Speech and Debate shines in multiple competitions

Milpitas High School’s Speech and Debate Competition Season is in full swing, with middle school and high school students competing against some of the top school individuals and teams throughout the western United States.

Under the guidance of advisor Charles Schletzbaum, individual debaters have been racking up the hardware at an array of competitions this season.

In December 2023, Thomas Russell MS 8th graders Swara Mishra and Ege Tuncer finished as Octofinalists (among 16 best competitors after preliminary rounds), while Milpitas HS freshman Kavish Shah took second in Novice Impromptu Speaking 2nd place in finals, 9th grader Sanjana Krishnan was a semifinalist, while freshmen Ranvir Sakhalkar and Vikram Partha were finalist runner-up in Novice Public Forum.

At Arizona State in January MHS 9th grader Vikram Partha reached the Quarterfinals (1st speaker) in Novice Lincoln Douglas debate and fellow freshman Sanjana Krishnan was 3rd speaker.

Later in the month at James Logan HS, junior Rohan Krishna was an Octofinalist in Varsity Lincoln Douglas debate, while senior Isabelle Cho and junior Reba Prabhakhar cleared to round of 64.

In an online competition hosted by Columbia University, MHS juniors Ashton Chen and Atharv Vyas, as well as MHS senior Isabelle Cho and junior Reba Prabhakhar, were all Octofinalists and earned a bid to the Tournament of Champions.

In February at University of Las Vegas-Nevada, MHS competitors earned even more accolades: freshman Sanjana Krishnan reached the Quarterfinals of Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate; junior 
Ashton Chen was the second place speaker in Varsity Public Forum; and juniors Atharv Vyas and Ashton Chen were Octofinalists, earning a second bid to the Tournament of Champions together.

At an online Stanford University debate, freshman Clemence Wong finished as a semifinalist in Junior Varsity Original Oratory; junior Rohan Krishna was an Octofinalist in Varsity Lincoln s Douglas Debate; freshmen Aadya Rai and Sanjana Krishnanwas were Octofinalists again.

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