This summer, the CDS Speech and Debate Team, under the guidance of Upper School Humanities Teacher Paul Jannereth, traveled to Chicago to compete in the National Catholic Forensics League’s National Tournament. They faced off against thousands of students from across the country in their journey to the Grand National tournament. 

Ten of our Upper School students, who qualified at the national level, competed in various categories including Declamation, Debate, and Original Oratory. Two of our Patriots achieved remarkable milestones this year, setting new records for CDS. Anika Iyer '26, advanced through two qualifying rounds in the Declamation category. Nishant Shah ‘27, secured 4th place in the same event, the highest placement CDS has ever achieved at a national speech and debate tournament. Nishant shared some insight with us about his experience.

In my category, I was able to make it through five rounds of eliminations, which narrowed the pool from 2000 competitors at the local level to the final six. I ended up placing 4th, making me the first student in CDS history to make it past three qualifying rounds!

I competed in Declamation, an event where I recite any speech once given by somebody else. I chose “When God Says No” by Inky Johnson. Inky Johnson played football for the University of Tennessee Volunteers until he suffered an injury paralyzing his arm. The speech was inspirational to me because it talks about how Inky rebounded after his injury and how others can do the same. 

CDS is incredibly proud of the Speech and Debate Team's outstanding accomplishments this summer. Competing on the national stage in Chicago, they demonstrated exceptional talent and determination, and their achievements reflect the strength and potential of the team. We are excited to see what the future holds for these talented Patriots.