Stellar sophomores soar in speech

PHOTO: Sophomores Sahda Bhinder and Noah Pasternack attend Speech and Debate state finals. (Courtesy Photo/Sadha Bhinder)

By Declan Fee

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff––

Davis High Speech and Debate’s sophomore squad of Sadha Bhinder and Noah Pasternack are some of the youngest on the team and ended up qualifying for the state finals in their first ever competition together.

The dynamic duo got into speech and debate for different reasons; Pasternack citing an appreciation for public speaking and Bhinder just wanting to attend “a bunch of random club’s first meetings.” However, they both stayed for similar reasons.

“What made me stay was definitely the people. Everyone was really encouraging and the environment was something I wanted to be a part of,” Bhinder said.

Pasternack echoed similar sentiments. “Everyone on the team is very inclusive and the coach has been very helpful,” Pasternack said.

Under the direction of their coach, Bhinder and Pasternack competed together in an event called Duo Interpretation, where partners act out a story without touching or making eye contact.

Their bond as friends has helped propel their speech careers. “Every year on Noah’s birthday it’s tradition to watch ‘Twilight,’ so we cut the book down to a ten-minute script,” Bhinder said. “It’s really fun taking something that is just a piece of our friendship and getting to perform a parody of it.”

The duo have thoroughly enjoyed their time together speaking on the big stage. “She (Bhinder) has an amazing work ethic and I know I can trust her to get things done on her end,” Pasternack said.

“I’m really happy to have Noah as a person I get to experience the team with,” Bhinder said. “We’ve been friends for years.”

The two give thanks to the upperclassmen on their team for openly welcoming the underclassmen.

“I definitely look up to the presidents, Claire and Mark, they did so much work to make this season happen under a late start and new coaching… without their work, I don’t think Davis would have been able to attend tournaments this year,” Bhinder said.

Bhinder and Pasternack are committed to the team for the next two years and are excited to see where they can go with it.

“I am very excited to improve and make our pieces as dynamic and amazing as they can possibly be,” Pasternack said.

“I can’t wait to compete in another season alongside Noah and hopefully return to States or even go to Nationals next year,” Bhinder said.