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.

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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.  

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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!!!