BGHS Debators Receive National Recognition

Buffalo Grove High School has recently been recognized as one of the nation's top schools in speech and debate activities by the National Forensic League (NFL). Buffalo Grove ranks 99 out of more than 3,000 schools nationwide, based on student participation and achievement in speech and debate cocurricular activities. Recipient schools are published in Rostrum, the national magazine of high school speech, and on www.nflonline.org, the website of the NFL.

The NFL is a not-for-profit honorary society whose mission is to promote high school and middle school speech and debate as a means to develop students' essential life skills and values. Last year, more than 112,000 high school and middle school students, representing more than 2,800 high schools and nearly 100 middle schools, built their communication, leadership, cognitive, and presentational skills as members. Since 1925, more than 1.3 million students have found their voice in the NFL.

Head coach for both Buffalo Grove's debate and speech and acting teams is Tracey Repa. Her assistant coaches are Anthepe Anthemiades, Beth Flanagan, Debbie Ruzicka, Nick Stockwell, Thomas Wagner, Mark Weiland, and Michelle Witter. The program involves about 60 students from all four classes.

Buffalo Grove's fine and performing arts coordinator, Kate Hutchinson, said, "Under Coach Repa's leadership the last 11 years, the BGHS Speech and Debate program has evolved into an outstanding organization that attends to the whole student. The (coaching) team works on leadership development, social and emotional growth, and peer accountability, in addition to their rigorous and personalized coaching of skills in both the Individual Events Speech categories and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Each year we have more and more students who qualify for the IHSA State series and the National Forensic League National Tournament. We are continually amazed by what our talented students can accomplish."