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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The Meyers High School forensics team hosted its 19th annual Martin Luther King Jr. open debate competition Saturday. Competitors from 20 local schools and schools as far away as Connecticut started the day early and ended it late to participate in several rounds of challenging events such as extemporaneous speaking, original oratory, and student congress.</p><p>Attorney Sarah Borland organized the activities.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a little bit of something for everybody in the forensics field,&#8221; explained Borland. Forensics, in this context, means to deconstruct, such as in an argument.</p><p>While most local schools participate in competitions held through the National Forensics League or the National Catholic Forensics League, the MLK tournament at Meyers is non-league affiliated, which means it can have some unique events.</p><p>&#8220;In particular, this tournament has events that are helping students celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We have MLK original poetry, where the students write poetry based on civil rights themes. We have MLK commentary, which is a five-minute speech on just a general topic or person in the civil rights field. We have MLK original oratory, where people write their own speeches on the topic of civil rights. And we have crisis management, which is where students learn how to handle crises from the point of view of a spokesperson or a press secretary,&#8221; Borland explained.</p><p>&#8220;I think that debate helps students in numerous ways, one is that it allows students to express themselves about issues that really affect them,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;Learning how to express yourself and get your points across can only benefit you as you go further in life.&#8221;</p><p>Lennese Prince, a junior at Meyers, described what debate means to her. &#8220;Debate is really fun. It&#8217;s like a family. I talk to a lot more people through my debate friends. It&#8217;s a really good resource to learn how to talk in front of people. When I started, I couldn&#8217;t talk in front of people without violently shaking, and now I can just go up in front of people and start to talk,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Prince also talked about the value of what students are learning through their study of forensics.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s important in the current political landscape to be able to, firstly, educate yourself about the issues and then be able to have a constructive conversation without just resorting to yelling at people. Because if you start yelling at people about your beliefs, no one is going to listen to you because they&#8217;re just going to think that you&#8217;re angry.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Students from throughout Pennsylvania and beyond&nbsp;came to Meyers High School to compete in the MLK speech and debate event Saturday, many pacing the hallways as they practiced their speeches.&nbsp; </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_TTL012118MLK-Speech2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Students from throughout Pennsylvania and beyond&nbsp;came to Meyers High School to compete in the MLK speech and debate event Saturday, many pacing the hallways as they practiced their speeches.&nbsp; </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_TTL012118MLK-Speech1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nial Vender, a senior from Holy Redeemer, practices for his competition in the category of commentary during the Martin Luther King Jr. speech and debate contest at Meyers High School in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_TTL012118MLK-Speech1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Nial Vender, a senior from Holy Redeemer, practices for his competition in the category of commentary during the Martin Luther King Jr. speech and debate contest at Meyers High School in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Teams from all over Pa. participate</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Katherine Pugh</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

Meyers hosts MLK debate competition