the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood High School seniors Marcus Philips and Jonah Wunder received two silver bids, qualifying them for the Tournament of Champions, a national high school speech and debate competition held at the University of Kentucky. This is the first time in 24 years that a Ridgewood High School student has competed in the Tournament of Champions.
Philips and Wunder are ranked in the top 30 of high school public forum debaters in the country having successfully competed in a series of highly competitive national tournaments. Both students have been members of the Ridgewood High School Speech and Debate Club since their freshmen year and were first exposed to debate in middle school.
“I am extremely proud of this phenomenal accomplishment,” said Kathleen Clarke-Anderson, Advisor of the RHS Speech and Debate Club. “Unlike some schools, these students participate in Speech and Debate entirely as a co-curricular activity; therefore, all of their preparation and practice is done outside of school and in addition to their regular course load. This achievement speaks directly to their commitment and dedication. The entire team is very proud and looks forward to supporting them during this journey.”
One of the most prestigious high school speech and debate tournaments, the Tournament of Champions has been in existence since 1972. Philips and Wunder will be traveling to the tournament in Lexington, Kentucky on April 22-25, 2022.
Congrats to both. Best of luck!
Congratulations and best of luck on the competition. Remember, all men and women are equal until the open their mouth.
I’d love to see those kids debate Sleepy Joe Biden