Mount Mercy Academy recently hosted its 39th annual Speech and Debate Tournament. Teams from Buffalo, Rochester and Albany schools competed in speech, drama and debate categories. The students competed for points as they started on the road to compete at the state and national championships.
Senior Katie Regan (East Aurora) placed first in Extemporaneous Speaking (the speaker writes a speech about current events), with sophomore teammate Nola Marrero (Buffalo) finishing close behind in second place. Their topics ranged from domestic and foreign policy as well as technology, science and social issues. Regan is halfway to a state bid with her win.
Sophomore Samantha Arcara (West Seneca) also earned a point toward state championships by finishing first in Declamation (speaker recites a previously written speech). Arcara is performing team coach Catherine Luhr’s old speech “What I Did on My Summer Vacation.” Freshman newcomer Veronica Friol (West Seneca) placed second in this event.
Sophomores Bridget McQuery (Buffalo) and Maggie Li (China) won Dramatic Duo (two partners act out a scene from a play), performing “Wendy and Peter,” an adaptation of Peter Pan.
Senior Vayana Stoyanova (Gowanda) placed second in Oral Interpretation of Literature (interpreting and reading prose or poetry), and classmate Linda Li (China) placed third.
Freshman Ella Blundell-Mata placed third in Dramatic Interpretation (one person acts out a play), playing Lucy Van Pelt in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
Mount Mercy, coached by Catherine Luhr, was the second place team but declined their trophy in deference to visiting schools. The team travels next Saturday to Webster High School in Rochester.
