By Nathaniel Thomas ’25

Photo: Mr. Clemens congratulates Anthony Scarmozzino on his NCFL national championship at Chaminade’s Speech and Debate Convocation held in June.

Over Memorial Day Weekend, while many Chaminade students enjoyed pool parties and barbecues during the unofficial start of summer, a select group instead boarded a flight to the Midwest to compete on a national stage in Speech and Debate. The 2024 National Catholic Forensics League (NCFL) National Championship took place in Chicago, Illinois, from May 25 to May 26, 2024. Six Chaminade students qualified to compete in the prestigious event: Nathaniel Thomas ‘25 and Richie Colasonno ‘25 entered in Original Oratory, Sean Tyler ‘26 competed in Declamation, Gabriel Wasserman ‘24 participated in Congressional Debate, and both Anthony Gabrielli ‘26 and Anthony Scarmozzino ‘24 competed in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Accompanied by Speech and Debate Head Coach Mr. William Clemens ‘14 and assistant moderator Ms. Jordan Rindenow, as well as alumni judges Mr. Zachary Stoyer ‘23 and Mr. Dylan Long ‘23, the Flyers were prepared for a weekend of comradery and competition in the Windy City.

After arriving in Chicago a day later than planned due to stormy weather which caused a flight cancellation, the trip began on May 24, with the group exploring various interesting parts of Chicago such as Millenium Park, the famous “Bean” statue, and a Chicago White Sox baseball game. However, the next day would be entirely focused on competition, with speakers and debaters each participating in four rounds of competition against talented students from all over the country. That night, after attending Mass, four competitors would learn that they had advanced to the second day of competition: Tyler, Gabrielli, Wasserman, and Scarmozzino. The four competed throughout Sunday, May 25, leading to the final awards ceremony. Scarmozzino would reach the top of the mountain, becoming the 2024 NCFL National Champion in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, while Tyler reached the quarterfinal round in his category. Clemens remarked on the tournament: “I was unbelievably proud of everybody’s performance at the National Championship. This was the result of years of incredibly hard work by all of our competitors, and seeing Anthony Scarmozzino walk up on stage as the champion in Lincoln-Douglas was just a breathtaking moment.” It was an incredible achievement to cap off an incredible four years for the Debate Captain, and the entire team flew back to New York on Memorial Day with their heads held high.