Students speaking to walls and bushes after school might seem unusual, but for the FUHS Speech & Debate team, it is simply another day of practice.

For first-year adviser Elizabeth O’Donnell,  those scenes first introduced her to the program years ago. However, her real experience with the team began last year when she chaperoned students at the Harvard Invitational.

“I was just so impressed by the quality, hard work, education, and intelligence of all the students,” O’Donnell said.

Although Speech & Debate is now a club instead of a class, the program has continued to grow under O’Donnell’s leadership. Along with coaching students, she also manages tournament registration, finances, travel, and scheduling.

“There’s an administrative part that they don’t see,” O’Donnell said. “I have to sign up all the kids for tournaments, make sure qualifications are uploaded, organize travel, and handle finances. Then there’s the coaching aspect where you want to make sure they’re in the best possible position to do well.”

Despite balancing these responsibilities alongside teaching, O’Donnell said her experience as an English teacher prepared her well for the role.

“Speech and debate is basically a talking essay,” she said. “You need a strong hook, a thesis, evidence, commentary, and organization. I’ve been grading essays for about 20 years, so I think that’s why I seem like a natural with it.”

Students say her dedication has had an immediate impact on the club’s success. “Whether it’s issues with funding, coaching, or tournament access, she has done so much so far to create a better experience for all members,” junior Kaitlyn Choi said.

O’Donnell’s organization and support go beyond what students see during meetings.

“Her ability to efficiently design schedules, submit necessary forms, and constantly support students has inspired all students to do the best that we can do,” Choi said.

Top competitor junior Olivia Woo said, “As for the team, I’m really happy with how we’ve been doing this year. The team chemistry is stronger than ever, and Mrs. O’Donnell and Coach Rankins are helping the team flourish.” 

Under O’Donnell’s leadership, the team has continued to achieve impressive results and found major success at competitions this season. At the Orange County State Qualifiers tournament, several students earned top placements, including junior Molly Kim placing first in Dramatic Interpretation, Olivia Woo placing first in both Impromptu and International Extemporaneous Speaking, and Ella Kim placing first in Humorous Interpretation. 

At the Peninsula Invitational, where over 90 schools from eight states competed, Fullerton students earned multiple top placements, including first place in Dramatic Interpretation by Ella Kim and second place in Duo Interpretation by Annette Lee and Kaitlyn Choi.

For Molly Kim, Speech & Debate has become both a creative outlet and a place to grow more confident. Her Dramatic Interpretation piece focuses on a grieving mother after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

“The message is that there’s no set timeline for grief,” Kim said. “And that it’s okay to feel that way.”

Kim says judges often compliment how naturally she performs the character.

“They said it felt like I was actually the character,” Kim said. “I try to stay in natural spaces, like how a real person would react.”

According to Kim, preparing for competitions mostly involves repetition and practicing in front of a mirror to make sure her movements and emotions feel realistic. She also says the supportive environment of the team and guidance from O’Donnell have helped her improve throughout the season.

One of the biggest goals of the program is helping students become more confident in themselves both inside and outside of competition. O’Donnell says Speech & Debate gives students opportunities to improve public speaking, communication, and critical thinking skills while also creating close friendships within the team.

Kim agrees that the club has become more than just competition.

“There’s no pressure,” Kim said. “You gain so many skills, and it’s a really good group of people.”

As the team prepares for the National Championships in Richmond, Virginia this June, students and coaches hope to continue building on the program’s success.

“No matter what kind of problems our team might have, Mrs. O’Donnell is always willing to do anything she can to help,” Choi said.