On Friday, March 13th, students gathered from many different schools across Frederick County to take part in FCPS’ first official Speech and Debate tournament. As of 2026, five schools participated. Pulling in students from Middletown, Oakdale, Linganore, Frederick and Walkersville, members of each school’s respective speech and debate clubs were able to show off their growth as public speakers.
The events organized by FCPS staff included three categories of speech, each in different areas, and a point-based debate competition after the speeches. Gizzelle Viado, an especially passionate speaker, says that going into her persuasive speech she wasn’t nervous — and she had made plenty of time to prepare. “I took about 3 weeks prior to the tournament date to research for and write my speech,” she explained. Gizzelle advocated for raising the minimum wage across America, pulling in facts and statistics that correlated monetary income to quality of life, and referenced personal experiences.
“I kind of ignored it,” says one of the students from Middletown High when asked about the time limit on their speeches. Both Sophia Bowes and Kerrigan Tongyai gave speeches, and agreed that while the time limit was a constraint, it was best not to worry about it. Sophia Bowes finished off by saying, “I definitely had to shorten [my speech].”
Kylie Wiseman, from Oakdale High, prepared an informative speech on the physiological and biological advantages men have over women in running. She connected personally to her topic: “It’s something I know and am passionate about; I myself am a distance runner,” she explained. She started by giving experiences from women, and how they relate to the topic themselves, then backing her points up with statistics.
There were also a plethora of students delivering Impromptu Speeches — among them was Ethan Burdick, a member of Walkersville High’s speech and debate club, who argued that money does not equal a fulfilling life. The impromptu speeches involved standing on the stage of Walkersville High School’s auditorium, in front of judges and other participants, and students had to rely on their ability to properly project their voices, a skill taught in speech and debate.
After the speeches, there were various rounds of debates. Students from Walkersville’s debate team had to adapt to the short time frame to research their topic, and deliver adequate arguments, rebuttals, and closing statements. With valid points brought up by both sides of the debates, listeners were really given something to think about! Chloe Cameron and Bailey Watson like to focus on “having fun” while they’re debating, and were very thankful to Mrs. Lambert and Mrs. Kuske for opening up their after school time to help them practice.
The event coordinators from FCPS honed in on making this tournament happen; Christina Tongyai (TG), a teacher and specialist at Frederick High, has a background in public speaking and cares a lot for the program. At first, this tournament was a small and fun get-together between a few schools who were looking for new experiences: “I thought, yeah, that’s my passion, let’s do this!” Over the years, it’s developed into an FCPS-backed event. She goes on to explain her excitement for speech and debate, saying public speaking is a “skill set that is overlooked.” Liz Matheny, a supervisor in FCPS’ language arts department, says, “This has had around a three-year build up,” when describing how this came to be. Her goal is to have every high school in FCPS represented, meaning at least one student from each school participating. Matheny also highlighted how this tournament “helps students access this education when their school may not offer the course or a club” and would love to expand this program to middle schools.
“We’re here to support each other,” TG states, which really encapsulates the spirit of FCPS’ speech and debate tournament. Participants could be found giving each other feedback on their speeches and tactics, while teachers encouraged them. Mrs. Kuske and Mrs. Lambert, who helped Walkersville prepare in their debate club, were sitting in on debates and speeches while giving advice to students. Overall, the night was very exciting and showed FCPS student’s cultivated skills. With this first official tournament being a success, staff and students alike hope to see more people join in on the fun. Consider joining yourself, you’ll gain valuable experiences and perfect your ability to present, and give you the reason you need to delve into your favorite topic, and teach others about it!
