The Brownson Speech and Debate team at Seton Hall had a successful competition season, with many students winning individual awards and the team finding success ahead of national competitions.
The team competed in several tournaments throughout the season, beginning at the Big Red Tournament of Love at Cornell University. There, the team secured first-place sweepstakes, with multiple students earning first- and second-place finishes in their events.
Following that early success, the team continued building momentum at the Southern Northern Atlantic Forensics Union (SNAFU), #5 Tournament, also held at Cornell.
Catherine Zizik, associate professor of communication and the team’s advisor, said these competitions provide an important outlet for students’ passions.
“We affirm students' passions and, now in the midst of everything that's going on in our world, to have a passion to speak and be advocating something in a public forum is something we have to keep on doing,” Zizik said.
She also emphasized the level of preparation required.
“Speeches are current,” Zizik said. “So while one piece of evidence might be used in September of 2025, that might be very different or have a nuance to it now that we're in a different geopolitical environment in mid-March.”
For students, keeping up with that fast pace requires a significant time commitment.
Anne Guanga, a sophomore accounting and math finance major, secured the coveted Overall Speaker award and won first place in Communication Analysis and Impromptu Speaking at the Big Red Tournament. She also won second place in Communication Analysis at the SNAFU #5 Tournament
Guanga said this high praise comes with a lot of hard work and dedication behind the scenes.
“We…have a required coaching session every single week, at least one hour,” Guanga said. “But typically during nationals season, especially we’re booking two, three coaching sessions. We dedicate those coaching sessions to talk with our coaches, establish a plan going forward of what we want to do with a speech…but we also work on our speech outside of those special coaching times.”
Guanga added that in the weeks leading up to competitions, students often spend 10 hours per week practicing.
A. Matthew Peters, a freshman in the business and law 3+3 program, also found success, earning first place in Extemporaneous Speaking and second place in Dramatic Interpretation at the Big Red Tournament. Additionally, Peters earned second place in Impromptu Speaking at the SNAFU #5 Tournament.
For Peters, competition season means amping up the preparation.
“Memorizing gets simpler as you go along,” Peters said. “However, the week leading up to the competition is very intense.”
Both Peters and Guanga were involved in speech during high school, where their passion for the activity developed.
“Throughout high school, I was involved in speaking stuff…so I had experience with public speaking going into this,” Peters said. “I did not, however, do any of the events which I do now.”
Guanga reflected on the confidence speech has instilled in her.
“I started speech and debate in high school, and initially, freshman year of high school, I was so nervous to talk to people,” Guanga said. “I had really bad social anxiety and I was very quiet growing up. Through speech and debate, I’ve learned how to relate to people, engage in conversation with them and also speak louder, not be scared of how to express my own opinions.”
While their high school experience laid the foundation for their skills, both Peters and Guanga have continued to build on those skills through this season’s competitions.
Beyond individual achievements, the students said the team’s strong sense of community helps them navigate the stressful competition season.
Peters said he sees the team as a family unit.
“I love my speech teammates,” Peters said. “We are a larger team than we have been in past years, which is so cool. Being a first-year puts me at the bottom of the totem pole so I have all of these big sisters and brothers who help me out all the time.”
Guanga echoed that sentiment.
“We try and make sure that we are more than just a team. We are also a family, and it's really important that we establish that foundational level of friendship,” Guanga said.
Beyond competition success, speech and debate foster student confidence and personal growth.
“Obviously, I stutter, so speaking is not a very easy thing for me,” Peters said. “I have chosen a challenging activity on purpose. My teammates have been so reassuring.”
He added that the team’s supportive, welcoming environment motivates him to improve.
“Not having that fear of judgment has encouraged me to work that much harder,” Peters said.
Guanga encouraged others to explore speech and debate.
“I understand we all have a fear of public speaking, but if you’re interested in speech and debate in general, I really urge you to try it,” Guanga said. “Because in the beginning it is terrifying, but as someone who was terrified in the beginning, now looking back I wouldn’t change a thing.”
For Zizik, stories like these are a reminder of what speech and debate can do for students.
“I think I can even speak for myself as personally profound that speech and debate builds confidence, but more importantly, it builds individual voice,” Zizik said. “So many student voices, and I don’t mean physical voice of speech, but what they believe, what they feel, what they advocate, isn’t taken as credible because they’re students. They’re still learning. But we give students a voice. It builds that.”
Now, as the season has largely drawn to a close, the team has their focus set on preparing for nationals.
“Every person on the team is qualified in their events for the national tournament,” Zizik said. “You know, we always are going to the big dance.”
Additional student winners this season include M. Brynn Christianson, Amos Wiley, Gemma Patrick, Max Merchiori, Sarah Lasater and Tristan Radcliffe.
Kaelyn Blizard is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at kaelyn.blizard@student.shu.edu.
