Friday, April 19, 2024

Carroll Senior Named Debate Champion

April2015_Debate (2)Spring is the peak of the high school debate competition season. Students crisscross the country, visiting top universities hosting various debate contests. The most difficult and significant high school speech and debate event is the Tournament of Champions hosted by the University of Kentucky.

At this year’s Tournament of Champions, held April 25-27, Carroll senior Azhar Hussain was named 2015 TOC Congressional Debate Champion. April2015_Debate (1)Carroll students Emma Lin and Zain Aziz also worked long hours in advance of and during the weekend competition. Southlake Debate will conclude its season at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Finals in June.

The Tournament of Champions is a high school debate championship tournament held annually at the University of Kentucky alongside Kentucky Derby events at the end of April. It is the most prestigious tournament on the “national circuit,” representing the most competitively successful debaters from the nation’s most prestigious individual debate tournaments. Founded in 1972 by Dr. JW Patterson, the Tournament of Champions has emerged as the premier championship for high school debaters who frequently compete nationally in Policy, Lincoln–Douglas, Public Forum, and Congressional debate.  The Tournament of Champions represents a wide swath of the high school academic community, from public schools to private schools, including students from across the country, from Anchorage, Alaska to Miami, Florida.

Students qualify to compete at the TOC by earning “bid” legs based on their performance during the regular competitive season at national and regional tournaments.  The TOC’s Advisory Committees decide which of the nation’s debate tournaments will serve as qualifying tournaments, seeking to strike a balance between the geographic diversity provided by regional tournaments and large tournaments that host a truly national draw.

 

Dragon Debate Celebrates Big Win, Prepares for Weekend Competition

The first National Debate Tournament of the season was held at Grapevine High School and Senior, Daniella Cohen took home the top honors in Congressional Debate.  Daniella received an automatic bid to the Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky and has also qualified for the Texas State Tournament in Houston.

Also placing and receiving bids in Congressional Debate were Seniors, Nyle Hussain,  Will Cook, and Kevin O’Brien; along with Junior, Azhar Hussain.

Seniors Davis Samuel and Jake Pannell qualified for the Tournament of Champions in Individual Events by placing 4th in Duo Interpretation.  Their tournament will be held in Minnesota. Senior Kevin O’Brien took 3rd place in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking.

The team competes at Parish Episcopal School of Dallas Sept. 20-21. Organizers offer competition in PF Debate, Congressional Debate, and 10 individual events.

Dragon Debate is sponsored Linda “Diane” Forbes, Speech and Debate Coach at Carroll Senior High School. To read more about the Debate Team’s early season winnings, click here.