During the weekend of February 8th, 2025, the GC Speech team competed in the Liberty Bell Classic invitational tournament at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in Philadelphia, PA. Sixty-three team members traveled to UPenn to compete against a field of 80 schools. Good Counsel’s team was among the top schools within that field with top entries in 6 of the 7 categories it was entered in.

GC students took the trip as an opportunity to grow outside of the familiar Washington-Arlington Catholic Forensic League (WACFL). Team member Jasper Rueda ‘27 shared that the most challenging part of the experience “was accepting loss [and] criticism from judges. Sometimes their opinions felt unfair, and sometimes we were judged for things that are out of our control, but in speech you have to be used to accepting criticism because it only strengthens your performance.” Receiving feedback from judges outside of a regional league allows performers to consider new perspectives that judges from their regional leagues may not have. Taking these perspectives into consideration allows performers to improve their skills.
Additionally, invitational tournaments allow for team growth through shared interpersonal connections. Team members form and strengthen friendships through shared experiences, especially lifting each other up in times of doubt or adversity and boosting each other during times of victory. As team member El Seifert ‘27 shared about the trip, “all of our victories are shared together. Sometimes, it’s difficult to separate yourself from the team, just because there are so many amazing speakers. Standing out from the crowd and making your piece resonate is challenging. Even though speech is such an individualized event, having pride in your teammates is something everyone gets to participate in. It was amazing to see the entire team cheer for the victories of our members. The joy was truly infectious and made me so proud to call myself a member of the GC Speech team.” Seifert additionally shared that, through invitational tournaments, team members are able to form new connections with students from across the nation. Seifert noted that, “having been through UPenn once before, some of the tournament aspects were expected, like the traditional round setup and size; [however], what was unexpected was [the opportunity for] more personal experiences. I found myself making friends with kids all over the country and sharing stories with them… one of my favorite things about UPenn is that there’s always more to do, more to learn, and new people to meet, and I’m so excited to do it all over again next year!” Seifert’s pure joy in regards to the connections that were formed and strengthened throughout the trip serves as a testament to the strength that the shared experience provides for the friendships of team members nationwide.

The GC Speech team was wildly successful in placement at the UPenn Liberty Bell Tournament, earning top placements in 6 of the 7 categories its members competed in. Below are the names and rankings of quarter-finalist, semi-finalist, and finalist GC competitors:
In the category of Declamation, GC Speech earned 13 of the top 25 entries:
Finalists: Carter Sotoye ‘27 (1st), Bethel Fisseha ‘27 (2nd), Bethel Yosef ‘27 (5th)
Semi-finalists: Amen Seleshi ‘27 (8th), Mame Ofori-Awuah ‘28 (12th), Nadia Rivera ‘28 (13th)
Quarter-Finalists: Jessica Jackson ‘27 (15th), Alexandra Kissal ‘27 (17th), Ella Banegura ‘27 (21st), Kamdi Agahazu ‘28 (22nd), Erin Yi ‘28 (23rd), Kini Kuma ‘28 (24th), Noah Jones ‘27 (25th)
In the category of Dramatic Performance, GC Speech earned 4 of the top 25 entries:
Finalists: Charles Cobb ‘25 (5th)
Semi-finalists: Kristie Soewandi ‘26 (10th), Dinobi Ijomah ‘28 (13th), Pietra Maschioro ‘26 (15th)
In the category of Duo Performance, GC Speech earned 6 of the top 25 entries:
Finalists: the teams of Kamdi Aghazu ‘28 and Dinobi Ijomah ‘28 (2nd), Amir Bello ‘26 and Nyla Barrett ‘26 (6th), & Kadijah Toure ‘27 and Kayla Selman ‘27 (7th)
Semi-finalists: the teams of Zimka Aghazu ‘26 and Aspen Johnson ‘26 (8th), Milenn Kini ‘26 and Kristie Soewandi ‘26 (11th), & Gabriel Rock ‘25 and Joshua Wadja ‘25 (12th)
In the category of Oral Interpretation of Literature, GC Speech earned 5 of the top 25 entries:
Finalists: Ethan Cueto ‘25 (4th), Olivia Baskin ‘26 (7th)
Semi-finalists: Charles Cobb ‘25 (10th), Jasmine Wright ‘26 (11th), Noah Fisseha ‘26 (14th)
In the category of Original Oratory, GC Speech earned 5 of the top 25 entries:
Finalists: Noah Fisseha ‘26 (3rd), Amir Bello ‘26 (5th)
Semi-finalists: Jasmine Wright ‘26 (7th), Annabel Seyoum ‘26 (11th)

Congratulations to the GC Speech team for their incredible performance at the UPenn Liberty Bell Invitational! We wish them the best of luck in all future endeavors. If you have any interest in joining GC Speech and becoming a part of this incredibly talented team, please contact Mr. Ehrman.