Left to right: Shri Easwara, Michelle Huang, Samantha Mahle, Anushka Chaba, Saniya Teni, Ria Naraian, Sadie Seggerson Photo courtesy of Anushka Chaba

Liberty’s Speech and Debate team is currently sending 18 teammates to the Ohio Speech and Debate Association (OSDA) State Finals at Austintown-Fitch High School later this month. 

Some of these competitors qualified before the Columbus District competition in Upper Arlington on February 1st. These bid competitors are juniors Jordan Koth and Shaurya Mishra in Congressional Debate, junior Grisha Yelisetty in Declamation, senior Levi Li and freshman Camryn Harris in Lincoln Douglas Debate, junior Monnishaa Tambe in Original Oratory, and Nandini Uppala in United States Extemporaneous Speaking.

Of course, even more qualified at the tournament this past Saturday. In Congressional Debate, junior Dhruv Doshi won first place; freshman Arnav Goyal also qualified for states. In Lincoln Douglas Debate, junior Tarun Batchu and freshman Benjamin Kurian qualified for state as well. The team of junior Michelle Huang and senior Shri Easwara. 

Speech also had its fair share of qualifiers, such as junior Varsha Banumukkala in Declamation, the teams of seniors Anushka Chaba and Samantha Mahle & Ria Naraian and Saniya Teni in Duo Interpretation, senior Lauren Childs and junior Meghavarshini Sivakumar in Informative Speaking, and junior Lia Papachristou in Original Oratory.

This tournament has been just yet another example of the team’s success this season. Let’s wish all of Liberty’s competitors luck at States!