Eaglecrest Speech & Debate
Eaglecrest High School
5100 S. Picadilly Street 
Centennial, CO. 80015
  • Home
  • News & Updates
  • Calendar
  • Event Resources
    • Debate: Current Topics
    • Interp: Resources
  • Helpful Links
  • Support EHS Speech & Debate
    • Volunteer >
      • Judging Information
    • Fundraising
    • Sponsors
  • About Our Team
    • What We Do
    • Meet Our Coaches
    • Recognitions & Awards
    • CHSAA State Tournament Results
    • NSDA National Tournament Results
    • Team Degrees
    • Photo Album
    • EHS Speech & Debate in the News
  • The Value of Speech & Debate
  • Forms, Documents, and Information
  • Alumni Resources
    • Register for the EHS Speech Alumni Database!
    • Where Are They Now?
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us

Welcome to the 2015-2016 EHS Speech & Debate Team!

9/14/2015

0 Comments

 
Dear Returning & New Members (and Families),

Welcome to the new year here at Eaglecrest!  I hope you are re-energized and excited to take on our 2015-2016 competitive season; I am looking forward to spending the year working with you and seeing you grow!  

This year marks my third year as the coach of the Eaglecrest Speech & Debate Team and I know it's going to be incredible!  So far, our team is looking like it is going to be the largest it has been in recent memory--we currently have over 45 members on our roster and a HUGE portion of that are new members to our team! 


We've certainly been making a name for ourselves both on and off campus in the past year.  Last year we launched a new event during Homecoming Week: EHS Trivia Night, which was entirely created, organized, and executed by our team.  The event drew nearly 200 participants competing in teams of up to 8 to earn the title of Eaglecrest Trivia Champions.  We raised over $800 for our team with this event and I can't wait to see what our second year of Trivia Night, which will be Monday, September 21st.  We also hosted our first tournament last February, the inaugural Raptor Rumble.  Though Mother Nature threw us a curveball--a massive blizzard that hit mid-afternoon--we were able to run a successful tournament thanks to the dedication of our team.  We've been growing more competitive in the metro Denver Speech circuit and growing closer as a team.

I could not be happier that you've expressed interest in joining EHS Speech & Debate or that you are continuing your involvement.  Participating in speech and debate activities will help you discover and practice skills that will benefit you far beyond your four years of high school. Plus, you'll have a lot of fun along the way.

Even though we often compete as individuals, it is as a team that we will truly make an impact--each and every member of our team accomplished some incredible things over the course of the year, whether they were novices participating in their first tournaments or graduating seniors ending their Speech career.  I'm so proud of what our team--and every individual member--achieved.

This year's team information packets and involvement forms are available in hard copy from me, as well as digitally on the Forms, Documents, and Information page. Our initial tournament calendar can be found here.  I've also created a group on Schoology where team members can access and share resources--please ask me for the access code so you can join!  



Our first Parent Meeting will be Wednesday, September 16th at 6:00 PM in the EHS Lecture Center--this meeting allows you to meet me, other speech parents, and learn more about the team.  If you cannot attend, please contact me so I can pass along important information.

Again, welcome to our team--and to the EHS Speech & Debate family!  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns at any point in time. Here's to a great year!

--Ms. McCulloch
0 Comments

Tournament Update: Mullen Fall Invitational, or "The Frank"

12/8/2014

1 Comment

 
The weekend prior to Thanksgiving, our team competed at Mullen High School.  Competition began Friday, November 21, 2014 after school with several of our students participating in Student Congress.  Though they faced some tough competition, they gained some more experience leading into the rest of our season!  Our Representatives included Maya Johnson ('17), Natalie Waddington ('17), D'andre Wiley ('17), Khaled Abughoush ('17), Dennon Rich ('16), and Maurice Baugh ('18).

On Saturday, November 22, 2014, we had even more students competing in their individual events.  We celebrated the following results after a long day of competition:
  • Simon Menso ('15)--Finalist in Foreign Extemp
  • Alex Kuehn ('16)--Excellence in Poetry + his NFL membership!
  • Olivia Howard ('16)--Superior in LD Debate (record of 2-1)

Our other competitors deserve recognition, as well!  For many, this was their first varsity competition of the year and they received good feedback to improve upon as the season continues.  The rest of our competitors are listed by event below:

  • PF DEBATE: Maya Johnson ('17) / Natalie Waddington ('17)
  • POETRY: Angel Imwalle-Taubman ('17)
  • LD DEBATE: Agnes Park ('16), Kathy Obermiller ('16), and D'Andre Wiley ('17)

I'm pleased with how this year is shaping up for our te
am!  I've seen so much growth and improvement in just the few short months I've been working with the members of the team, both old and new.  Keep up the great work!


