​Forensics Society Earns Leading Chapter Award

Central Catholic Forensic Society was recently awarded with the 2016-17 Leading Chapter Award in the Pittsburgh District. Out of more than 3,000 member schools nationwide, Central Catholic is one of only 108 to receive the Leading Chapter Award.

This year’s award honors the accumulated accomplishments of Central Catholic’s speakers and debaters from 1994 to the present, reflecting 698 members and degrees. The Leading Chapter Award is presented to the school from Western Pennsylvania whose speech and debate program has earned the most competition points at various local tournaments over a prolonged period of time.

Central Catholic has been a member of the NSDA (previously the National Forensics League), the prestigious national organization governing high school speech and debate activities, for nearly sixty years. The last time Central Catholic won this award was 24 years ago.

“Winning the Leading Chapter Award from the National Speech and Debate Association is indeed a great honor,” said Brother Kevin Dalmasse, FSC, moderator and head coach. “The young men of the CCFS and I discussed team goals at the beginning of the 2017-18 and there may have been a reminder or two that Central Catholic ‘does not export mediocrity.’ Our senior-laden team has responded well and has performed nicely at a wide array of tournaments, including the Barkley Forum at Emory University.”

This coveted honor, based on student participation throughout the school year, is the highest recognition a school can receive from the National Speech & Debate Association. Only the top school in accumulated members and degrees per district earns this designation each year, and each school must wait at least five years before being eleigible again.