greater appreciation for strategy and tact!

🚀 In VCX, Alex and Arin also learned valuable skills relating to strategy and team work. Despite not breaking themselves, they were instrumental in helping their teammates break as far as they did, and their prep was incredibly helpful.

🚀 We are also incredibly proud of non-advancing LDers, Grace and Jacob. While out-rounds were in sight for both of them, they chose to run new arguments for the sake of their education and prioritize helping their teammates over themselves. Please commend their selflessness!

🚀 In LD, we want to recognize the following advancing debaters: Megan, Isabel, and Will.

🚀 Megan was 7-0 teams going into elimination rounds, and was upset in octofinals by the champion, her only loss the entire weekend. After this upset, Megan immediately directed her attention to her teammates that were still in the tournament and prepped them instead of contemplating the weekend’s events. Her leadership in instances like this one is what makes her an excellent captain! Megan also earned impressive speaks in each of her rounds, placing only behind the tournament’s champion.

🚀 Isabel went 4-3 through preliminary rounds, all while helping her teammates, and broke to octofinals, where she advanced on a 2-1 decision. In quarters, Isabel dropped on a 2-1 decision, though this loss is one she handled with impressive grace. We are very excited to see how she does at state this year!

🚀 Will went 4-3 through preliminary rounds, earning him his second leg to state, an accomplishment he is right to be proud of after a difficult season. He then went on to break to octofinals where he was upset on a 2-1 decision. Please congratulate Will and his teammates!

🚀 Unfortunately, we were unable to get photos of the entire team this weekend, though we are excited for upcoming tournaments, a new resolution in PF and LD starting in January, and soon thereafter, the Wisconsin State Debate Tournament!

🚀 We had an incredibly fun weekend in Madison at the Badgerland tournament! While we didn’t quite make it to break rounds (almost, though!), everyone saw new arguments they hadn’t previously, had the opportunity to run arguments they hadn’t previously, and learned a TON!

🚀 This year, we were fortunate enough to bring 2 PF teams, 4 LDers, and a VCX team—one of the biggest groups we’ve been able to bring thus far!

🚀 This weekend was intensely productive in terms of student learning (and, of course, team bonding). We are excited for next weekend when we head down to Illinois for Glenbrooks!

🚀 Results from our day at Homestead High School!

🚀 In LD, Lorelei and Grace earned their second legs to state. They are now fully qualified! They were also both top speakers, which Lorelei placing 4th and Grace placing 3rd. Also in LD, Megan placed 3rd overall! Wyatt, at his first tournament of the season, also earned a leg today, and is halfway to state!

🚀 Please congratulate all our debaters and watch out for upcoming posts as we head to Badgerland Friday!

🚀 We are back to competing each weekend and are so excited about it! Here’s how we did today:

🚀 In varsity LD, we had our first tournament with a new resolution and learned a TON about the topic.

🚀 Will used Super Smash Bros to expose the inequalities that often exist in debate and had several conversations about how we can level the playing field for students who may be disadvantaged.

🚀 Grace earned her first leg to state at her first tournament of the year, and Megan was the tournament’s 5th speaker and 3rd place debater overall, having gone undefeated today.

🚀 In varsity PF, Elrik and Jadon learned a ton after having debate in policy earlier this season and last year. They are very excited about shift!

🚀 In varsity policy, Alex and Arin also learned a ton AND were able to show their parents what they’ve learned!

🚀 Catch us at Homestead next week!

🚀 After a long day of hosting our first tournament in 26 years, we are tremendously excited to thank everyone who made the trip to Neenah today! With 20 schools and 56 teams, our tournament was much larger than anticipated, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to have hosted a tournament and held break rounds today. We would like to thank everyone who helped us in this learning experience—we couldn’t have held a successful tournament without you!

🚀 We would also like to thank our students, some of whom are pictured playing a game towards the end of the tournament here. We truly could not have asked for a better group of kids to help us through our first tournament. Each time I asked one of the twenty of them to help with something, every single one of them volunteered. Despite a very hectic and chaotic day, they remained collected, helpful to us and visitors, and extraordinarily positive. I am so deeply proud of them. Hosting their first tournament and seeing the functions of debate from behind the scenes has been an invaluable experience to them, and I cannot wait to see what they do with this newfound knowledge.

🚀 Next up is West Bend, and a new topic for LDers and PFers. We are only four weeks away from back-to-back national tournaments!

🚀 Another big day of learning for our debaters! Please congratulate everyone for a day filled with growth and self-improvement! I am so proud to coach a team that is internally motivated towards not only success but improvement and education. More important than their records is their commitment to learning, each other, and the activity.

🚀 We want also to congratulate Megan on placing 2nd and being the tournament’s 1st speaker!

🚀 Next week our rockets will be committed to learning about the other side of the debate world as we host our first tournament!

🚀 Our Rockets had a day filled with fun, learning, and laughing (so well as, obviously, debating)!

🚀 In Novice Public Forum, seniors Jacob and Austin placed 3rd and earned their first leg to state! Jacob was also 3rd speaker in NPF.

🚀 In Varsity Policy, sophomore Alex and junior Arin earned their second leg to state! We are so excited to have them compete there!

🚀 In Varsity Lincoln-Douglas, junior Megan O’Keefe placed 3rd and was the tournament’s 3rd place speaker! She also earned her second leg to state alongside sophomore Isabel!

🚀 Please congratulate all of our debaters on their excellent work today!

🚀 Next up is Fort Atkinson, and then, we’ll be hosting our own tournament here in Neenah!

🚀 Saturday kicked off the start of the debate season for Neenah, and we are very excited to share the results with you!

🚀 In LD, debaters Megan (5-0), Lorelei (4-1), Isabel (4-1), and Will (3-2) earned their first legs to state! Megan was also awarded first place speaker and was named the tournament’s champion!

🚀 After a long summer of preparation, varsity policy debaters Alex and Arin also earned their first leg to state—their first tournament being partners, and Alex’s first tournament competing in the varsity pool!

🚀 Please extend congratulations to all our debaters on an excellent start to the season! We are extremely excited for everything to come in the next several months.