Five questions with ... speech and debate national winner Abreanna Blose

Abreanna Blose is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. She was born and raised in Canton. She graduated from Perry High School last year.

"I graduated high school with the support from my wonderful family including my mother and father, Daunel and John, and my two siblings, Jacob and Lydia," Blose said. "I hope to use my (college) degree to continue doing what I love: writing and advocating."

She is a member of Ohio University’s speech and debate team. In March, the team competed in the 2022 Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament hosted by the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. The team won third place.

Blose stood out in the event because she was awarded one of the highest honors of the competition. She took home one of two national titles given to the best of the best. She earned the highly prestigious National Champion award in informative speaking.

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Did you participate in speech and debate at Perry High School and why?

I competed for the Perry High School speech and debate team all four years in high school. My senior year, I was a speech captain.

I chose to join speech and debate with the encouragement of my older brother who also competed on the team. Though I was hesitant at first, I ended up loving the sense of community the coaches and my teammates provided.

Winning a national award as a freshman in college is spectacular. Are you planning to compete in future years in college?

I plan to continue competing through college not only to pursue further individual success, but also to thrive alongside my teammates.

I truly love utilizing the platform the forensics community provides to speak about subjects that I care about.

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Why did you select the topic you did for your informative speech?

My topic for my informative speech was about the incel mindset. Incels are involuntary celibates who often blame women for their own lack of intimacy and lash out at society in return.

I chose this topic because incel terrorism has peaked over the past decade and is a growing cause for concern. The shocking content included in my speech allowed me to capture the attention of audiences and spread awareness.

Why do you feel speech and debate is important for students to take?

Speech and debate is extremely important for growth in many areas. It obviously allows students to grow as a public speaker, but also acts as a tool for expression. It is a great community for developing as a writer, researcher, performer and professional.

What does winning this national honor mean to you?

Winning the national honor was important to me because it was a measurement of the growth I have experienced over the past five years as a public speaker.

For supporting my efforts, I would like to thank my family, my high school speech coaches who dedicated so much time to me and to my current coach Jennifer Talbert who has helped me adapt my speech and perform to the best of my abilities.

Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Five questions with ... speech and debate winner Abreanna Blose