Ripon High brought back a Speech & Debate course this past school year after a nearly 30 years absence.

Thankfully so for Valerie Chun and Elias Ramirez, who recently qualified to compete at the national level.

The two RHS students along with teacher Scott Sikma will take part in the National High School Speech & Debate Tournament scheduled for June 15-21 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Among their supporters was the Ripon Rotary Club.

The local service organizations helped defray the cost – about $1,300 per person after registration, airfare, hotel, etc. – for the RHS team to attend the national event.

Chun and Elias attended the recent Rotary Club meeting at the Spring Creek Gold & Country Club.

“We are so appreciative of the support / partnership with you and the Ripon Rotary Club,” said Ripon Unified Superintendent Ziggy Robeson in a letter to club President John Mangelos.

Initially, Chun and Ramirez missed by one spot at the March 9 National Qualifier tournament. However, they managed to qualify just prior to the May 15 deadline when another team was forced to drop out.

The National Speech & Debate event is a tournament that offers a platform for students to showcase their skills in various categories, including policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, public forum debate, and numerous speech events similar to that of the original oratory and informative speaking.

Competitors such as Chun and Ramirez can look forward to undergoing rigorous rounds of competition as judged by experts.

The event not only celebrates academic excellence and eloquence, but also fosters critical thinking, research capabilities, and, of course, public speaking skills.