The Midtown Jesters, Midtown’s speech and debate team, have continued their streak of wins in the state tournament. On February 9, The Jesters won their 16th consecutive state victory, placing first in debate sweepstakes and second in speech sweepstakes.
Senior extemporaneous speaker Zachary Chan has been a Midtown Jester for four years.
“My time on the debate team has taught me a lot about how to best express my beliefs to others in a way that both effectively conveys my ideas while also being conducive to further discussions,” Chan said. “To prepare for competitions, I have also had to stay updated with the world around me, watching and reading the news consistently through a variety of mediums.”
As a soon-to-be graduate, Chan will join the ranks of the legacy past Jesters have achieved.
“Being a part of the Jester’s legacy at Midtown is certainly something that I’m proud to do,” Chan said. “Over the past four years, Mr. Herrera [Midtown Jesters club sponsor] has told all of us many bizarre and entertaining stories about past members and the experiences they have gone through while on the team, so getting a chance to become part of that legacy is something that I’m glad I have been able to do.”
Senior Charlotte Keenan has seen the growth and support of the team throughout her time in debate. Keenan won first place in Extemporaneous Speaking and was a semifinalist in Impromptu Speaking.
“I’ve learned a lot of things,” Keenan said. “While one of the obvious ones is public speaking, I’ve also learned deeper critical thinking and argumentation skills, as well as have a better understanding of current events. The team is very supportive of each other. Within the same event, we practice together and can give feedback to one another. And then the different events will cheer each other on and watch others’ rounds.”
Sophomore Noah Northcutt has been on the team for two years and competes in the Original oratory speech and interpretation events.
“I have learned so much, but one thing that stands the most is the value of having an outside perspective and the benefits of having many people to provide constructive criticism,” Northcutt said.
The wins each year are achieved through the hard work of the team as well as the guidance of the coaches.
“Coach Mario [Herrera] and the speech coach Molly provide an outside perspective to your work and help guide newcomers and ongoing members through all steps of the process,” Northcutt said. “The team just has a bond and a drive to win, and when those two aspects come together with the amazing coaches and lots of practice, winning is nearly inevitable.”
The final overall rankings for the State Finals are cumulative and include results from every event; every member of the team must do well enough in their individual events to contribute enough points to add up and place for a title.
“To me, the state wins represent the final culmination of all the work we have put in over the course of the year,” Chan said “As we research, discuss, practice and compete over the season, it all begins to add up and come together so that we are as prepared as we can be going into the state competition. Although each successive win adds a little bit more pressure to win the next one and keep Midtown’s streak going, it also adds more vital experience and confidence to the whole team so that we can continue to prove ourselves.”
Mario Herrera helps coach the team through various styles, and Keenan has been able to be a part of the Jesters’ legacy due to the contribution of coaches.
“Mr. Herrera is great at finding things to help us improve at practice,” Keenan said. “Whether it be speaking drills, topic discussion, or practice speeches, he’s able to help us focus on what we can do to get better. It’s really cool to have the opportunity to contribute to our streak of state championships, as well as be able to be a part of a team with a history like ours.”
Northcutt was his voice through being a part of the Jesters and has seen how the hard work of the team can transpire to the state wins.
“Being a Jester allows me to do my part to use the voice I’ve been given and in doing so showing the voice that Midtown is giving through its speech and debate team,” Northcutt said. “Each new state win is proof that it’s not just the people on the team but the experience that is shared in a way through generations of students. To garner a state win, that teamwork and shared experience coupled with lots of practice and guidance from coaches really combines to make it all happen.”
