A one person team at Columbiana High School has earned a spot in the Ohio Speech and Debate Association’s State Finals.
Samantha Bucholtz, a Junior at CHS, will represent the high school in a statewide virtual tournament on March 5. Her category is United States Extemporaneous Speaking. Within her category she is assigned a different topic for every speech, and only has 30 minutes to write her speeches.
“The brilliant English teachers that we have at Columbiana, and how they teach how to write essays has helped me with my own speeches,” said Samantha Bucholtz. “You know, making sure I’m not just generalizing, making sure I am getting specific points.”
Bucholtz has been participating in Speech and Debate since she was a freshman. At first she said writing her speeches in 30 minutes was a lot of pressure, but through the years she’s progressed her skills. A lot of the credit goes to her high school government teachers and different team of coaches each year she has been involved. Being involved in Speech and Debate is also helping Bucholtz with her career path.
“I want to be a government teacher or history teacher in the future, so staying in line with these things on how other people are viewing them, I think also impacts my future.”
Bucholtz is competing in a virtual competition this weekend through the University of Alabama. The Ohio Speech and Debate Association’s State Finals is in early March, and the National Tournament in June.