The Hutchinson High School debate and forensics squad has ended a successful regular season and will compete in the Class 6A Forensics Championship on Friday and Saturday at Olathe North High School.
Hutch High will field competitors in 32 events with a total of 52 qualifiers in one of the most successful forensics seasons on record.
Additionally, the team has qualified eight students for the National Speech and Debate Tournament held by the National Speech and Debate Association in Salt Lake City, June 12 to 17. Qualifying to nationals are seniors Julia Henry and Zoë Crater in policy debate, senior Colin Tighe in humorous interpretation, senior Laura Miller in dramatic interpretation, senior Emily Fan and sophomore Austin Childs in Lincoln-Douglas debate, junior Shayla Bellamy in informative speaking and junior Annie Blake in Worlds Debate.
To mark this successful season, the debate and forensics team is hosting a forensics performance showcase at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, in the Hutch High Cafeteria. Students who have qualified for nationals and state will be performing their events for the public.
Admission to the showcase is free, but there will be a suggested donation of $3 at the door.
There will also be available for purchase a variety of baked goods, fried bacon and raffle tickets for more than $1,000 worth of items donated from area businesses and organizations. All proceeds will support the debate and forensics team and their state and nationals trips.
The Hutch forensics team is one of the largest and most successful groups at the school with more than 70 students competing annually and with over 20 individual and team state championships earned during the team’s history. Currently, the team is ranked in the top 5 percent of debate and forensics teams nationally as measured by the National Speech and Debate Association. Zachary Brown is the head coach.