MHS hosts debate tourney

Maryville High School speech and debate students had a heavy task on their hands last weekend as they hosted 14 teams during a regional forensics tournament.

Sponsored by the Maryville Pride Lion's Club, the competition was one of the biggest in recent memory for MHS speech and debate coach Trudy Kinman.

"This was the biggest tournament that we have hosted in several years," Kinman said. "We had over 300 student guests and 14 different schools."

The MHS squad played host and therefore did not participate. Local students helped schedule judges and time-keepers, performed scoring, ran concessions and assisted as event chairpersons.

Emily Meyers, president of the MHS chapter of the National Forensics League, led students in organizing and coordinating the event, which took up large portions of both the high school and neighboring Northwest Technical School.

Several local businesses and organizations helped out, including the Pride Lions, the Maryville Optimist Club, KFC, Pagliai's Pizza, My Favorite Muffin, the Northwest Missouri State University Academy and the Northwest speech and debate team.

"We really need to thank all of our businesses, the NWMSU community, all of our parents, patrons and community members for helping us," Kinman said.

Blue Springs South took home the first-place trophy followed by Park Hill in second place and Savannah in third.