Unleashing the Fall Beast

By Chloe Hoang

The Gabrielino speech team set sail in the Southern California Debate League’s Fall Varsity, also known as the first varsity tournament of this year. Held in Arcadia High School, 18 schools gathered to compete against one another, almost 500 students in total.  Fall Varsity consists of students of all levels competing against each other, no matter how much experience they have. For example, a Novice going up against a Varsity in the same round.

The first round started at 8:00 AM, mixed with the “gloomy weather” as Jolie Wang (Varsity, Junior) quotes. “Part of what was most challenging was the early morning wake-up and the fog. It was hard to get pepped up when the weather was so sad-looking.” The weather did, in fact, make some individuals sluggish. You know, that feeling when you don’t want to move a single bone in your body and stare into eternity?  But despite this and the feeling of nervous jitters, our team was able to keep their composure, smoothly getting themselves warmed up, mentally and physically.

“I prepared for Fall Varsity by working on imperative verbal drills at home and with my peers,” shares finalist in OPP, Peyton Lai (Novice, Freshman). This coming year, students have implemented their blood, sweat, and tears into their speeches, constructing them to fit who they are as a person, whether it is conveying themselves by writing from scratch or putting a twist on a scripted interpretation. Fleshing out characters, adding blocking and hand gestures, polishing last-minute touches, and working with coaches, it's a long process.

While our school is quite experienced, other schools are not so far behind. During rounds, it is a great opportunity to get a taste of how other students put together a speech through their style of writing, delivery, and performance. It's astonishing, really. It presents their hard work, which explains why they earn the awards that they do. 

When the Awards Ceremony finally started, it was no surprise that Gab was congratulated as the school with the most team points, 213, with there being a huge gap of over 180 points between the school that placed second. 

Many of our competitors earned a leg (by placing 1st or 2nd at the tournament), which means they’re closer to automatically qualifying for state. Wang reflects, “Getting a leg was crazy. I have to keep reminding myself I’m only halfway there. You never know what'll happen, so hope for the best and prepare for the worst. “ Nathan Perez (Varsity, Junior) adds, “Getting a leg was cool, and I'm really grateful, but there’s also a lot of pressure.  But if I don't get the second leg at the Spring Varsity Tournament, it will be okay.  But I want to try my best and have no regrets.” The pressure is, in fact, a huge deal. It positively encourages our fellow teammates to give it their all in every tournament.

“My favorite moment of Fall Varsity was during awards, where I could congratulate my friends and teammates and see how prestigious our team was,” shares Peyton. Fall Varsity was a tournament to unleash the beast we’ve been hiding since this year started. With increased improvement, the Gabrielino speech team was able to show what they’re capable and made of. 

Congrats to Cedric Hua in 3rd for Declamation. Kayley Thai in 1st, Elizabeth Peng in 2nd, Rachel Yip in 3rd, Archie Lai in 5th, and Chloe Ta in 6th in Drama. Chase Ong & Nathan Perez in 1st, Cali SadSad & Brayden Tran in 4th, Kelani Lee & Jordan Luu in 6th for DUO. Nathan Perez in 1st, Jordan Luu in 2nd, Rachel Yip in 4th, Emelle Li in 5th, and Chase Ong in 6th for Humor. Kelsey Mak in 7th for Informative. Cathryn Abrishami in 1st, Elyse Luo in 2nd, Carter Mak in 4th, Gorden Zhen in 5th, Linus Mak in 6th for International Extemp. Valerie Leung in 1st, Natalia San Lucas in 2nd, Carter Mak in 3rd, Trisha Lai in 5th, Linus Mak in 6th for Original Advocacy. Valerie Leung in 6th for Original Oratory. Jolie Wang in 1st, Owen Dowell in 2nd, Luke Christensen in 3rd, Peyton Lai in 5th, Alessander Melgares Diaz in 6th for Original Prose & Poetry. Kayley Thai in 1st, Beverly Kho in 2nd, 

Cali SadSad in 3rd, Oliver Li in 4th, Elizabeth Peng in 6th, and Vanessa Leung in 7th for Program Oral Interp. Silver De Leon in 1st, Angela Liang in 5th, Bling Bling Lau in 6th, and Natalia San Lucas in 7th for U.S. Extemp.

