Three Speech and Debate members rode a bus to Jefferson City on Saturday to participate in the National Forensic League’s (NFL) Student Congress National Qualifier. Freshman Jacob Gordon, sophomore Shipra Singh, and senior Lisa Saville all competed for a chance to qualify for Nationals.

“I didn’t get to do a lot of speeches,” Singh said, “but I think I did okay. Overall it was a good experience.”

The competitors rode for two hours to the capitol building where they met students from other Missouri schools. They were then split up into the four different houses and the Senate. Congress rounds took place in the hearing rooms and lasted an hour with five minute breaks in between. The rounds were sectioned into two three-hour increments, so the students came prepared to debate all day.

“I think [to prepare] it’s just getting comfortable with the format, so participating in as many Congress rounds as you can before this tournament would–I think–greatly improve our chances at Nationals,” assistant coach Whitney Harper said.

Each student had the opportunity to give a speech affirming or negating the bill or resolution presented. They were judged on their speech, their fluency, and their supporting information. The judges consisted of teachers, volunteers, and Missouri representatives.

“I think it was pretty cool that there were congressmen and women from Missouri that were judging us,” Saville said. “They weren’t judging us on typical NFL standards. They were judging us on their overall impressions and what they know of the Missouri legislative system.”

Although FHN was one of the smallest schools there with only three representatives, they all competed on the Varsity level despite this being their first year.

“To be able to be a first year competitor, and realize that everyone else has had more years of experience than you, makes you want to try all that much harder to win,” Gordon said. “I was motivated to work harder because I was the only freshman in the Senate with the best of the best.”