Philip Liu has had a knack for competition ever since middle school. This shines through in his participation in Speech and Debate and other extracurricular activities at Revere High School. He also helps out the environment in certain ways at RHS. 

Liu is a junior at Revere High School. Next year he will be the Speech and Debate president, and he competes in the event Lincoln-Douglas Debate, which is a one-on-one debate. Liu also started the recycling club at RHS and participates in Academic Challenge, Mu Alpha Theta, indoor and outdoor track and cross country. 

Liu has participated in Speech and Debate since sixth grade. He explained why he decided to join the team. 

“My sister did Speech and Debate, and she was one of the leaders, so it was just natural that I do it too,” Liu said. 

Liu has qualified for the state championship, and he talked about his feelings on it. 

“The thing about Speech and Debate is that it’s a lot of work . . . For my event, we have a new topic that we have to research and debate about, and just for states, there’s a new topic. In order to prepare for that, I have to do a lot of research and writing, but once that part is over, it’s fun to just go up there and debate,” Liu said. 

Liu says that he thinks Speech and Debate can be very important for high school students because it teaches them good communication skills. 

“I think the biggest part of Speech and Debate is just being able to speak in front of others. I think public speaking and being able to communicate effectively are probably the most important abilities you have in the world, even with technology. And Speech and Debate gives you the opportunity to speak in front of a crowd,” Liu said. 

Liu had been president elect since his sophomore year. He was the first president elect, before the coaching staff would choose the leadership roles. Hanna Steinker, the team’s coach, decided an election in which the students voted would be a better and more fair way to choose the future leaders. She explained the results. 

“Philip ran against one other student and received 75% of the vote from his peers,” Steinker said. 

Steinker also talked about why she thinks Liu is a strong leader. 

“I find Phil to be a really well-rounded debater that does a great job of ensuring everyone on the team has what they need to succeed. This year specifically, Phil has done a great job mentoring our two new Lincoln-Douglas debaters and is always willing to check in on them when I ask him to. I’m grateful to have a student like Phil on the team and look forward to seeing how he continues his leadership next season as team president,” Steinker said. 

Steinker said that one of Liu’s strongest qualities is the way he is able to lead the other students. She mentioned how he works to support them.

“He always makes sure his fellow team members are feeling supported and have what they need to succeed. He leads by example, with consistent attendance and a positive attitude. He is an exemplary leader on the team,” Steinker said. 

Steinker mentioned how much Liu’s skills have improved over the time she has been coaching him. 

“I see a strength in him that has grown over the last two years that I’ve worked with him. He approaches situations much more strategically now as a junior than he did when he was a sophomore. He found his voice this season and leads team discussions during topic lectures,” Steinker said. 

Akshay Elango, a junior who is the secretary and speech president for Speech and Debate, talked about what it is like to work with Liu and how good of a team member he is. 

“The work he does is very high quality,” Elango said. 

Elango also spoke about how he thinks Liu will make a great president next year and what some of his strengths are.

“I think his debate skills are really good obviously . . . I’d also say his leadership skills are really good,” Elango said. 

Liu says that what he is most excited about for next year is leading and helping the other team members. 

“As a senior, I will have more responsibility as the president, but I think it will be fun teaching the other kids and being a role model for them. I enjoy leading people and helping people out, so I think being a senior and the president as well can help me do those two things,” Liu said. 

Liu said his favorite part about Speech and Debate is the competitive aspect of it. 

“The best part for me at least, because I debate people one on one, is honestly just winning and being able to beat other people,” Liu said. 

Along with competing in Speech and Debate, Liu also participates in Academic Challenge and Mu Alpha Theta. 

“I really like the competition part, and I just like academic stuff, that’s just part of who I am. I like doing, I don’t know if you want to call it nerdy stuff, but I enjoy doing it,” Liu said. 

Liu has also started a recycling club at RHS. He and one of his friends noticed that after the new high school was built, there was no recycling program. They attempted to go to a Project Planning meeting to try and do something about it, but he explained what happened instead. 

“My friend and I were going to go to one of the Project Planet meetings, and their adviser is Mrs. Gerpacher, but they just call her ‘Mrs. G,’ and so we went to Mrs Gillette’s room instead by accident. We talked to her about it, and she recommended we talk to Project Planet about recycling. They ended up not doing it, so we just figured we’d do it ourselves. That’s kind of how it started,” Liu said. 

Liu continues to also compete in Mu Alpha Theta, Academic Challenge, and other sports at RHS and will soon fulfill his role as the Speech and Debate President.