In March, Skyline Speech and Debate became state champions for the sixth year in a row. Skyline has one of the best debate teams in Utah.
Lincoln Douglas (L.D.) debate captain Wesley Candelaria said, “I decided to join Skyline speech and debate because argumentation always seemed needed and valuable in society. I also wanted to learn how to become more cognizant of personal viewpoints.” This year, there was a particular set of circumstances that made a win unexpected.
Candelaria said he was skeptical that they would win, stating, “Park City put up a good fight this year, and Skyline suffered from low morale and anxiety about Park City. They placed first overall in the region, and we had real conversations about whether the Skyline dynasty had another go.”
Despite early struggles at regionals, corroborated by L.D. debaters Sabella Rope and Amy Hu (“We were unsure if another win was possible after regionals.”), Skyline pulled through.
In addition to a difficult regionals, this was Jutta Anderson’s first year as a debate teacher. According to Candelaria, she did a great job: “She killed it! Even if Skyline bombed it this year, it would still be a very special year, because we had the opportunity to learn and grow alongside a new coach.”
There were certain categories in debate specifically that pulled through. According to Amy Hu, “Extempt really pulled through and raised our overall ranking,”
Candelaria added, “For the first time since I’ve been at Skyline, we had a Policy team competing at state. Jarius McCarthy and Kai Yun Chao are both so talented.”
This affects Skyline’s reputation as an academic powerhouse. Candelaria said, “Our legacy and current performance in Speech and Debate further cements the fact that Skyline has a lot of smart people.”
In terms of debate next year, it might be a stretch to win a seventh time. However, with the right effort, it is definitely possible.
Candelaria said, “I can say with one-hundred-percent surety two things. First, Park City is going to really put the pedal to the medal next year. Second, Skyline has what it takes, and we can’t slack off! It will be hard because we are losing a lot of hard hitters that have contributed to our speech and debate. However, we have what it takes to win again.”
