The Western Bay Forensics League Speech Tournament brought together students from across the region, including 9th graders, Emma Bing ’28, Katelyn Kim ’28, and Sally Straus ’28, who competed at Culver City High School on Saturday, Feb. 8. The all-day event featured a range of speaking categories, from prepared speeches to limited-prep competitions.
As first time upper school competitors, the 9th graders joined experienced speakers in categories such as Declamation and Impromptu. Weeks of preparation, including memorization and practice with coaches, paid off as all three students earned recognition: Bing placed third in Declamation, Kim received an Excellence Award in Declamation, and Straus earned an Excellence Award in Impromptu.
“The team went above and beyond my expectations,” said speech coach Sarina Wang. “This was the first tournament for many of our 9th grade students, and they walked away with really solid results.”
Harvard Westlake’s speech team has ongoing and open enrollment and meets weekly, either on Monday after school in Hazy 313 at the Middle School or Friday after school in Kutler Center 313 at the Upper Campus. During practices, students choose from over 11 different events and practice delivering their speeches in a competitive setting.
“I wanted to experience a speech tournament so that next time I am more prepared and am familiar with the atmosphere,” Kim said.
For many students, the tournament offered not just competition but also insight into the speech world and the chance to compete against students from different schools.
“It surprised me how nice everyone was and how it really wasn’t the terrifying experience I thought it would be. Tournaments feel much less scary now,” Bing said.
With their first tournament behind them, these 9th graders are now looking ahead to future competitions, using this experience to strengthen their skills and gain confidence for the rest of the speech season.
