In his position as coach of the Hattiesburg High School Forensics Team, Reginald Chapman has always considered it an honor to work with the students on his team.
But the students have raised themselves to a new standard with the success they’ve had this year, particularly at the recent Cowbell Classic speech and debate tournament, in which each of the team’s four participants entered at least one final round – and in some cases, multiple final rounds.
“What they’ve done this year has truly been remarkable,” Chapman said. “I’m overjoyed with everything that they’ve done, and they had a fantastic turnout at this tournament.
“I’m just so happy to be a part of the historical aspect of this department and everything that it’s done in the past, and that it’s still doing to this day. I’m an alumnus of the department, so to see that it’s continuing with the tradition of success, it’s just absolutely wonderful to be a part of this again.”
The Cowbell Classic, which was held earlier this month at Mississippi State University in Starkville and sponsored by the Stennis Center for Public Service, is a varsity tournament offering speech and debate events for the National Speech & Debate Association and Mississippi High School Activities Association.
The tournament consists of several events, including debate, individual performances, Duo Interpretation, Duet Acting and Dramatic Interpretation. Participants also take part in activities such as Poetry Interpretation and Program of Oral Interpretation.
Hattiesburg High senior Adonai Hill took several accolades at Cowbell Classic, winning her second Overall Individual Events Championship at the event. In addition, she led all tournament attendees by winning the championships in Duo Interpretation with her partner Casey Buisson and Duet Acting with Logan Green.
Hill also finished second in Program of Oral Interpretation of Literature – in which students debate over their favor stories, movies, plays or books – and third in Poetry Interpretation.
“It was hard work,” said Hill, who plans to continue similar activities at a college of her choice. “I did multiple hours perfecting each piece, and I wanted to have a great outcome. I feel overjoyed – it’s good to know that hard work pays off in the end.”
Green won second in Dramatic Interpretation, while Buisson placed third in that event. Green also won third in Duo Interpretation, along with her partner Morgan Murphy.
Following their success at the Cowbell Classic, the Hattiesburg High School Forensics Team is preparing to host the Magnolia District National Qualifying Speech Tournament, which will be held March 27 and 28 at the high school. That tournament will decide which students advance to the national championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in June.
“That district tournament, there’s a lot of work that goes into it because students from across the state come to this one tournament,” Chapman said. “Typically we’re only able to send one or two students from each event to nationals, so it’s a lot of pressure and a lot of hard work that goes into it.
“But we’re hoping that this work that we’re putting in now will be able to transfer over, and we’ll be able to take a full crew over to Albuquerque for the national speech and debate championship finals.”
