MKA's Speech and Debate Team Completes a Season of Successes

Congratulations to the MKA Upper School Speech and Debate Team, advised by history teacher Dr. David Korfhage, that recently completed a strong season with appearances in the New Jersey Forensics League, the Newark Catholic Forensics League and on the national circuit.

Twenty students, from grades 9-12,competed at seven different tournaments and brought home a number of awards.  In November, sophomore Ben Rapsas won Top Novice in Original Oratory at an NJFL tournament for his speech on medical research. Additionally, junior Alex Stern and sophomore Benjamin Wallach won trophies in Lincoln-Douglas debates at several tournaments over the course of the season.  At the prestigious Harvard Debate Tournament held in February, Wallach also placed in the top eight out of 270 competitors in his division, and this past weekend, at the State Championships of the New Jersey Forensic League, placed third in the state in his division.

With such a strong showing by underclassmen, the future of MKA Speech and Debate looks strong.