The team is now ready to take a break and celebrate the holidays with their friends and family before getting into the toughest 2 months of the speech year.  

Way to go Screamin’ Eagles.   Happy Holiday to everyone!!!

Preparation Pays Off For Debaters

By Chloe Hoang

“I'd say I gained more confidence in my speaking skills. I learned a great deal of information and became more comfortable with my speaking. Debate is fun, and I enjoy it a lot,” said Gorden Zhen (Varsity, Junior).

The Fall Debate tournament took place on October 24th and 25th, 2025, held at Alhambra High School. The first tournament, which was for Novices and JV's, took place after school on Friday, while the second tournament, which was for all speech levels, was an all-day event, the following day, on Saturday.

Students had been working hard and diligently for months, preparing their cases to argue their points, guaranteeing their readiness. Understanding the given topic, planning arguments, writing outlines, and researching are all factors that debaters look forward to before it’s their time to shine.

Linus Mak, currently a Novice but truly a varsity at heart, explains his working schedule and dedication to his event. “I've been researching since August for my case. Prep-wise, I have more experience and the upper hand in rounds because I've been to so many debate tournaments.”

A typical debate round starts off with two sides: affirmation vs negation or pro vs con, which signals to students which side they will be presenting their case to the judge. After having a certain time to argue points back and forth, it's cross-examination time! Both sides ask each other questions to challenge their arguments, expose weaknesses, or clarify points for the audience. At the end, a summary is given, explaining why their case is better than their opponents', to hopefully win the hearts of their judges. 

Mak explains, “During cross-examination, I try to point out things that can possibly make my opponents stuck. For example, I point out that they were talking too fast while I talk at a slower pace, or I ask questions about their case.” We now know how Linus uses his experience to his advantage.

Silver De Leon (Varsity, Junior) expresses, “To break finals was really nice. It was the least thing I expected, and I was shocked. I enjoyed spectating other rounds at past tournaments and seeing our competition, so I could make our points more structured and solid for this tournament.” 

Finals can get intense. Instead of having just one judge present, there are three. The audience usually increases by more than half the amount, which means more eyes on you. Zhen adds, “It was my first time in the finals of a debate tournament. It was more nerve-wracking because of the number of people in the room. I did the best I could, using every round as a learning experience, and made sure to make our last round memorable.”

Congratulations to Linus Mak for 2nd in novice/JV and 8th place in varsity in Lincoln Douglas Debate, Gorden Zhen and Silver De Leon for 3rd at Public Forum, and Cathryn and Andrew Abrishami for 2nd at the Policy Debate, earning 1 of 2 legs to the State Tournament! Go Screamin’ Eagles!

“It’s like taking your kids to preschool for the first time. You have no idea how they’re going to do, but you’ve worked as hard as you can to prepare them for it” says Chase Ong (Varsity, Senior).

The children in question? Newborn speeches, being entered into their first tournament of the year. As always, competition season for the Screamin’ Eagles kicked off with the Gabrielino Speech & Debate Invitational, better known as GabGabGab.

October 11th succeeded seven months of preparation and a two month break from competitions for the majority of team members. Many were excited to be back in tournaments after the hiatus, feeling refreshed and ready to take part in the season. Zachary Tang (Varsity, Senior) gave his thoughts on returning to competitions:

“This is the first tournament of the year, so obviously I’m excited! GabGabGab always feels electric because everyone’s so energetic. [Jaslin] and I were at Nationals so we didn’t really get that long of a break compared to everyone else, but I felt ready to get back in my element and finish off my speech career strong. I love getting to watch everyone debut their speeches” 

Both Ong and Tang’s notions towards the debut of new speeches were shared by fellow team member Brooklyn Nguyen (Senior, Junior Varsity), a competitor in Informative. The event requires the construction of visuals, or “boards”, to support the speaker’s points, and oftentimes include moving, folding, and other components.

