The tournament ended with a Public Policy Debate between two two-person Nikiski teams who debated the topic, “Resolved: That the American media work against the best interest of the American public.” Writers Geo Beach and Dan Coyle and reporters Carey James, Homer Tribune, Hal Spence, Peninsula Clarion, Mike Mason, KBBI, and Michael Armstrong, Homer News had a chance to ask questions of the debaters.

DDF is part of the National Forensics League program. Students debate topics chosen by a national committee, usually on current events with public appeal.

Westerburg said the Homer tournament helped Kenai Peninsula teams prepare for the state competition, to be held April 28-30 in Anchorage. He said he was impressed by large turnouts at the Friday evening performance and the public policy debate.

“After working so hard all school year on their events, it was a huge boost to the students to receive such community recognition,” he said.

Here are the results of the tournament:

Expository Speaking: 1. Jessie Bowlin, Nikiski High School; 2. Karina Lorenzo, Nikiski; 3. Kara Bathune, Nikiski.

Duet Acting: 1. Taneeka Hansen and Kristen Tonga, Homer High School; 2. Kara Bathune and Jessie Bowlin, Nikiski; 3. Greg Evans and Lyz Dyment, Skyview High School.

Readers Theatre: 1. “Mole People Battle the Forces of Darkness,” Nikiski; 2. “Philadelphia,” Homer; 3. “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” Homer.

Lincoln Douglas Style Debate: 1. Kate Linner, 2. Kristen Tonga, 3. Tie: Taneeka Hansen and Yuan Yi Tan, all of Homer.

Duo Interpretation: 1. Josh Ball and J.R. Cox, Nikiski; 2. Justin Smith and Tyler Payment, Nikiski; 3. Clinton Edminister and Marc Oliver, Homer.

Humorous Interpretation: 1. Justin Smith, Nikiski; 2. J.R. Cox, Nikiski, 3. Peter Sheppard, Homer.

Original Oratory: 1. Kristen Tonga, Homer; 2. Kate Linner, Homer, 3. Joe Ribbens, Nikiski.

Pantomime: 1. Clinton Edminister and Marc Oliver, Homer; 2. Andy Gunter, Nikiski.

Dramatic Interpretation: 1. Trishin Rutherford, Nikiski; 2. Taneeka Hansen, Homer, 3. Clara Noomah, Homer.

Foreign Extemporaneous: 1. Tatiana Butler, Nikiski; 2. Joel Ribbens, Nikiski; 3. Luke Westerburg, Homer.

Domestic Extemporaneous: 1. Laura Rooper, Nikiski; 2. Erika Thye, Nikiski, 3. Kristin Tonga, Homer.

Public Forum Debate: 1. Kara Bethune and Joel Ribbens, Nikiski; 2. Laura Rooper and Josh Ball, Nikiski; 3. Tie: George Gustafson and Patrick Schneider and Clara Noomah and Megan DeCino, all of Homer.

Solo Acting: 1. Josh Ball, Nikiski; 2. Tatiana Butler, Nikiski, 3. Taneeka Hansen, Homer.

Extemporaneous Commentary: 1. Liz Dyment, Skyview; 2. Kelsey Shields, Skyview, 3. Yuan Yi Taun, Homer.

Policy Debate: 1. Tied: Trishin Rutherford and Leora Olsen, Nikiski, and Jessica Bowlin and Tasha Thompson, Nikiski; and 2. Tie: Tatiana Butler and Erica Thye, Nikiski, and Kayla Moneypenny and Amanda Skinner, Skyview.

Public Forum Debate, Speaker Points: 1. Joel Ribbens, Nikiski; 2. Tie: Kara Bethune and Josh Ball, Nikiski, 3. Patrick Schneider, Homer.

Lincoln Douglas Speaker Points: 1. Kristen Tonga, 2. Taneeka Hansen, 3. Kate Linner, all of Homer.