After months of contemplating whether waking up at 6 a.m. on Saturday for tournaments is worth it, co-captain of the Speech and Debate team and junior Heather Kim’s efforts paid off. Kim and two other students look forward to representing the student-run team at a national-level Speech and Debate tournament.

Three members of the Speech and Debate team qualified for national tournaments in two major leagues: the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) and the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA). NCFL Grand Nationals are held from May 23 to 24 in Washington, D.C., while NSDA Nationals are hosted June 14 to 19 in Richmond, Virginia. This year, Kim will travel with co-captain and junior Amedeo Bettauer, who will also compete at NCFL Grand Nationals with co-captain and junior Daphne Spunt.

Kim placed in the top three at the NSDA local qualifying rounds, earning her spot at Nationals. Kim said she is nervous but has come a long way in her confidence with public speaking since joining Speech and Debate.

“I was not confident in my freshman year because I thought I would have an accent, I would mess up and I would blank out. But now, I’m very relaxed during tournaments,” Kim said.

According to Kim, she has become more assured in expressing her opinions because of her experience.

“I used to be very quiet, doubt myself and try not to say things that might be offensive, even if it’s a little truthful,” Kim said. “But now I realize that what you say is really important, so you should just speak your mind.”

Daphne Spunt, whose sister, Flo Spunt ‘25 was former captain of the team, went to NSDA Nationals last year, and nearly qualified again this year, but lost in the third elimination round at the last chance qualifiers. Despite that, Daphne Spunt said she looks forward to participating in and exploring a new topic in Lincoln-Douglas debate (a one-versus-one competition format) at NCFL Grand Nationals.

“The topic is: governments ought to consider healthcare to be a public good rather than a private commodity. So, I’m excited to debate that because I usually debate domestic topics,” Daphne Spunt said.

Flo Spunt, freshman at Babson College, has kept in touch with current members and occasionally visits the high school for events. Flo Spunt said she was elated to hear that a few members, including her sister, qualified for Nationals, because she has seen them grow and accomplish so much over the years.

“I was beyond happy when I found out, especially given that I know where they started,” Flo Spunt said. “Seeing how much they’ve grown, improved and how they’re going to Nationals together is super special.”

Daphne Spunt said she has gained skills that have transferred outside of the tournaments, such as using the internet to broaden her perspective.

“It’s good to learn there’s two different sides to a story, because if I’ve learned anything from debate, it’s that if I find something online that is from a super credible source, I am more than capable of finding something that says the exact opposite from another credible source,” Daphne Spunt said.

Kim said she has made many mistakes, whether it be as an amateur speaker or as a captain, but all her teammates have continued to be kind, making practices and tournaments enjoyable.

“I love the team. My freshman year, all the captains were amazing and they helped me continue on,” Kim said. “Even with the captains graduating, and Amedeo and I being captains, it’s super fun, and everyone’s so nice and supportive.”

The Speech and Debate team is student-led and occasionally receives feedback from their adviser, physics teacher Graciela Mohamedi. In general, Daphne Spunt said she and other members learn through trial and error, and from each other.

“We’re a student-led team, so I’m the one teaching students technique on how to debate,” Daphne Spunt said. “I started as a novice, didn’t really know how to debate, and over time, going through tournaments, now I teach kids.”

From her experience, Daphne Spunt said Speech and Debate Nationals typically are made up of students with more resources, and that is why representing the high school and its team is meaningful to her.

“Usually, the people that qualify for Nationals have a debate class, or have private coaches or aren’t from a student-led team, which is why it’s so cool that I’m getting the opportunity to represent Brookline,” Daphne Spunt said.

As the three members travel to NSDA Nationals and NCFL Grand Nationals, Flo Spunt said the team should continue doing everything they have done so far.

“They’ve done a ton this year in terms of expanding the team and teaching new members,” Flo Spunt said. “Growing the team, expanding access and having more conversations [will] help the team continue to thrive.”