About ND Speech & Debate

The Notre Dame Speech and Debate Team (formerly known as Forensics) has a long-standing tradition of excellence in competitive public speaking and debate.  Students have the opportunity to develop their communication skills as well as representing our school at several tournaments throughout the school year.

Meetings will be Tuesday nights at 6:30pm-8:30pm in Rooms 101-102.  Contact Mr. Rizzo for Details.

Coach & Staff:

  • Mr. Sal Rizzo, Head Coach
  • Mr. Stuart Kramer, Assistant Debate Coach

About Coach Sal Rizzo

Coach Rizzo has been involved with the Notre Dame Speech and Debate program (fka Forensics) for 44 years. Under the tutelage of the late Mrs. Eleanor Wise, he competed as a junior and a senior. He volunteered for the program for 14 years and has been the coach for the better part of 28 years. He has coached several state and national award winners including the 2005 National Right to Life Oratory Contest National Champion, the 2014 National Speech and Debate Association Congressional Debate House National Champion and several state champions. Also one of his students was selected to be part of Team USA in World Schools Debate. Our team has won several sweepstakes awards including a Debate Schools of Honor award from the National Speech and Debate Association and three Diocesan Cumulative Sweepstakes awards.  He currently serves as a member of the Pennsylvania High School Speech League District 8 Tournament Committee and has promoted speech and debate in several public appearances including two appearances on the Dare to Care radio program out of Marion, Illinois. He also had the privilege to serve on the Pennsylvania High School Speech League 2016 State Tournament Committee.  He had the opportunity to introduce two new members of the Pennsylvania High School Speech League Hall of Fame in 2023.  He served as the PA Mideast Regional Coordinator for the National Right to Life Oratory Contest, from 1993-2014 through the support of Pennsylvanians for Human Life, Bethlehem/Easton Chapter of which he has been president since 2004.

November 4: ADFL/SCFL Joint Diocesan at Shikellamy HS

Joanna Pouoban: 2nd place: Student Congress

Kelly Lee:  Qualifying Bid: Oral Interpretation

National Speech and Debate Association Degree Winners

Joanna Pouoban: Degree of Merit

Judges Training Video:
Here’s the link for the Judges Training video from 10/28/2020.  It’s about 1 hour and 45 minutes and also 1.2GB.  It can be view in a web browser or downloaded and view outside of the browser.  The first 2 minutes are mostly a blank screen so let anyone watching know to skip to the 2:00 minute mark.

Mark your calendars! National Speech and Debate Education Day is March 4, 2022.

Student Officers

TBA

Parent Board

Mrs. Mary Bowman, Interim Chairperson

2005 National Champion

Fr. Stephan Isaac’s Career Highlights

  • 2005 National Right to Life Jane B. Thompson Oratory Contest National Winner (see Fr. Stephan’s Championship Speech in Resources section)
  • NSDA Degree of Outstanding Distinction
  • Four-time NCFL National Qualifier: 2003: Original Oratory; 2004: Student Congress Semifinalist; 2005: Student Congress Semifinalist; 2006: Student Congress Finalist
  • Two-time PHSSL State Award winner: 2004: Student Congress, 3rd Place;  2006: Student Congress 3rd Place

Read Testimony

2014 National Champion

Abby Marone’s Career Highlights

  • 2014 NSDA Congressional Debate House National Champion
  • Member of 2014-2015 Team USA World Schools Debate
  • Earned NSDA Degree of Premier Distinction
  • Nine total National Tournament appearances (all in Congressional Debate/Student Congress):
    2012: NCFL, Semifinalist
    2013: Tournament of Champions, Semifinalist; NCFL, Semifinalist; NSDA, Semifinalist
    2013: PHSSL State Champion Student Congress Senate
    2014: Tournament of Champions, 5th place; NCFL, 4th place; NSDA, 1st place
    2015: Tournament of Champions, 5th place;  NSDA, 4th place

Read Testimony

Award Winners

NSDA Wall of Distinction
State and National Award Winners

2014 NSDA Awards Ceremony: House

 

2014 NSDA Awards Ceremony: Debate Schools of Honor

Why Join Speech and Debate?

Top 10 Reasons to Join

Cameron Sauers Testimony

Tinabeth Pina Testimony

2023-2024 Tournament Schedule

 (tournaments in red are national events that the team does not attend, but students can. Also note that tournament dates and locations may be subject to change.)

10/28 Phillipsburg Invitational

11/4 ADFL TBA*

11/17-11/19 Villiger Tournament at St. Joseph’s University

12/2-12/4: George Mason – individual participation

12/9: LaSalle College HS

12/16: ADFL TBA*

1/6: ADFL at Hunterdon Central HS*

1/20: Blue, Maroon, and White NIETOC Qualifier at Shikellamy HS

1/27: Ridge HS

2/2-2/3: Pennsbury HS (debate can go to 2/4)

2/10: ADFL TBA*

2/24: PHSSL District 8 State Qualifier at TBA*

2/25: NSDA Congress Qualifier at William Tennent HS*

3/2: ADFL National Qualifier at Northampton Community College Fowler Center*

3/9-10: NSDA Speech and Debate Qualifier at William Tennent HS*

3/15-16: PHSSL State Tournament at Bloomsburg University*

4/6: NSDA Congress Qualifier at Council Rock North HS*

April 15: Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Video Oratory Contest Deadline (see Mr. Rizzo for details)

April TBA: Tournament Of Champions at University of Kentucky – speech and debate invitational individual participation

4/27: Southern Lehigh HS

TBA: National Individual Events Tournament Of Champions at TBA– speech invitational individual participation

5/24-27: NCFL Grand Nationals in Chicago

6/16-21: NSDA Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa

TBA: National Finals Pro-Life Oratory Contest at the National Right to Life Convention in TBA.

*denotes league tournament

ADFL = Allentown Diocesan Forensics League, NCFL = National Catholic Forensic League, NSDA = National Speech & Debate Assn.,

PHSSL = PA High School Speech League, SCFL = Scranton Catholic Forensics League

Want to read more about Speech and Debate? Check out Rostrum Magazine from the National Speech and Debate Association.