“I’ve worked really hard on my boards, and even though I put so much effort into them, I never know how they’ll be received until my speech debuts.” said Nguyen. “GabGabGab is definitely a learning experience; it’s a lot of figuring out what does and doesn’t work for the rest of the season.”

The competition also heralded the beginning of the end for Ong, Nguyen, Tang, and other senior members of the team. As they graduate at the end of the season, many seniors find themselves caught up in the bittersweetness of their last first tournament. Tang shared his reflections on the matter:

“GabGabGab always has this certain energy to it because we’re on home turf. But as a senior, for some reason it felt so different. I’m happy to be at Gabrielino, but it also makes me think about the fact that I won’t be here next year. The speeches I gave at this tournament are the ones I’m finishing out my speech career with.”

Ong, agreeing with Tang, added to the conversation:

“Debuting these speeches is a big deal for two reasons. What Zach said about finishing out, and also because we want to finish out as strong as possible. We’re getting in the practice now so these speeches send us out with a bang at the end of the year.”

team photo by Bianca

Bonding While Breaking the Ice

By Chloe Ta and Chloe Hoang

“My favorite memory from this tournament was meeting new people and watching everyone play out the characters they were given,” said Sandy Quach, a novice. 

Icebreaker is an opportunity for novices, or new members of the team, to work with experienced varsities or junior varsities. Everyone participates in three rounds: Improv Duo, SPAR, and lastly, Character SPAR. Partners work together throughout the day to build a story on the spot or argue a point. Although the tournament is built to teach underclassmen the ropes of competitions, it’s a chance for connections to be built between generations of Screamin’ Eagles. 

“My partner and I both found ourselves finding our topics very funny, and we bonded together, figuring out how to play out our characters. This tournament was a great opportunity to get to know my partner better, and it was fun helping her out at her first tournament!” exclaimed Chloe Tsan. 

Improv rounds start at 8:30, with about 6 duos gathering in their assigned room. The duos take turns selecting their prompt from an envelope, which was filled with various scenarios. Rooms are filled with a number of emotions, consisting of laughter and surprises during unpredictable plot twists. What’s different about Icebreaker from other tournaments is that all the performers are the judges. 

Then, it’s break time! Many used this opportunity to share the memorable bits in their round and mentally prepare for the next round, as SPAR has a contrasting quality to Improv. While Improv is fun and light hearted, SPAR is a bit more intense and nerve racking as two parties get an unprepared topic to dispute. The SPAR rounds start at 9:30, as two groups decide on whether to affirm or negate the argument. 

“Our spar round went well! When we argued our points, it felt more like we were having a conversation with the other team, almost like a playful debate. We weren’t actually being aggressive, but more so pretending to argue. It was mostly just joking around and having fun!” explained Keilani Lee & Allison Lukman. 

It really depends on the group’s decision in the rounds whether they want to have a serious SPAR or a casual SPAR. Some find it easier to argue with the atmosphere being serious, while others view SPAR as a conversation to convince others on their topic. 

After break #2, the final round begins at 11:30. Character SPAR is essentially SPAR but as a silly character, just as the name suggests. Chase Ong and Violetta Avellan got supermodels as their characters, and Chase comments, “My favorite memory from this tournament would be the third character debate because it was super fun to debate in fun characters, and I enjoyed seeing Violetta improve her skills throughout the tournament.” 

Even though Icebreaker sounds like sunshine and rainbows, it can get intense when everyone who competes gathers in a group, hoping to hear their names get called out at the awards ceremony . Congratulations to Brayden Tran and Reivandy Lamjani, who earned 2nd place overall, Chase Ong and Violetta Avellan for 5th, Cedric Hua and Gabriel Salisbury for 7th, Chelsea Wu and Hailee Young for 8th, and Jolie Wang and Maddie Wang for 10th!! 

