Valdosta speech and debate impresses on national stage

Published 8:38 am Monday, July 21, 2025

VALDOSTA — The Valdosta High School Speech and Debate Team made a powerful impression at the 2025 National Speech and Debate Tournament, held June 15 in Des Moines, Iowa. 

The event welcomed 6,459 student entries from 1,185 schools across the country, marking it as one of the most competitive speech and debate tournaments in the world. Leading the team for Valdosta was senior Rhaniah Payne, whose performance in Dramatic Interpretation earned her 18th place out of over 250 national competitors. Payne made if farther than any other student from Georgia, solidifying her place as one of the strongest competitors in the country.

“For me as a coach, there’s a lot of pride because of how far our students have come,” said Valdosta coach Pamela Childress. “For the kids, it’s that joy of competition. They love learning the topics, and they love making friends from all over the world.”

Several other students also excelled on the national stage. Ada Brown competed in two events, placing 197th out of 491 entries in Storytelling and completing six rounds of Humorous Interpretation. Jacob Campbell also represented the team in Humorous Interpretation.

In debate, Marzell Usher, Rumi Garbett-Chaitram, and Christopher Litster represented Valdosta as part of the GA Southern Peach Gold Team in World Schools Debate, earning victories in rounds one and three of preliminaries. Usher earned additional distinction, placing 90th out of 570 competitors in individual speaker rankings and being recognized as one of the few students nationwide to qualify and compete at the National Tournament all four years of high school.

Kevin Mapp took part in both Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Extemporaneous Commentary, gaining national-level experience across two challenging formats. In commentary, students have only 20 minutes to research a current issue and present a seven-minute argument—a format that demands both poise and preparation.

Other team members who completed their respective rounds against top-tier national talent included Zakiya White (Informative Speaking), Jessica Mohanty (Program Oral Interpretation), Sophia Moore (Original Oratory), and Rumi Garbett-Chaitram (Poetry).

The tournament was not without its own set of unique challenges. A person interrupted the competition by walking on stage acting strangely, sending competitors and audience members scrambling for the exit. While no one was injured, the moment was frightening for many in attendance. Valdosta’s team responded with calm and unity—gathering together quickly, checking on one another’s safety, and choosing to skip the awards ceremony the next day out of caution and concern. Childress praised the students for their empathy and presence of mind.

Despite the emotional challenge, Childress sees nothing but growth ahead. With several seniors graduating, she views this as a rebuilding year and plans to recruit heavily while expanding into middle school programs. Childress encourages new students to join, even those unsure if debate is for them. She emphasized the constructive feedback loop that debate provides, something she says is missing in many parts of the current generation.

As the season wraps, the team now looks ahead to rebuilding, expanding, and continuing to grow its already impressive legacy.