St. Louis, MO — The William Pitt Debating Union (WPDU) made an impressive showing at the prestigious 27th Gorlok Gala Forensic Tournament, held January 24–26, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri. Hosted by Webster University’s forensic program, the tournament featured 16 speech events and two debate formats, drawing some of the most competitive teams in the nation.
The Gorlok Gala is renowned for its high-caliber competition, particularly in National Forensic Association-Lincoln Douglas (NFA-LD) debate. WPDU’s goal in attending was to expose its students—many of whom are new to collegiate debate and speech—to elite-level competitors, providing valuable learning experiences and benchmarking their development.
WPDU sent six undergraduate students to the tournament, including five novice competitors and one junior-varsity participant. Three students participated in speech events in the Open Division, competing against seasoned speakers from across the country. Breanne Francis entered Impromptu and Informative Speaking; Mia Stack competed in Informative and After Dinner Speaking; and Natalie Rose took on Impromptu, Extemporaneous, and Informative Speaking.
In NFA-LD debate, three novice debaters—Aahna Sinha, Haniyyah Walls, and Zoe Smith—faced off against some of the top teams in the nation. Their performances demonstrated grit and growth, with each competitor making strides in a highly competitive field.
Haniyyah Walls finished the preliminary rounds with a 3-3 record, just one win shy of advancing to elimination rounds. Zoe Smith achieved a strong 4-2 record, securing her spot in the semi-final round. Aahna Sinha, however, delivered a standout performance, going undefeated at 6-0 in the preliminary rounds and earning a direct berth in the final round.
The semi-final round saw Zoe Smith defeat her opponent from Truman State University – a top NFA-LD program. This win allowed Pitt to lock-out the final round. Aahna earned 1st place, while Zoe Smith took 2nd place. Both competitors received additional individual recognition: Aahna was named the second-best novice speaker, while Zoe was ranked as the top novice speaker of the tournament. These wins secured each a spot in the novice division of the NFA National Championship Tournament in April, where they hope to join their teammates Haniyyah, Natalie, Henry Anastasi-Scott, Rosalind Dong, Tanish Gupta, Mia Stack, and Tommy Grace.
WPDU Director Al Primack praised the students for their achievements: “This tournament has always been one of the most competitive events in the regular season, and our students proved they belong among the best. Their hard work, resilience, and willingness to learn have set a strong foundation for future success.”
The WPDU’s performance at the Gorlok Gala reflects its commitment to fostering excellence in speech and debate. By competing at such a high level, the team not only tested its skills but also gained valuable insights into the practices and strategies of top-tier programs. With this success, the WPDU continues to build momentum heading into the remainder of the season, inspiring its students and raising the bar for collegiate debate at Pitt.