Icebreaker was a way to bond together with teammates, meet new people, and/or brush up on thinking on your toes. Quite a few novices feel they are more confident after experiencing their first high school tournament. Allison agrees as she says “Yes, I definitely think so. I was really shy and nervous about public speaking, but after realizing that many people at this tournament were feeling the same way helped me gain more confidence and push myself past my comfort zone.”

Sovia Is Super in Final Round

As a three time qualifier for Nationals, Senior Sofia “SoVia” Villagra has a great deal of experience at the National Championships.  She placed 8th overall in America last year, making it all the way to the National Semi-Final Round.  Because of her placing, she was an auto-qualifier for this year’s tournament, in Des Moines, Iowa, once again, in United States Extemporaneous Speaking.

Going into Nationals, Sofia had already competed in a combined 22 rounds of competition at Nats in ’23 and ’24.  She was in the final round this year at the California State Championships and she was “locked in” as she often said to perform this year in Iowa.

After two long days of competition, Sofia made it through the six preliminary rounds and the Octo-Finals or the “Top 60”.   Day three brought much tougher competition but she gave incredible speeches and made it through the quarterfinals and bettered her ranking from last year by advancing out of the semi-final rounds and qualifying for the National Final Round.

Then it happened.  In the 100-year history of the National Speech and Debate Association, there has never been a bigger “event” than what happened at the enormous Iowa Events Center than what happened this year.  

As Sovia and her teammates with sitting with almost 3000 of their fellow speech and debate competitors and coaches watching the Final Round of Humorous Interpretation, a strange person made it onto the stage wearing a large backpack.  He screamed something and then sat down.   Someone said, “run” over the public address system and doing what high schools students have had to unfortunately be trained to do - to protect their lives - the entire venue cleared out in a matter of minutes.

In the rush for everyone to get out the doors, several of the Screamin’ Eagles fell and were stepped on by other people.  Sofia, was one of them who got knocked down.  While only suffering minor scrapes and bruises on her knees, she was able to count herself luckier than some of the other attendees who had broken bones and injuries requiring medical care at the hospital. 

When the competition resumed on Friday, for the final day, Sofia showed up, knees bandaged and determined to give the final speech of her illustrious career.  She took to the stage with the other top five competitors in the round and spoke with great passion and control.   She asked and fielded questions with class and charisma during cross examination.  And when the awards were handed out later that night, Sofia made her own history.   She became the highest placing female “Extemper” in Gabrielino History by placing second in all of America.  Her National Runner-Up finish tied past GabSpeech legends Kevin Ye and Gabriel Frank-McPheter as the highest placing “Extempers” in the team’s 30 plus year history.

One of the Screamin’ Eagles coaching staff commented.  “Sovia exemplifies what we teach: resilience, leadership, and intellectual depth.”

Sofia’s teammates were exceptionally excited, underscoring the tight-knit spirit that defines the Screamin’ Eagles. Senior Veena Sundaramoorthy—Sofia’s Duo Interpretation partner and close friend—reflected: “Competing alongside Sofia has been inspiring. Her composure in Nationals reminded us why teamwork and preparation go hand in hand.”

Amid post-competition celebrations, Sovia offered a personal reflection on the intensity of the moment:  “Having my peers there—seeing their support—it made me realize how much we lift each other up, not just in competition but in everything.”

Sofia’s ascent at Nationals wasn’t just about winning—it embodied a journey defined by grit, mentorship, and never finding ways to not do. It reflects a culture where each member learns from one another and pushes themselves beyond limits.

Sovia is Gabrielino Speech and Debate’s 21st National Finalist.   “There are so many teams that have never had one finalist,” one of the coaches reflected.  “There have been almost two dozen students who have made it from the desks in the speech room to The Finals Stage at Nationals.”

As she heads off to go study at Columbia University, SoVia has left an incredible legacy and cemented herself as one of the all-time greats on a team that has had thousands of incredible students and performers.

