Mount Pleasant High School Speech and Debate competed in the Regional Congressional Debate tournament at the Region VIII Education Service Center on Thursday, November 12. Competing against other 5A schools in our region, Mount Pleasant High School had a great showing taking 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th places in the competition. It was the second year in a row that Mount Pleasant High School would secure all three state advancing places.

Senior Isabella Greco was the Regional Champion with junior Connelly Cowan placing 2nd and senior Ryan Sharp placing 3rd. Greco, Cowan, and Sharp will all advance to the state meet in January. It will be the first state trip for Greco, the second for Cowan and the third for Sharp. In 2020, Cowan was a UIL State medalist in Congressional Debate.  Sophomore Anthony Orellana earned 5th place making him an alternate to state with sophomore Merlin Cardona 7th.

UIL Congress is an individual contest in a large group setting. It models the legislative process of democracy, specifically, the United States Congress. Within this mock legislative assembly competition, contestants draft legislation (proposed laws and position statements) submitted to the tournament, and they research the docket of bills and resolutions dealing with real-world social and political policies prior to the contest to prepare their speeches. At the tournament, students caucus in committees, deliver formal discourse on the merits and disadvantages of each piece of legislation, and vote to pass or defeat the measures they have examined. Parliamentary procedure forms structure for the discourse, and students extemporaneously respond to others’ arguments over the course of a session.

Greco, Cowan, and Sharp will compete at the State Congressional Debate tournament in Austin, January 5-7, 2021.

Pictured L to R
1st row: Ryan Sharp, Isabella Greco, Connelly Cowan
2nd row: Merlin Cardona, Anthony Orellana
3rd row: Coach Enrique Martinez