On October 26, Peters Township High School had the privilege of hosting the first speech and debate tournament of the year: Novice. 14 schools gathered inside the new high school to participate in the first tournament of the speech and debate competition season. Not only was Novice the kick off to the year, it was also the first tournament hosted by Peters Township High School. After a year of preparation, Peters welcomed the opportunity to host the tournament, showcasing 13 different events and 171 competitors. Though the tournament took place in October, planning began in December of 2023. While most people only saw the results of the tournament—whether it be the winning students or the school turn-out—few saw the meticulous planning that went into making sure everything ran smoothly.
Head coach of the forensics team, Kristin Groninger, says, “It definitely took every ounce of the start of school until the tournament date to get ready for it, but I am very pleased with the teamwork. With the way that the club, and the way that our student organization came together.”
Multiple months of effort went into the finished tournament, including budgeting, collecting judges, and preparing the classrooms for performance. With 14 schools in attendance, the whole building had to be prepared for Novice. The first floor was dedicated to the seven speech events such as Prose, Poetry, and Impromptu. The second floor was dedicated to the two debate categories; Lincoln Douglas and Public Forum. For an hour before the tournament started, volunteers from the forensics team and National Honors Society alike moved chairs and desks in and out of classrooms and made sure signs were posted to guide the incoming students to their rooms in a timely manner.
“There are definitely plenty of things that I would do differently. I didn’t really appreciate the intricacies of everything that you need to do to set up for the tournament as far as just organizing all of the rooms. We used 50 classrooms, and my colleagues were very gracious in doing that,” Groninger commented, “We had to order extemp prompts, we had to order tabroom licenses, we had to order all of the awards. Then of course we had to feed all these people. That was quite the challenge!”
Through this experience, the Peters Township forensics team gained a lot of credibility and recognition in the field. Their efforts went noticed by Edwards, the local forensics coordinator, and the opportunity to continue hosting the Novice tournament presented itself as a result. Whether they make a tradition out of this formative experience is up to Groninger and future officers of the club.
“I wanted to give back to the regional circuit because all schools during my tenure as coach have been so supportive,” Groninger says, “We also wanted to showcase the beautiful building, and we felt that with all of the finishing touches that went into construction that this year was the right year to sorta kick this off—what hopefully will be a tradition.”
Groninger not only ran the tournament, but she also played a vital role in coaching the freshman joining the Peters Township forensics team in the new year. Three of these freshmen placed at Novice, and the rest of the team hopes to follow their lead in future tournaments. The improved performances by the newcomers demonstrates the growth of the team and the program in the past year, serving as inspiration and encouragement for curious students who may wish to enter the speech and debate world.
Everyone on the forensics team agreed that the tournament was a success for everyone involved. The tournament ran smoothly which was an impressive feat considering both the competitors and tournament runners were novices. This success could mean a future in hosting more tournaments at Peters.
“I am very pleased with how this turned out. I think Novice is a perfect tournament for us at this point. The students who attended the tournament are the leaders of tomorrow.”
