The Speech and Debate coaches, Jean Perry, Director of Forensics, and Ira Heffler, Head Forensics Coach, announced that the team’s performance at the tournament held at Azusa Pacific University on Oct. 16 exceeded expectations.

In what was the first major competition of the school year, Glendale broke into the elimination rounds in all four speech categories: platform speaking, oral interpretation, limited-preparation events and debate and won eight awards including:

Novice Informative: First Place – Ashley Givens

Novice After Dinner: Top Speaker – Francis Dournayan

Novice Prose Interpretation: Finalist – Karina Gutierrez

Novice Impromptu: Second Place – LauraJean Berger

Finalists – Francis Dournayan, Ashley Givens

Open Impromptu: Second Place – Robert Black
Third Place – Tara Keshishian

Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Second Place – Armond Aivazyan

Overall, Glendale placed fourth in the Community College sweepstakes.