Students dressed in their Sunday best wandered the halls of MacArthur High School (MHS) on Friday while others congregated in small groups discussing weighty world matters.
The students, about 300 in all, from Southwestern Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City metro area, participated in the first MacArthur High School Holiday Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The event was hosted and organized by the MHS speech and debate team.
Malinda Perez, MHS speech and stage production teacher, expected only three schools – Lawton High, Eisenhower and MacArthur – to participate. But five times that number showed up.
“We didn’t know it was going to be so big until about a week ago,” Perez said.
Getting ready for the tournament turned into a community event with volunteers stepping up to make it a success, Perez said. Milano’s provided meals and HTeaO and Nothing Bundt Cakes also made donations. A former teacher donated some trophies and several community members were tapped to act as judges.
One of those judges, a student majoring in elementary education at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, has strong ties to MHS. Kelsie Roloff is a former captain of the MHS speech and debate team. She came home this weekend to help judge the tournament at her home school.
“I offered to judge,” she said. “I love the sentiment of it all.”
She was proud that MHS was hosting its first tournament.
“I think that means we are making strides,” she said. “I think this means we will be able to offer more tournaments. It’s an exciting time.”
Roloff wasn’t the only one excited to hold the tournament in Lawton. Members of the Lawton High team, who were polishing their presentation in the MHS cafeteria, said they were glad to be able to attend a tournament just across town.
“This is so much better than traveling,” said Jacob Tucker, LHS senior. “We are not a funded team so not having to raise money to go to the tournaments is really nice.” Tucker said most tournaments are held in the Oklahoma City metro area or Tulsa. “Tulsa is too far for us.”
Graciela Medrano, an LHS senior and Jacob Jones, an LHS freshman, were competing in the novice bracket and admitted to being nervous. The two were spectators at a round for Tucker and fellow teammate Sophia Jennings, but had never competed before.
“I was pretty nervous at first, but we kept making each other laugh so I’m just ready to go now,” Medrano said as she waited for the second round to begin Friday afternoon.
The LHS team also admitted to looking forward to beating their crosstown rival at their home school.
Two of those who came from the Oklahoma City metro area were Louis Kagiri and Donovan Maule, both from Edmond Memorial. Kagiri is a senior and Maule is a sophomore. They were sitting in the hall working on their case about the wealth tax as they waited for round two to start. Kagiri said he enjoyed coming to Lawton for the tournament while Maule said it was a long trip.
“The ride was long, but I like it,” he said, adding he was not looking forward to the bus leaving at 6:25 a.m. Saturday to make the return trip to Lawton for the second day of competition.
Kaydence Aplin, a senior at MHS who was assistant tournament director, was excited to hold the tournament at her home school.
“I think they are all really excited to be here,” she said of the participation by the other schools. “A lot of them are from Oklahoma City and Norman. It is cool to have them all here.”