--Ms. McCulloch
1 Comment

Tournament Update: Overland Candlelight Invite

11/17/2014

0 Comments

 
On Saturday, November 15th, 13 members of the Eaglecrest Speech & Debate Team competed at Overland High School for our first varsity tournament of the year!  Our competitors ranged in experience--from several veteran seniors to some novices who competed for the first time.  That's one of the things I love most about our competitions now that we are into our main competitive season--our entire team, no matter their experience level, has time to get to know each other, compete, and watch rounds to learn and improve.  

Our competitors entered in a variety of events this weekend, and many were competing in events that were new to them.  The following students were recognized for their performance over the course of the tournament:
  • Abigail Allyn, '17--broke to her first finals, took 6th place in Impromptu
  • Jade Felthoven, '18--Superior in Original Oratory
  • Jailene Ledesma, '16--Superior in Poetry
  • Charlotte Lartson, '17 & Ben Berry, '17--Superior in Improvisational Pairs
  • Simon Menso, '15 & Colin McGuire, '15--Superior in Improvisational Pairs
  • Casey Lambert, '16--Excellence in Congress, best speaker nomination
I'd like to acknowledge our other competitors from this tournament, as well: Alex Kuehn ('16) in Poetry, Bailee Jones ('18) in Poetry, Jake Sappwood ('18) in LD, Simon Menso ('15) in National Extemp, Ngozi Idiaka ('17) in Foreign Extemp, Paris Grigsby ('18) in Impromptu, Ben Berry ('17) in Drama, and Charlotte Lartson ('17) in Drama.

I couldn't be happier with the results of our first tournament.  Not only did they have fun and get to know new people, our competitors earned a combined total of nearly 150 NFL points.  We now welcome five new members to the NFL Honor Society, as they have earned their degree of merit: Jade Felthoven, Ben Berry, Charlotte Lartson, Bailee Jones, and Casey Lambert.

To all of our competitors--well done!  I'm looking forward to what the rest of our season holds for us!

--Ms. McCulloch

0 Comments

The End of Novice Season

10/20/2014

0 Comments

 
October is an interesting month in our speech and debate circuit as it is "novice season."  During this month, all competitions are limited to just those students who are new to speech and debate or who have very little experience.  "Varsity" experienced members of teams do not compete with the novices, but rather serve as mentors and judges at the novice tournaments.  Once we return from fall break and November is here, all of our students will be competing at tournaments.

This past Saturday, we competed in our final novice tournament of the year at Cherry Creek High School. I'm so proud of how we finished out our novice season with the Bruin Novice tournament.  Twelve novices from our team competed this weekend, and for most of them, this was their very first tournament.  As with last weekend, several novices received recognition for their performance during the tournament.
  • Colin McGuire, '15--Excellent in Congress, nominated for Best Speaker
  • Khaled Abughoush, '17--Excellent in Congress, nominated for Best Speaker
  • Alex Kuehn, '16--Superior (+ a Bear!) in Poetry
  • Jade Felthoven, '18--Excellent in Original Oratory
  • Charlotte Lartson, '17--Excellent in Dramatic Interpretation
I'd like to acknowledge our other novices for their work and performance in this tournament, as well: Angel Imwalle-Taubman ('17) in Poetry, Kathy Obermiller ('16) in LD, Casey Lambert ('16) in Congress, Maurice Baugh ('18) in Congress, Dakoda Jackson ('18) in Original Oratory, Janae Owens  ('17) in Original Oratory, and Kiersten Borgstede ('17) in Original Oratory.
I'm so proud of what all of our novices accomplished at this tournament, whether it was simply overcoming the anxiety of standing up in front of others to speaking, thinking critically about new topics for Congressional legislation, or working hard to bring another's words to life.

Special thanks to our four varsity judges, Simon Menso ('15), Jordanne Stobbs-Vergara ('15), Ngozi Idika ('17), and D'Andre Wiley ('17)!  I know your help was so appreciated!