Congrats Sofia!!!!

Extempers Make Semis and Qualify for Nats26

Juniors Natalia San Lucas, also known as, NSL and Carter Mak, aka Cartier, were an incredible 1-2 punch at the 2025 National Speech and Debate Championships in Iowa.  And because of their success, they’ve already been invited to go to Nationals next summer in Virginia.

After making it to the National Quarter-Finals in United States Extemporaneous Speaking and placing 20th last year, NSL upped her game and her preparation and, as her teammates say, “cooked” in all of her speeches.  She competed in 12 rounds over the course of the week and just missed qualifying for the Final Round by 2 spots and finished eighth place overall in America.  

“Last year I was in quarterfinals and learned so much,” said the tall junior.  Standing at five foot eight, the junior literally towered over her competitors throughout the tournament.  

Even though her teammate, Cartier is substantially shorter than NSL, he still rose to the occasion and had a lengthy run in International Extemporaneous Speaking.  Cartier did not make the top 60 at Nationals last year, but more than made up for it this year.

It is the fifth year in a row Gabrielino has had at least one extemper make it to the top 14 in all of America.

Great job NSL and Cartier, you have continued the excellence legacy of GabExtemp.  Congratulations on already qualifying for the 2026 National Tournament.

Seniors are Celebrated 

The Gabrielino Screamin’ Eagles closed out an extraordinary season with two emotional and inspiring moments, as the standout seniors were recognized at the annual Senior Awards Night and again during graduation. The honors celebrated not only years of hard work and competitive success, but also the powerful bonds and lasting legacies built by the GabSpeech & Debate class of 2025.

Senior Awards Night, held in the Gabrielino High School gymnasium, was filled with proud families, teachers, and administrators.  Seniors Marco Cisneros-Farber, Aaron Situ, Veena Sundaramoorthy, and Sofia Villagra each received scholarships from the Gabrielino Speech Boosters.  These scholarships are awarded annually to senior team members who exemplify leadership, dedication, and growth within the nationally recognized program.

Ten members were named Academic All-Americans for outstanding success in both the classroom and at speech and debate competitions.  Isaac Chan, Nathan Li, Lilianna Simpson-Castaneda, Matt Tafoya, Joaquin Vivar, and Chenlu Yang were joined onstage with the four scholarship winners and presented with this incredible honor.

The Screamin’ Eagles seniors were also awarded honor cords from the National Speech and Debate Association Honor Society, the 2nd largest honor society in America (The National Honor Society, NHS, is the first). 

Those honor cords were proudly worn at the graduation ceremony the following week.  Speech and Debate team co-captain Veena Sundaramoorthy served as the featured student speaker at Gabrielino’s graduation ceremony, which took place at the iconic Santa Anita Racetrack. Her speech reflected on the reasons why people say YES to the Gabrielino community.

“For four years, these students have shown up—not just to tournaments, but for each other,” said one of the Speech and Debate coaches in attendance. “It’s been incredible to watch them grow as thinkers, speakers, and leaders. Each of them brought something special to the team, and their impact will be felt for years to come.”

The graduating seniors have been instrumental in maintaining Gabrielino’s reputation as a powerhouse in competitive speech and debate, consistently earning high placements at state and national tournaments. Their achievements extend far beyond the trophies—they've mentored younger teammates, led practices, and helped foster an environment of mutual respect and intellectual curiosity.

As the sun set alongside the grandstands at Santa Anita during graduation, the legacy of these seniors was clear. For Gabrielino’s Speech and Debate Team, the class of 2025 didn’t just raise the bar—they passed the torch.

“These seniors were more than teammates,” said one of the team’s novice students. “They were role models. We’re going to miss them, but we’re also inspired to carry on what they started.”

But before they begin the next chapter of their lives, 10 of the seniors have some business to take care of at the National Speech & Debate Championships this month in Iowa.  Good luck National Qualifiers.  

