Randolph Speech & Debate successfully hosted its 37th Fall Classic on Saturday, Nov. 15. With 671 competitors from across New Jersey and Pennsylvania in attendance, it became the largest home tournament in RHS history and one of the largest events in the New Jersey Speech & Debate League.  

“Randolph was an incredible experience, as always,” Bridgewater-Raritan competitor Achyut Nuli said. “I appreciate how timely everything was, and I really enjoyed getting a lot of great wins.” 

Club advisor Katherine Burke noted that managing nearly 700 students, 260 judges and the Randolph team’s own operations “allowed us to really develop our leadership and organizational skills.” 

This included the Randolph team working tirelessly to prepare for the tournament, even staying after school to set up classrooms for competitors. Many students said this taught them responsibility and how to work for a tournament, whether they were competing or not.  

Although Randolph didn’t compete, club members agreed that the Randolph Fall Classic is always one of the most fun tournaments for the club. “I love having the chance to be behind the scenes, running the tournament and seeing the friends I’ve made from other schools, thanks to this club,” senior president Tanishka Shahoo said. 

While tournaments usually only host high school competitions, RHS also welcomed middle schoolers, who had crafted intricate debate cases and dramatic speeches. This allowed younger competitors to understand not only how a tournament works but also to put their skills to the test.  

“I love the Randolph Fall Classic because I can meet people from schools that don’t always compete,” junior speech vice-president Evan Schwartz said. “Also, we got to meet some of the upcoming middle schoolers.” 

Every year, RHS Speech & Debate also collects donations for charity. This year, teams were encouraged to bring canned goods or pet supplies to help those in need. At the end-of-day awards ceremony, Hunterdon Central was recognized with a trophy for contributing the most donations.   

“We did a lot of good this year, collecting nonperishable food items for Nourish NJ and pet supplies for Eleventh Hour Rescue,” Burke said. “A tournament of this size is a wonderful opportunity to do some real good in our community.” 

Prior to the awards ceremony, students enjoyed a Thanksgiving-themed recap video. This year’s annual “turkey video” starred senior debate vice-president Rohan Gupta, who’d conducted funny interviews with students throughout the day. Laughter filled the room, making it the perfect end to a long day for the competitors.