Last-Chance Qualifier

P-Russ's recap:

SUBJECT: Commendable commitment on display at the Last-Chance Qualifier!

Greetings, all,

I wanted to take a minute to shout out the six Gavelin' Eagles who took it upon themselves this weekend to extend their seasons by an entire month in order to compete in one last tournament: the National Speech & Debate Association's Last-Chance Qualifier. This is an online competition that provides students with one final opportunity to qualify for the National Speech & Debate Tournament. While this tournament has only been around for a few years, it gets significantly more competitive each go-around. This year, 2125 students competed, representing 578 schools across nearly every state and even a few foreign countries, resulting in a level of competitiveness that honestly approaches Nationals itself.

And, while none of our six qualified, they each did us proud and demonstrated a seldom witnessed level of passion and devotion to the forensic arts. To the following, then, please join me in saying bravo!

• Nalanaya Austin

• Tamarron Austin

• Danica Becenti

• Daykiin Draper

• Aspyn Kaskalla

• Addyson Salazar

Best,

Russell