Best wishes to all the Screamin’ Eagles Class of 2025.  Thank you for all your work, leadership, inspiration and input.  You have left an incredible legacy, you will be greatly missed and you will be remembered with admiration and awe as one of the most incredible classes that ever walked into the speech and debate room at Gabrielino.

AI assisted in creation of this article

Snoopin' Around at Knott’s Berry Farm

Roller coasters met rhetorical flair last Friday as the Gabrielino High School Speech and Debate Team joined hundreds of students from across Southern California for the 4th annual Speech and Debate Day at Knott’s Berry Farm, an event that celebrates speaking excellence in a uniquely thrilling setting.

Hosted inside the iconic Walter Knott Theater, the 2025 edition of the event featured standout student performances, a day of fun at one of California’s most beloved theme parks. Among the featured performers were two of The Screamin’ Eagles most accomplished team members — sophomore Jolie Wang and senior Nathan Li, both of whom took to the stage to deliver powerful speeches that left the audience of peers, coaches, and judges deeply impressed.

The day began early, with the team arriving at Knott’s before the park gates opened. Once inside, the students dispersed across the park to enjoy the rides. From the twists and turns of HangTime to the wooden rattle of GhostRider, the GabSpeech & Debate embraced all the thrills Knott’s Berry Farm had to offer.

For Gabrielino, a school known across the state for its decorated speech and debate program, the day was more than just a chance to enjoy roller coasters. It was a showcase of hard work, talent, and the power of student voices.

“It’s such a unique opportunity,” said one of the team’s coaches.  “For the rest of their lives, every time they come to the park, they can brag about how they performed on the stage in the Walter Knott Theater”.  

Sophomore Jolie Wang, known among her peers for her commanding presence and polished delivery, delivered her Original Prose and Poetry while senior Nathan Li, one of Gabrielino’s most seasoned competitors and this year’s Humor event leader, took the stage with his Declamation.  Both performances were praised by several coaches and team members”

“It was surreal,” Nathan said afterward. “I’ve competed in a lot of tournaments, but standing on a stage like that, with the lights, the sound system, and knowing my team was watching — it was unforgettable.”

“It’s the best mix — I said YES to all the rides,” laughed senior team co-captain Veena Sundaramoorthy, who spent the afternoon chasing coasters with friends. “We go from giving speeches on stage to screaming our lungs out on Xcelerator. It’s a perfect day.”

When the performances were over in the theater, the students were able to take team photos on stage and under the large marquee outside.  And everyone was treated to a very rare opportunity to have their very own meet and greet with Snoopy.

“I looked up saw Snoopy,” exclaimed senior co-captain Lilianna Simpson Castaneda.  “I’ve been to this event all four years of high school and Snoopy has never come in. What a great senior send-off.”

For many students, this event marks the perfect end-of-year celebration — a reward for a season filled with practices, long tournament days, and countless rewrites.

“This is what keeps the team spirit strong,” said one coach. “We don’t just compete together; we bond, laugh, and build memories like this one.”

For seniors like Nathan, it was a bittersweet goodbye to the high school stage. “This program has helped shape who I am,” he said. “Getting to end my senior year like this — performing on stage and riding roller coasters with my team — it couldn’t be better.”

As the sun began to set over Knott’s Berry Farm and students made their way back to their buses, there was a shared sense of pride among the team. They had spoken with clarity, courage, and conviction — and the Screamin’ Eagles soared into the sky, quite literally.

With the 2025 competitive season wrapping up, GabSpeech & Debate is looking forward to the National Championships this summer In Iowa.  

AI assisted in creation of this article

Screamin’ Eagles On Fire At the Hottest Tournament of the Year

By Gwendolyn Chu and Ximena Mercado

Just after returning from a highly successful State Championships, the Junior Varsity and Novice Screaming’ Eagles competed at the Southern California’s Debate League Novice Champs Tournament on May 9th and 10th. The debaters competed at La Cañada High Friday Afternoon, and Gabrielino hosted the speech tournament on Saturday. 