This marked our final novice competition--when we return from fall break, we'll be jumping into our regular competition season.  I know our varsity members have been chomping at the bit to get out there and compete again!  I'm excited for our new members to really get a chance to learn from their experienced teammates as the year progresses.

--Ms. McCulloch


0 Comments

And So It Begins...

10/13/2014

0 Comments

 
On Saturday, October 11, 2014, our competitive season officially began when we attended the Overland Novice tournament.  We had six novices competing in their very first tournament, with five varsity members there to help support them and judge rounds.  

Though they were understandably nervous, I was so pleased to see smiles on each and every on of their faces after each round, and the resounding consensus was that Speech and Debate was fun! 

After three rounds of competition, our team made an excellent showing at the awards ceremony.  Based on their performances during their three rounds, the following students were recognized:
  • Jade Felthoven, '18, Excellence in Original Oratory
  • Ben Berry, '17, Superior in Dramatic Interpretation
  • Kenna Kluckhohn, '18, Excellence in LD (1-2 record)
  • Paris Grigsby, '18, Superior in LD (2-1 record)
  • Bailee Jones, '18, Superior in Congress, nominated for Best Speaker
I'm so proud of the hard work that these novices put into preparing for their first tournament!  Clearly, it paid off.  I can't wait to see what the rest of the season holds for them!

I'd also like to extend a special thank you to the varsity members who came to judge.  When they weren't judging rounds, they went to observe and support our novices and made sure our newest competitors knew what was happening as the tournament progressed.  Thank you to Jordanne Stobbs-Vergara ('15), Kiana Phillips ('15), Olivia Howard ('16), Danielle Newton ('16), and Abigail Allyn ('17).  With their leadership and guidance over the course of the tournament, I know our novices felt more at ease.

We're off to a great start!  I know we're going to have an awesome year!

--Ms. McCulloch
0 Comments

Welcome to the 2014-2015 EHS Speech & Debate Team! --Ms. M

8/21/2014

0 Comments

 
Dear Returning & New Members (and Families),

Welcome to the new year here at Eaglecrest!  I hope you all had a restful and fun-filled summer and that you are re-energized and excited to take on our 2014-2015 competitive season.  I am so excited to spend the year working with you and seeing you grow!  


Our 2013-2014 competitive year came to a close in June when two members of our team attended Nationals in Overland Park, KS.  Jack Fenimore, '15, competed in preliminary rounds of Student Congress, and ranked in the top 150 of 800 competitors in supplemental Extemp Debate.  Taylor Cozort, '15, was a finalist in the Light the Stage spoken-word competition and preformed in a showcase round prior to the award ceremony to a live audience of 3,000 (plus the event was streamed live online).  We also had several students qualify to compete at the State Speech Tournament in March--Jordanne Stobbs-Vergara, '15, competed in Lincoln Douglas debate and Simon Menso, '15, and Kiana Phillips, '15, competed in Public Forum debate.  These seniors have a lot of passion for what we do, and they are excited to create a lasting legacy on our team and to pass on their experiences.  

Even though we often compete as individuals, it is as a team that we will truly make an impact--each and every member of our team accomplished some incredible things over the course of the year, whether they were novices participating in their first tournaments or graduating seniors ending their Speech career.  I'm so proud of what our team--and every individual member--achieved.

Last year was a year of transition and growth for our team, and this year I expect us to continue increasing our numbers and becoming more competitive in the metro Denver Speech circuit, while growing closer as a team.  

I could not be happier that you've expressed interest in joining EHS Speech & Debate or that you are continuing your involvement.  Participating in speech and debate activities will help you discover and practice skills that will benefit you far beyond your four years of high school. Plus, you'll have a lot of fun along the way.

This year's team information packets and involvement forms are available in hard copy from me, as well as digitally on the Forms, Documents, and Information page.  At this point, the tournament calendar for the year has not been released; as soon as I have our calendar compiled, it will be available in hard copy and digitally, as well.

Again, welcome to our team--and to the EHS Speech & Debate family!  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns at any point in time. Here's to a great year!

--Ms. McCulloch
0 Comments

    Team News

    Check here regularly for news from Ms. M and your teammates!

    Students & Parents: Want text updates? 
    Text @raptorsd
    to 81010
     *Powered by Remind.

    Archives

    September 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014

    Categories

    All
    2014 2015
    2014-2015
    2015-2016
    A Message From Ms. M
    Team Info
    Team News
    Tournament Results
    Welcome

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.