Three Wood River High School students competed with students across the country and as far away as China at the National Forensic League National Tournament, known as the world’s largest academic competition in Dallas, Texas.
The National Forensic League is a not-for-profit honorary society created to recognize high school students in speech and debate. More than 112,000 high school and middle school students, representing more than 2,800 high schools and nearly 100 middle schools, build their communication, leadership, cognitive and presentational skills as members, according to the NFL website. Public speaking is a 21st Century skill identified as a goal for all students in the Blaine County School District.
Wyatt Caccia, who will be a sophomore at Wood River High School in the fall, qualified in the Lincoln-Douglas debate. The Lincoln-Douglas debate posed the resolution, “When forced to choose, a just government ought to prioritize universal human rights over its national interests.” WRHS Debate teacher Susan Worst wrote that Caccia “picked up five ballots, a very respectable showing. He is looking forward to returning to debate next year, and will share his knowledge with the team. Wyatt’s enthusiasm and energy is invaluable to a team. They now know that it can be done, and will do it!”
Max Jones and Jake Miczulski, 2011 WRHS graduates, also qualified as a team in Public Forum Debate, where students debate news in the national headlines. They picked up four ballots in the preliminary rounds, capping their four years in debate. Both students will attend University of Idaho in the fall.
The students also visited the Dallas Museum of Art and the Sixth Floor Museum. Worst participated in seminars with her fellow debate coaches. She writes, “I’d like to thank the Blaine County Education Foundation for the $500 grant they contributed that went towards travel expenses and helped make the trip possible.”
Photo: Left to right, Jake Miczulski, Max Jones, Susan Worst, Wyatt Caccia