At Novice Champs, the Screamin’ Eagles put in the work to make sure they are memorized, in time, and have the proper blocking. This tournament allows for students to experiment with new events and play around with what works.  Junior, Joaquin Paulson-Moore, switched from Original Oratory and Dramatic Interpretation to Informative and Humorous Interpretation! Novice Champs provided an opportunity for speakers to completely switch it up and to grow and reflect as a speaker. 

The debaters had a great time at La Canada High School on Friday night.  After three rounds of debate, the team headed home and prepared for the Speech portion on Saturday.   And the heat.  The Saturday portion of the competition was the hottest Novice Champs Tournament this millennium.

With the first round beginning at eight Saturday morning, competitors headed to their first rounds. “It was really fun just experimenting with what worked with my scripts and doing things differently every round, especially because it's my first time doing them at a tournament!” stated Junior Varsity, Emily Mai, who competed in Public Forum, Declamation, and Dramatic Interpretation at Novice Champs. “I wasn’t really nervous because at that point, I was just trying to have fun in 100 degree weather.” Emily Mai was the champion of Declamation and placed 3rd with Public Forum along with her partner, Ryan Phung. 

Despite the hot temperatures, our Eagles soared high.  After three preliminary rounds, our Varisities unravelled colorful posters revealing who broke to finals. The top seven in every event make it to the final round. By the end, we had a staggering 48 of our JV and Novice Screamin’ Eagles make it to the finals of Novice Champs.  Gabrielino won seven of the 12 events!  Way to go Eagles!  Congratulations to Emily Mai (DEC), Sophia Sanchez (DI), Bart & Carl (DUO), Nathan Perez (HI), Trenton Nam (INFO), Classic Bob (IX), Amy Liang (POI) for winning their events. 

Every competitor truly exemplified what it means to be a member of this speech team through their hard work and dedication. Humorous Interpretation Event Leader and Captain Veena Sundaramoorhty comments on these Eagles’ dedication, exclaiming, “I'm so proud of how hard they worked this year. I know the work they had under their belt helped them do great this weekend.”

The team ended the 100 degree day with over 200 team points and won the tournament for the 28th straight year. 

Now, 23 of our Screamin’ Eagles will represent Gabrielino High School at the National Championship in Des Moines, Iowa for the 29th year in a row! Good luck Eagles!

State Championship Tournament in Los Angeles

By Jojo Scannell 

As the calendar turned from April to May, The Gabrielino Speech and Debate Team stood outside their school with the luggage, and speech gear ready to leave for the California State Championships.  When the buses pulled up, The Screamin’ Eagles piled their informative boards, POI binders, and freshly pressed suits into the back a yellow school bus and made their way to Culver City to compete in the 2025 California State Championships. 

After dropping off the debate coaches and lone debater, Aaron, the buses drove to the hotel.  It had been 16 years since the State Championships were last in Los Angeles.   And that time, back in 2009, was also at Culver City High School.  

Once everyone got into their hotel rooms, they had to get food and start preparing for the start of the Speech portion on Saturday morning.  From running lines with coaches, to full run throughs, Gabrielino speech was steadily preparing for the competition ahead. Elizabeth Peng (Freshman, Dramatic Interpretation) recalls, “[The day before] was hectic. People were doing their hair while they were getting coaching and then everyone was just switching out between coaching, but it was really fun, and it got me hyped up and excited for the next day.” 

At the team dinner, there was an amalgamation of meals, different for each hotel room.  GabSpeech sat together in the hotel lobby to watch each other perform. State tradition is for a handful of competitors, chosen by the coaches, to get the chance to perform their speech for the team. These performances are a celebration of the work that those competitors had put into their speech throughout the year.  

There were two surprises the night before the competition. As competitors were getting ready to sleep to save the energy for the day to come, two alternates who came on the trip to learn and support their teammates, Elyse Luo (Junior, National Extemporaneous) and Alessander Melgarez Diaz (Sophomore, Humorous Interpretation), were bumped into the tournament due to last minute drops.   With barely 12 hours of preparation, they were both going to compete alongside their teammates the next day.  

