The Hotchkiss Speech and Debate Team has continued to dominate the DANEIS League and qualify multiple members for international tournaments.
Most recently, Max Salzinger ’25, Isaiah Stephens ’25, and Shaye Lee ’26 competed against 112 students from four different countries at the International Independent School Public Speaking Championships in Bermuda from October 17 to 20.
Salzinger, Stephens, and Lee each made the finals in at least one event. Stephens won 3rd overall speaker and top U.S. competitor, which qualified him for the World Championships in Malaysia this spring. “It was a lovely experience debating and interacting with students from Canada and India. It was a culturally fulfilling experience as well,” said Stephens.
Lee tied for 8th overall speaker. She said, “We got to bond as a team and meet a lot of other debaters from schools nearby and also internationally. It was amazing to be able to exchange perspectives with people who share an interest in policy and argumentation.”
This is only the latest of many successful performances by the team this year. On September 15, it won the top school title at the Roxbury Latin tournament with a record of 12-0. Maadhavan Prasanna ’25 won top speaker and secured a spot at the World Championships.
The team then placed second at Northfield Mount Hermon’s public speaking tournament on September 29. Vanessa Guerra ’25 won top speaker, securing a spot in the World Championships alongside Stephens and Prasanna.
Head Coach David Conti said, “There have been three tournaments this year, and our debaters have been top speakers at all three of them.”
The team mostly participates in parliamentary debate, a two-ontwo style where the resolution is unknown until debaters enter the room. The team also engages in public speaking including interpretive reading, impromptu speaking, and after-dinner speech events.
“The way debate tournaments work is your advanced team and your novice team both have to win for the school to win. I’m really proud that we have both fantastic advanced debaters and fantastic upcoming novice debaters,” said Coach Conti.
The team meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Coach Conti said, “Normally, during a regular practice, either [Coach Thomas] Fisher, the captains, and I teach something about debate, or we run rounds of parliamentary debate, or we have a session where the advanced debaters demonstrate how to do something and the novice debaters practice it.” Students can join the team at any time by beginning to attend practices.
Novice debater Clover Curry ’27 said, “Every time you speak, Mr. Conti and Dr. Fisher give you feedback and positive reinforcement while also commenting on areas for improvement. I have grown so much as a debater under their guidance. They are also incredible at giving examples of what we can do on our own outside of practice to improve.”
Stephens said, “I have more opportunities to mentor students [as a new captain]. Previously, I would simply attend practice to get myself ready, whereas now I am attending not only to be a role model for others but also to inspire peers who may be nervous about their debating techniques.”
The team looks forward to tournaments at Choate on November 17 and at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School on December 8.
