Oxbridge Academy freshman Kella Merlain-Moffatt won first place at the Palm Beach Catholic Forensic League Grand Finals, held recently at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts.
Merlain-Moffatt competed against seven other students in the Declamation category and took the top spot for her successful delivery of Bill Cosby’s notable “Pound Cake Speech” given at the NAACP 50th anniversary commemoration of the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. She will now advance to the National Catholic Forensic League’s Grand National Tournament, which will be held in Philadelphia over Memorial Day weekend.
Students from 13 local high schools participated in Saturday’s tournament and the top six finishers in each event will now move on to compete at the national level. Merlain-Moffatt, a Wellington resident, has been sharpening her skills throughout the school year. She placed fourth in the Oral Interpretation category at the forensics competition at Palm Beach Gardens High School in January, and she took third place last month in the Black History-themed competition at Palm Beach Lakes High School.
The Palm Beach Catholic Forensic League is designed to promote interest in interscholastic forensics by encouraging fellowship among both students and coaches. The organization provides opportunities for competition through six local tournaments each year, in addition to the national qualifier tournament. Students must compete in two of the six preliminary tournaments to be eligible for the “Grand Finals.”
For more on the Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches, visit www.oapb.org or call (561) 972-9600.
Above: Kella Merlain-Moffatt
