This past weekend, on the 11th and 12th of February, the Speech and Debate National Qualifying competition took place over Zoom. Johnston had nine individuals competing. 

     For the speech portion of the competition, there is one category called Original Oratory in which individuals write and present their own speech, and a second category where individuals or partners choose a script to interpret. For the debate portion, there are also two categories to choose from. In the first one, partners get a topic over the span of two months to debate over. In the second choice, participants are part of a large group yet are scored individually based on performance. 

     Members of NSDA (National Speech and Debate Association) go to multiple competitions in preparation for qualifiers and spend hours working on scripts and presentations, all in hopes of making it to nationals.

Johnston had five individuals qualify for nationals, which will take place in Louisville Kentucky from June 12-17, 2022.