Penn hosts tourney for top H.S. orators

Several hundred high school students not only felt the sweaty palms and butterflies typically experienced before a competition, but also got a taste of the Penn campus this weekend at an annual high school debate tournament. The Liberty Bell Classic -- held at Penn for its 26th year -- is an annual debate competition sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the student-run Penn Debate Council. This year, 670 students representing 53 high schools in eight states attended the event. High school students of all ages, from as far away as Florida, arrived on campus Saturday morning to compete in two days of intense competition. Many stayed in the University-owned Sheraton University City and Penn Tower hotels and were treated to tours and information sessions in between rounds. "Its very competitive here -- everyone has different styles of speaking," said Michele Young, a senior from The Mary Louise Academy in Queens, N.Y. "You have to get adjusted." Young competed in the extemporaneous speaking category. Other categories included student congress, original oratory, Lincoln-Douglas debate, dramatic interpretation, duo interpretation and declamation. Current and former members of the Penn Debate Council organized the event, according to Tournament Director Paul Higday, a 1996 Wharton and Engineering graduate. The Debate Council used over 100 judges throughout the weekend, due to the large number of students involved. The competition is also a good opportunity for Undergraduate Admissions to reach prospective students. Typically, over 100 students who have participated in the Liberty Bell Classic are admitted to the University each year. Many students said they realized that the University was attempting to recruit them. "It's a very beautiful campus, and it's hard not to notice that everyone seems to love it here, and is trying to get us to like it," said Diana Santos, a junior from The Mary Louis Academy. Her friend Mary Stahl, also a junior, disagreed in her opinion about the campus. "I don't like it that much. Everything closes too early," she said. "I mean, the Gap was closed at six yesterday." The competition ended yesterday with an awards ceremony in the University Museum's Harrison Auditorium. Awards were given out to quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists in all eight categories. Iona Preparatory High School in New Rochelle, N.Y., was the overall winner of the competition for the second year in a row, earning the highest combined score. Leslie Smith, a regional director in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, spoke to the high schoolers before the awards were given out. She talked about the prestige of the University, stressing that it pioneered many "firsts:" the first business school in the country, the first female president in the Ivy League and the first collegiate museum. Smith and the tournament organizers did manage to convince some students to consider Penn. "I think this is a great campus. I would consider coming here, especially after this weekend," said Vinay Patel, a sophomore debater from Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.