“I was not going to compete originally, so I was watching the extempers practice, and then suddenly I got a call from one of the coaches saying I was in the tournament.  I thought he was pranking me, but it turns out I was in the tournament, and all the extempers and I celebrated, and then I had to go prep.” explains Luo.

The morning of May 3rd consisted of smoothing down stray hairs, sealing meticulously applied makeup with setting powder and spray, and once more piling 42 competitors onto the bus that would take them to Culver City High School, where they would compete at the highest level California has to offer. 

The tournament itself was buzzing with energy, “It was really high energy, we were all supporting each other, and when the extempers weren’t prepping we went to go see other people speaking in other [event] patterns, it was a really supportive atmosphere.” describes Natalia San Lucas (Junior, National Extemporaneous).

The team’s determination shined at the championship.   After three preliminary rounds on Saturday 24 of the 42 qualifiers qualified for the semi-final round.  11 broke to the final round, and senior Aaron Situ came home brandishing a first place trophy in Lincoln-Douglas debate. The team's collective effort at the State Tournament delivered a rank of the third best program in all of California; the teams highest ranking since 2017 (2nd). The Screamin' Eagle were named the number one school in the southern two thirds of California, and the top public school program in the entirety of California. It was the 5th year in a row, and the 20th time in the last 25 years the team has been the top program in the southern half of California.

“It was cool that it was in Los Angeles,” said one of the Gab coaches.  “As the team was walking to the bus, we saw so many parents who were able to come and see the students and cheer on the kids.  You don’t have that at most state tournaments.”

Another coach quipped, "we have an amazing group of seniors. They were freshmen when they all came back from Covid banishment. They have been excited and hard working all four years of high school."

Even beyond the team’s successes, the students themselves were the embodiment of support for one another. From cheering teammates on in final rounds, to telling jokes in hotel rooms, the Gabrielino Speech and Debate community shines brighter than any first place trophy.

The team now shifts its attention to the Southern California Debate League’s Novice Championships next weekend taking place at Gabrielino!   

Way to go Screamin’ Eagles!!!

Extemp Excels as 24 Screamin’ Eagles Named All-State

After yet another incredible showing at the California State Speech Championships, Gabrielino learned two dozen of their members were named All-State.

Extempers dominated the team.  In United State Extemp (USX), Senior Sofia Villagra was named to the first team along with junior Natalia San Lucas and senior Matt Tafoya.  In International Extemp (IX), junior Carter Mak was named First Team, senior Issac Chan made the second team and sophomore Cathryn Abrishami was named an honorable mention.  

“To get 6 extempers on the All-State Team is incredible,” commented one of the Screamin’ Eagles’ coaches.  “It is a testament to how hard they’ve worked all year long and for the juniors and seniors, how hard they have worked since joining our team.”

Other students earning recognition State Champion Aaron Situ was first on the team after winning the State Championship in Lincoln Douglas Debate.  Kara Mak who lost the State Championship on a tie-breaker was also named to the 1st team.  

The second team included senior Shawn Cheng in Declamation (DEC) and juniors Archie Lia in Drama and Valerie Leung in Advocacy.  Sophomores Jolie Wang in Original Prose & Poetry and Oliver Li in Program Oral. Interp. (POI) were also included in the second team.

 Honorable Mentions were led by a trio of students in POI: freshman Cali Sadsad and seniors Veena Sundaramoorthy and Chenlu Yang.  Seniors Gabby Sanchez (Advocacy), Nathan Li (DEC), Jojo Scannell (Drama) and Ximena Mercado (DEC) were also named Honorable Mention along with juniors Cedric Hua (Informative) and Kayley Thai (Drama).  The team was rounded out by sophomore Rachel Yip in Humor.  

Over the past 29 years, almost 500 Gabrielino Speech Team members have been named to the California All-State Teams.  Way to go Screamin’ Eagles!!!